Public Management and Policy Major Career Brief

Overview

Students learn how public agencies handle budgetary, financial, personnel and policy-making matters. This major also prepares students for graduate study in law, specialized planning and administrative fields, or public policy and administration.

For more information, view School of Public Administration & Policy website.

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Degree Requirements

Includes foundation courses required for Professional Admission *, general education requirements, professional core courses, free electives, and a set of specific Public Management courses.

Sample list of Public Management and Policy options:

• Legal, Social, and Political Environments of Business
• Human Resource Management
• Bargaining and Negotiation in Organizations
• Group Process Methods in Management
• Social Issues of Computing
• Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations
• Bureaucracy, Politics, and Policy
• International Management
• Environmental Policy administration

* Students must achieve Professional Admission (a competitive and selective application process) to move from the pre-professional phase to the professional phase.

** Check the Degree/Academic Progress Report (APRR's) for your specific academic program requirements per your catalog at http://catalog.arizona.edu.

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Other Preparation

Work Experience & Internships
Students in the program are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities for independent study, research, internships, and part-time or volunteer work. The department allows three units of internship credit to be applied to the major requirement. (See the major advisor for more information.)

Clubs and Organizations
The college has a wide variety of professional fraternities, honoraries and student clubs. Student organizations offer: career information; networking opportunities with alumni, and corporate representatives; social activities with fellow marketing students, and leadership and skill building opportunities.

Student organizations for Public Management and Policy Majors include:

• Public Administration Student Society (PASS)
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
• Students Consulting for Non Profit Organizations (SCNO)
• Phi Alpha Delta Pre Law Fraternity
• Pi Alpha Alpha, the Public Administration Honorary

Visit the FESO - Federation of Eller Student Organizations website for more information.

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Career Opportunities

The public management major offers preparation for administrative positions in nonprofit and quasi-public agencies and at all levels of government, including defense, manpower, transportation, housing, environment, energy, and education.

Typical federal jobs for public management majors might include:

• Budget analysts
• Employee development specialists
• Employee relations specialists
• Housing managers
• Management analysts
• Manpower development specialists
• Miscellaneous admin. and program specialists
• Program analysts
• Public utilities specialists
• GAO evaluators
• Support service administrators
• Logistics management specialists

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Salaries

Salaries vary by size and type of employer, location, course work, and experience.

Entry-level federal jobs for bachelor's degree recipients often fall in the GS-7 to GS-11 range, with starting salaries of $24,000 to $36,000, higher in some geographic areas.

National average starting salary offers:

• Public Administration Executive, General: $26,558
• Law Enforcement: $28,164
• Social Service Administration: $23,272
  (NACE Salary Survey/July 1999)

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Recruitment Opportunities

Public Management Majors obtain jobs through various avenues, leading to placements with a wide range of organizations.

Recruitment opportunities include the annual "Career Days ", sponsored each fall by UA Career Services and the spring "Career Showcase" coordinated by Eller College Student Council and Delta Sigma Pi. Also, the spring brings opportunities through the “Public Sector Career Conference” hosted by the Public Administration Student Society and the “Government and Non Profit Fair” sponsored by UA Career Services.

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For More Information

• UA offices
  Undergraduate Programs Office
  Eller College of Management
  McClelland Hall 204
  P. O. Box 210108
  Tucson, AZ 85721-0108
  520-621-2505
  http://ugrad.eller.arizona.edu/

• UA Career Services
  Student Union, Suite 411
  520-621-2588
  www.career.arizona.edu

• School of Public Administration and Policy
  Eller College of Management
  McClelland Hall 405
  520-621-7965
  http://publicadmin.eller.arizona.edu

• Major and Career Advisor:
  Marisa Pope
  kmsmith@eller.arizona.edu

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Associations

Online Publications

• The Non Profit Times - www.nptimes.com
• Charity Channel – www.charitychannel.com