New Public Service and Administration B.A. and B.S. prepare students for impactful careers in government and nonprofit work
Undergraduates looking for a career in public service have a new path into the field: a degree in Public Service and Administration from The Bush School of Government and Public Service.
The new offering, added at the beginning of spring semester, prepares graduates for impactful careers in government and nonprofit work. Students can pursue a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), intended for those interested in fields such as fundraising and project management. Or they can choose a Bachelor of Science (B.S.), for those pursuing careers in fields such as research, policy coordination and analysis.
Ultimately, both degrees aim to teach students the skills essential to public service: how to lead, make wise decisions, synthesize information, analyze policy, conduct research and manage budgets, among other capabilities.
“Our graduates will leave the Bush School ready to make a difference,” said Lori Taylor, Ph.D., head of the Department of Public Service and Administration.
New degrees for a growing need
The Bush School launched the new programs in response to a growing demand for skilled professionals in the public and nonprofit sectors. Texas alone has more than 1.25 million public and nonprofit jobs. Many require at least a bachelor’s degree. Yet each year the state’s college and universities produce only a few hundred people with degrees directly related to public service, according to National Center for Education Statistics data – meaning organizations must often choose among candidates with a steep learning curve. With a Bachelor’s in Public Service and Administration, a graduate enters the job market ready to excel from day one.
The B.A. program emphasizes language proficiency, reflecting the global nature of the field. The program is designed to appeal to students interested in serving their communities directly, in organizations such as the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or the Red Cross, Taylor said. Students pursuing the B.S. will, in addition to their core and major coursework and language requirement, take an additional nine credit hours in analytic methods or science courses, a requirement that builds highly-sought technical skills. The degree should be particularly appealing to students who are interested in building better connections between science and public policy; think the Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas Education Agency or the Sierra Club, Taylor said.
Both degree programs provide a strong base of knowledge of the public sector, and both parallel the Bush School’s esteemed Master of Public Service and Administration (MPSA) degree, which produces leaders ready for managerial positions.
Students interested in the PSAA programs should contact academic advisor Joe Recio at jxr007@tamu.edu and peruse the Department of Public Service and Administration website.
