Public Administration
Online BA

Advance your education online at UMassD

With a BA degree in Public Administration, you'll acquire the analytical, critical thinking, and writing skills necessary to excel in your career.

Flexibly designed with part-time learners in mind, we aim to prepare graduates who possess the analytical, critical-thinking, and writing skills necessary for employment in the public sector.

You will learn to:

understand concepts, theories and empirical findings in public administration
design research and perform data analysis & interpretation
understand and synthesize professional and popular writing on public affairs
formulate and analyze arguments including their structure and force
assess the relevance and weight of evidence
write clearly and persuasively
organize your ideas in a focused paper or presentation

A BA in public administration focuses on communication and language skills as they relate to interacting in human and social services.

If you're interested in preparing to take on a role in budgetary or financial management, learn about what our Bachelor of Science in Public Administration offers.

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With our generous transfer policy, students with existing credits may transfer up to 90 credits from a regionally accredited institution.

To earn your degree, you'll need 120 credits, with 36 credits in your major.

Sample Course Offerings

Examples of courses offered in the Public Administration program include (course offerings subject to change):

Civil Rights in the U.S.
State & Local Government
Public Policy
Urban Politics
Urban Economics

Required courses

Introductory-level American government course
Upper-level public administration course
Microeconomics and Macroeconomics
Business Communication
Internship course
Senior capstone in Public Administration.

Course descriptions, schedules and requirements

Transfer Applicants

Submit official transcripts from all accredited colleges or universities for which you enrolled in courses

Students coming directly from high school and/or with 0-11 college credits will be required to:

have high school transcript sent to UMass Dartmouth
have official SAT or ACT scores sent to UMass Dartmouth (only required for those applicants with a high school GPA under 3.0 and graduated from high school less than four years ago)

Students who complete high school through the GED/HiSET program will be required to:

submit a copy of the GED/HiSET certificate from the state
submit a copy of your GED/HiSET test record
submit an official high school transcript

Best Online Bachelor's in Public Administration - Academic Influence

Customize your education and receive the help and guidance to finish as planned:

Generous transfer policy
Value and affordability of a UMass education
One-on-one personal advising from enrollment through graduation
Free online and in-person tutoring and writing center

UMass Dartmouth advanced degrees

Learning style: online

Online courses are taught by UMass Dartmouth faculty to provide high quality instruction and personal attention. Students have the flexibility to accommodate work and home responsibilities within the structure of defined assignment due dates. The majority of our online courses are taught asynchronously.

Frequently asked questions

Have questions about the Public Administration Online BA program? Below are answers to common questions about admissions, curriculum, career outcomes, and student experience.

Public administration focuses on how government and community-serving organizations develop, manage, and deliver programs and services. You’ll explore public policy, government, economics, communication, and organizational decision-making while developing skills you can apply in a variety of public and nonprofit settings.

Both degrees prepare you for careers in public administration, but they have different areas of emphasis. The BA focuses more on communication, writing, and working with people and communities in human and social services, while the BS places greater emphasis on quantitative analysis, budgeting, and financial management. Choose the BA if you're interested in the people, communication, and service side of public administration, or the BS if you're interested in data, budgeting, and financial management.

Yes. The online program is designed with working adults and part-time learners in mind, offering mostly asynchronous coursework so you can complete your degree while balancing work and other responsibilities.

Yes. UMass Dartmouth accepts up to 90 credits from a regionally accredited institution, making the program an option for students who have already completed college coursework and want to finish their bachelor's degree.

Yes. Online students may be eligible for scholarships, grants, and other forms of financial aid to help make earning your degree more affordable. Eligibility varies by student and award, so we encourage you to explore your financial aid options and apply for scholarships as part of the enrollment process. Please visit our financial aid page to learn more about financial aid and scholarships.