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Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration

A public administration degree can prepare you for many different upper-level careers in public service, including HR careers such as human resource management. The curriculum includes leadership and management skills, strategic planning for single departments but also for major disaster response, communication skills, media relations to name a few. One can expect to come away from a program in public administration with a clear understanding of how to react, manage and direct in emergency situations, making it a perfect companion to the fire and rescue field. Any human resources professional with a public administrative degree can expect to be in high demand.

A public administration degree provides an academic background for individuals pursuing a career in both government and non-governmental/non-profit organizations. There are several areas of overlap between these pursuits, so an education which combines both will give you competitive strength and allow you to move into either area, according to your own career interests. For example, you may start your career in fundraising, and later become a member of a governmental grant-awarding body. A public administration degree or public policy degree gives you great flexibility in changing career titles.

Like a regular degree in management, a public administration or public policy degree can focus on organizational governance, finance, and administration. With this specialization you can look into jobs in local, state, or federal government; in public service sectors such as fire and rescue or healthcare; or non-profit organizations such as arts or international relief agencies.

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