Grand Valley State University

Public Administration, B.A., B.S.

Subject Overview

The public and nonprofit administration program at Grand Valley State University focuses on the management processes of public and nonprofit organizations that serve and improve our communities. Students learn how to serve the public interest ethically, effectively, and efficiently. Graduates of the program typically work for government or nonprofit agencies.

Public and nonprofit administration majors study many aspects of public service and governance, including local politics, neighborhood analysis, organization dynamics, public policy, economic development, human resource management, philanthropy, voluntarism, budgeting, public finance, information technologies, regional governance, and health care delivery. They also learn to understand and respect the interplay among local governmental units, nonprofit organizations, philanthropic foundations, the state and federal governments, the private sector, the built environment, and the global economy.

Students also learn about public and nonprofit administration as a professional activity. They learn how administrators achieve managerial efficiency, program effectiveness, legal accountability, client-driven responsiveness, political representation, and organizational reform. They acquire practical skills, including analyzing agency budgets, supervising staff, designing informational Web pages, writing grant proposals, and designing evaluation surveys. Moreover, they learn to consider the moral, social, political, economic, and technical forces involved in designing and managing programs in the public interest.

Program Description

Grand Valley's Program
The School of Public and Nonprofit Administration (SPNA) offers a program that provides professional orientation and career specialization along with a sound liberal arts foundation. It is an interdisciplinary program designed to give students the skills and knowledge necessary for success in public, private, and nonprofit organizations. Completion of the program can lead to either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science degree.

Undergraduate courses are offered on the Allendale Campus and the Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus. Some classes are taught in evening sessions.

Internships
Because the field values practical experience so highly, students are required to enroll in an internship class. The internship experience helps students learn by doing, sample prospective employers, and network with practitioners. Interns work under a supervisor who will evaluate the intern's field service and under an academic internship director who evaluates the student's academic work.

Summer studies
Students may earn credit toward the public administration degree through summer programs in Australia and England.

Nonprofit resources
Students who are interested in nonprofit administration may have opportunities to exploit Grand Valley's three unique nonprofit resources: the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership, which focuses on financial, technical, and administrative support on teaching, research, and service related to nonprofit activities; the Community Research Institute, which provides quality research and critical data for community improvement; and the Grand Valley library's endowed Johnson Collection for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership, which is one of the country's best collections of books, journals, and audiovisuals on the nonprofit sector.

Career Opportunities

Grand Valley opens doors to a variety of public service careers with local, state, and federal government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private sector firms by offering a solid background for many graduate degrees. Students can enhance their job preparation and marketability by seeking practical experience through paid or volunteer internships; acquiring valuable skills in specialties such as economics, information technology, public relations, or planning; joining organizations related to their professional interests; and developing their oral, written, and visual communication skills.

A graduate degree is very likely to help advance a career in public or nonprofit administration. A student may choose to enter the job market upon graduating and acquire a master's degree later or the student may choose to seek a graduate degree immediately after earning the baccalaureate degree.

Degree Requirements

Prerequisite
The prerequisite for the public and nonprofit administration major is PLS 102 American Government and Politics. This course does not count toward the degree program's 36 credit hours.

Courses
Majors must complete 24 credit hours by taking all of the core courses and three electives. Visit www.gvsu.edu/catalog for a list of these courses.

Specialties
Students majoring in public and nonprofit administration must also select one specialty consisting of at least nine credit hours. Some specialties also require that a specific public administration course be taken as an elective.

With an adviser's approval, PA 372, PA 380, PA 490, and PA 491 may count toward any specialty:
a. Community development and planning
b. Public personnel management
c. Information technology
e. Public and nonprofit budgeting and finance
f. Community health

For more specific specialties information, please visit the Public and Nonprofit Administration section of the online catalog www.gvsu.edu/catalog.

Minor in Public Administration
Students minoring in public administration are required to complete 21 credits of coursework. Visit www.gvsu.edu/catalog for details.

Minor in Nonprofit Administration
Students minoring in nonprofit administration are required to complete 21 credits of coursework. Visit www.gvsu.edu/catalog for details.

For courses, curriculum, other degree related information, and faculty listings, please visit the Grand Valley State University catalog online at www.gvsu.edu/catalog.

For More Information

School of Public and Nonprofit Administration
Grand Valley State University
401 Fulton Street West
242 C DeVos Center
Grand Rapids, MI 49504-6431
Telephone: (616) 331-6575
Email: hoffmanm@gvsu.edu
Web: www.gvsu.edu/spna
or
Admissions Office
Grand Valley State University
1 Campus Drive
Allendale, MI 49401-9403
Telephone: (616) 331-2025 or (800) 748-0246
Email: admissions@gvsu.edu
Web: www.gvsu.edu/admissions

Additional Information

Specific Career Opportunities

Public sector
The pending retirement of the baby boom generation may soon create many job openings, even at the coveted federal level. Public and nonprofit administration graduates should find a variety of rewarding government careers from which to choose, including city management, economic development, community development, program evaluation, budget analysis, personnel management, city planning, public relations, labor relations, and court administration.

Nonprofit sector
Nonprofit organizations carry out important public service missions in health, recreation, culture, education, religion, and charity. Thousands of large and small nonprofit organizations in Michigan employ nearly 250,000 people. Nonprofit organizations can provide a good employment entry point because they offer many volunteer and internship positions through which students can acquire experience and skills. Nonprofit sector job opportunities for public administration graduates can be found in neighborhood associations, local development corporations, labor unions, religious organizations, schools, museums, advocacy organizations, chambers of commerce, and nonprofit hospitals and clinics.

Private sector
Rapid growth in the outsourcing of government work to private firms has made knowledge of the government's programs and procedures a valuable commodity in the private sector. Private companies handle contract work worth $183 billion a year for the Department of Defense, the Federal Communications Commission, the Small Business Administration, and other agencies. State government is also caught up in the outsourcing trend. For example, Michigan outsources 58 percent of its juvenile corrections services. Various local governments in Michigan have at least partially outsourced garbage collection, delinquent tax collection, certain police protection activities, street lighting maintenance, tree trimming, snow removal, parking structure operation and maintenance, and even cemetery operation. For many people in today's public service, jumps from the private to the public sector or to a nonprofit and back again are normal. Public and nonprofit administration graduates may consider jobs with private companies, including government contractors, consulting firms, land developers, sports teams, lobbying firms, nursing homes, and public utilities.

Graduate education
A graduate degree is very likely to help advance a career in public or nonprofit administration. A student may choose to enter the job market upon graduating and acquire a master's degree later or the student may choose to seek a graduate degree immediately after earning the baccalaureate degree. In either case, the undergraduate public and nonprofit administration degree (with a grade point average above 3.0) offers a good foundation for many graduate programs in public administration, nonprofit management, public policy, public affairs, city planning, or urban studies. Law school, business administration, and social work can also be practical options for graduate work.