3.00 Credits
Prerequisite: A course in American government is recommended;Description: Public Administration (PA) is a diverse and interdisciplinary academic field, and an extremely challenging profession by nature, making it difficult to define. PA draws upon knowledge from diverse areas of study and just as many professional backgrounds. In reality, “public administrators” include soldiers, Congressional staffers, FBI agents, social workers, DMV clerks, teachers and sanitation workers. Despite this diversity of duties, all public administrators have one major characteristic in common: the ultimate goal of each of their jobs is to serve the public interest. As we discuss the role of public administration and public administrators, keep in mind this common goal as it may help you understand how the diverse topics are related.