Department of Public Administration
Igwe E. Udeh, Ph.D., Acting Chair, Dean and Alvin James Lawson Endowed Professor of Business
Office: College of Business Building, Suite 212
Phone: (504) 286-5330 Fax: (504) 286-5304
Email: iudeh@suno.edu
Shelina Aubrey-Gethers, B.S., Administrative Assistant IV
Office: 211 College of Business Building
Phone: (504) 286-5331 Fax: (504) 286-5304
Email: sgethers@suno.edu
Associate Professor: Biruk Alemayehu, Ph.D.; Patricia B. Robertson, Ph.D.
The department offers a program of study leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration.
Vision
The Bachelor of Arts degree program in Public Administration provides students with a general foundation on the nature of the public workplace and its political and legal environments. This major prepares students for professional employment and leadership in government and nonprofit organizations. The program provides specialized training in management and management-related skills. The Public Administration program addresses issues of governance, organization, and policy in a democratic society and provides students with the skills required for successful executive and administrative careers in public service and nonprofit agencies. By combining a broad liberal arts training with discipline-specific coursework, the Public Administration program introduces many of the skills necessary for professional participation in public service, including critical thinking, effective speaking and writing, understanding of budgets and financial statements, research and analytical capabilities. The vision of the program includes preparing students for careers in public service; preparing students for further studies; and helping students to become better participants in the democratic process. The program will:
- Prepare students for productive, fulfilling careers in public and nonprofit administration, especially in federal, state and local governments.
- Promote an understanding and appreciation of the functions and value of government in the society.
- Contribute to the improvement of governance and societal institutions.
Mission
The Public Administration Department provides education and a degree in public administration that equip a predominantly urban student body, including those from the New Orleans Metropolitan Area, with knowledge and skills essential for careers in government and non-profit organizations or for further studies.
Learning Goals and Objectives
Ethics: Student will demonstrate an understanding of the importance of ethics and its application in the decision-making process.
- Objective: Students are able to differentiate between what is ethical and what is unethical.
Communication: Student is able to apply effective communication skills in a professional environment.
- Oral Communication Objective: Student is able to prepare and deliver an effective business presentation.
- Written Communication Objective: Student is able to produce well-written documents.
Analysis: Student is able to analyze and solve problems in an organizational setting.
- Objective: Student will apply discipline-based principles in addressing organizational problems.
Technology: Student is able to understand the importance of technology in organizations.
- Technology Understanding Objective: Students will understand available technology.
- Technology Application Objective: Students will use available technological tools in various tasks.
Major
The Public Administration curriculum consists of 42 hours of General Education courses, 45 hours of Administrative Core courses, and 33 hours of courses in the major. These courses provide students with knowledge of:
- The political culture of public work
- The economic environment of the public sector
- The legal environment of the public sector
- Organization theories
- Management theories
- Management and public accountability best practices
- Policy operationalization processes
Requirements
A Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration requires one hundred and twenty (120) semester credit hours which are distributed as follows:
General Education (42 hours)
| CISP-164N | Computer Productivity Appl | 3 |
ENGL-111N
| | 3 |
-
| And | |
| ENGL-112N | English Composition II | 3 |
-
| Fine Arts | 3 |
-
| Humanities | 6 |
| JRDV-111N | College Survival Skills | 1 |
| MATH-151N | College Algebra | 3 |
-
| And | |
| MATH-232N | Finite Mathematics | 3 |
-
| Natural Science | 11 |
-
| Social/Behavioral Science | 6 |
Administrative Core (45 hours)
Courses in the Major (33 hours)
Total Credit Hours: 120
In addition, the public administration curriculum heightens students critical, analytical and communication skills through case studies and exercises. The capstone requirement of a public service internship demands integration of knowledge from both general studies and major studies by focusing students on specific cases and work place applications.
Curriculum in Public Administration
Freshman Year
Required
Required
Sophomore Year
Required
Required
| ACCT-202N | Intro to Managerial Acct | 3 |
| ECON-222N | Economic Principles II (Macro) | 3 |
| GEOG-110N | Survey of Regional Geography | 3 |
-
| Advanced Foreign Language | 3 |
| PADM-250N | Intro to Public Administration | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Junior Year
Required
Required
Senior Year
Required
Required
Total Credit Hours: 120
Minor:
A minor in Public Administration requires the completion of eighteen (18) hours of public administration related courses approved by the department chairperson.
The eighteen (18) hours must include:
Additional six (6) credit hours selected from the following list of courses: