Careers in Public Administration

1. Careers in Public Administration Public Administration Ralph S. Brower, Ph.D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy Florida State University

2. Definition for Public Administration Public administration is concerned with the management of public programs. Public administrators work at all levels of government, both at home and abroad; other public administrators manage nonprofit organizations, associations, and interest groups of all kinds.

3. Local Government Administration Leadership and Strategic Management Human Resource Management Public Financial Management Civic and Nonprofit Leadership Policy Analysis and Evaluation Emergency Management and Homeland Security International Development Activities in which publicadministrators engage:

4. Organizations that employ public administrators • Federal, state, and local government agencies • International governmental organizations, such as the United Nations, World Bank, and NATO • Local and national nonprofit organizations, such as the Red Cross, Boys and Girls Clubs, and Second Harvest Food Bank • International nongovernmental organizations, such as World Vision, Save the Children, and Amnesty International • Professional associations, such as labor unions, Florida Optometric Association, and Florida Health Care Association

5. Graduate training needed to becomea public administrator • Master of Public Administration: approximately 42-45 credit hours; or • Master of Public Policy: approximately 33-39 credit hours; or • Ph.D. in Public Administration – but only for academic, technical, or consulting positions: approximately 45-48 credit hours beyond the masters

6. Certifications or additional training • Additional certificates or training are not required, however, additional certificates may help job placement in some fields; • For example, the Askew School offers certificates in: • Financial Management (18 credit hours) • Human Resource Management (18 credit hours) • Health Services Administration (15 credit hours) • General Public Administration (18 credit hours) • Emergency Management (15 credit hours) • Civic and Nonprofit Leadership (18 credit hours)

7. Employment opportunities for public administrators • Students with backgrounds in psychology have especially important roles to play as: • Human resource managers; • Human service counselors, such as for youth services, community mental health, criminal justice, disabilities, and substance abuse; • Specialists in disaster-related stress and trauma for emergency management. • Demand in recent years for entry-level professionals: • Human service nonprofits: continuous demand • Local governments: continuous demand • State agencies (Florida): decreasing demand • Federal agencies: high demand in many fields

8. Salaries public administrators earn • Government agencies: • Starting: $30-35K • Top Executives: $100-250K • Nonprofit managers: • Starting: $25-35K • Top Executives: $100-$700K • Association managers • Starting: $35K • Top Executives: $100-$700K • University professors (Ph.D. required): $50-$180K

9. Flexibility in work conditions for public administrators • Some jobs offer shift options • Maternity/paternity leave in most government jobs • Discretion in clothing, so long as it’s professional • Some flexible hours permitted in some workplaces • Work from home (telecommuting) arrangements possible in some jobs • Some choices for job relocation to other communities

10. Skills and experiences undergrads should have if interested in public administration • Most programs of study have no prerequisite course requirements, although courses in government and research methods are helpful; • To be competitive for better graduate programs in public administration you will need: • Minimum 3.0 upper division GPA (some programs higher, a few lower); • GRE scores (scores vary by program; Askew School requires a test score, but no minimum); • Community service, campus organizations and leadership are desirable but not required; • Three (3) letters of recommendation from professionals and professors who know you. • Admission requirements vary across programs.

11. Most rewarding aspects of being a public administrator • Making a difference in citizens’ lives • Making a difference for your community • Psychologically fulfilling • Creating public trust in government and civil society • Interacting with people whose ideas and values are different than your own • Confronting challenging problems and learning new things • Helping create and implement new public policies

12. Biggest drawbacks of being a public administrator • Your work is always in the public eye (transparency) • Some public problems don’t have practical solutions • Having to deal sometimes with unpleasant people • Can’t always control the “face” or the timing of problems you have to deal with

13. Additional information aboutbeing a public administrator • Many graduate programs offer joint degrees or other special programs; examples from the Askew School: • MPA/JD - with College of Law • MPA/MSC - with College of Criminology and Criminal Justice • MPA/MSP - with Department of Urban and Regional Planning • MPA/MSW – with College of Social Work • Five year combined BA/BS and MPA

14. Website recommendations for those interested in public administration The Askew School of Public Administration and Policy: http://askew.fsu.edu Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration: http://www.naspaa.org/