Mission

The Bachelor of Public Administration and Nonprofit Management Degree is offered through the Department of Political Science. The aim of these programs is to prepare students to serve as ethical leaders and managers in public and nonprofit settings. Students are able to identify practices in organizations that will enhance the pillars of public service: effectiveness, economy, efficiency, and equity. Pre-service and mid-career students will develop skills and knowledge to support public and third sector agencies including, but not limited to: management; funding; human resources; organizational theory; budgeting; assessment; policy; research; leadership; federal, state, and local government; and program evaluation.

The Political Science Department and the Family and Human Services Department also jointly offer a Certificate of Nonprofit Management.

Student Learning Outcomes

Public Administration Students at Washburn University, upon graduation, are expected to have acquired basic knowledge in the following subfields:

• Apply organizational, managerial, economic, leadership, and political theory to public and nonprofit issues.
• Utilize ethical decision-making practices to enhance or improve service provision to the public.
• Analyze how equity, efficiency, effectiveness, and economy can create conflicting goals and outcomes for agencies.
• Demonstrate skills related to budgeting, funding, managing, and administering public and nonprofit organizations in global and U.S. settings.
• Effectively communicate in public and in writing with citizens, stakeholders, clients, and other public entities.

Degrees and Certificates

The Bachelor in Public Administration (BPA) emphasizes Public and Non-Profit Management. The Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) degree leads to employment in state or local governments, non-profit agencies, the national government, or certain aspects of business relating to human resources management, government relations or government regulations. The BPA degree requires 24 credit hours of cognate courses 15 of which fulfill general education requirements, and not more than 40 political science and public administration credit hours as described below. The Department is active in seeking internships in public and non-profit agencies for Juniors and Seniors, leading in some cases to full-time employment.

Degree Requirements

Required Courses for the BPA Major (27 to 30 credit hours):

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Required Courses
PO 107	Kansas, State, and Local Government	3
PO 245	Introduction to Public Administration 1	3
PO 305	Public Policy	3
PO 307	Internship - State or Local Government	3-6
or PO 309	Kansas Legislative Experience
PO 390	Applied Political Research	3
PO 391	Public Personnel Administration	3
PO 393	Public Budgeting	3
PO 394	Public Management Techniques	3
PO 401	Program Evaluation Methods	3
or HS 495	Research and Evaluation
Subtotal		27-30
PO Electives
Select 9 to 12 credit hours from the following:		9-12
PO 306	Urban-Metropolitan Government
PO 308	American Elections and Federalism
PO 343	Administrative Law
PO 346	Problems in Public Administration
PO 395	Non-Profit Management
Subtotal		9-12
Non-PO Cognate Courses
EC 200	Principles of Microeconomics 2	3
EC 201	Principles of Macroeconomics 2	3
PY 100	Basic Concepts in Psychology 2	3
CN 101	Introduction to Communication Studies 2	3
SO 101	Social Problems 2	3
CM 101	Computer Concepts and Applications	3
AC 224	Financial Accounting	3
CN 308	Organizational Communication	3
or CN 350	Persuasion
Subtotal		24
Total Hours		60-66

¹

Taken sometime within the first 12 credit hours of the major.

²

These courses also count towards fulfilling the General Education and elective requirements of the University