Public Administration

Students and their professors standing in hall looking at camera in ASPA conference
SDSU Imperial Valley Public Administration students at the American Society for Public Administration conference in Washington, DC.

As government and governance continue to evolve, there is a growing need for public administration scholars and practitioners. This is especially true in Imperial County, where the percentage of those working in the public sector is twice the national average. The primary purpose of the public administration major is to provide the required knowledge and skillset to prepare students for management careers in government, nonprofit organizations, or private sector businesses. Our faculty consists of a mix of published scholars as well as prominent government leaders in the community. Public Administration students have the opportunity to attend a funded trip to Washington, DC, or Sacramento, CA, exploring the capital cities and meeting important public sector leaders.  In addition to the Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration degree, SDSU Imperial Valley also offers a Minor in Public Administration. 

public administration brochure cover showing the Lincoln Memorial from farClick image above to download the SDSU Imperial Valley Public Administration brochure   

Faculty

 
Dr. David Kanaan
Dr. David Pearson
Dr. Dominika Bukalova
Esperanza Colio Warren, MPA
Dr. Kathleen Lang
Dr. Richard Martin

Advisor

Requirements

PA 200 The Urban Scene, Accountancy 201, Economics 101 and 102, Management Information Systems 180, Political Science 102, and a three-unit course in statistics. (21 units) These prerequisite courses may not be taken Credit/No Credit. The minimum grade in each class is C. Students must pass the Writing Proficiency Assessment (WPA) with a score of 10 or above, or complete one of the approved upper division writing courses with a grade of C (2.0) or better.

Students must complete all core courses with a grade of C (2.0) or better:

PA 301 Concepts and Issues in Public Administration

PA 310 Management of Urban Governments OR PA 312 Management of State Governments

PA 330 Public Personnel Administration

PA 340 Administrative Behavior

PA 450 Fiscal and Budgetary Policy

PA 460 Administration and Public Policy Development

PA 497 Investigation and Report OR

PA 498 Internship in PA

PA 315 Management of the Federal Government

PA 350 Contemporary Urban Issues

PA 480 Leadership and the Public Sector

PA 485 Planning and Public Policy in the U.S. – Mexican Border

PA 520 Decision Making in the Urban Community

Students must complete the following five core courses as well as two PA elective courses (see Public Administration Electives) with a grade of C (2.0) or better:

POL S 102 Introduction to American Politics in Global Perspective

PA 301 Concepts and Issues in Public Administration

PA 310 Management of Urban Government OR PA 312 Management of State Government OR PA 315 Management of the Federal Government

PA 330 Public Personnel Administration

PA 450 Fiscal and Budgetary Policy