Undergraduate Public Affairs Education
Public Affairs majors are typically interdisciplinary degrees designed to bring students to a deeper understanding of their roles as public servants – which, broadly defined, includes employees of government and not-for-profit organizations, elected officials, members of boards and communities at the local level, volunteers, and philanthropists, etc. – in the context of civic engagement. The major provides students with the substantive knowledge, analytical skills, and perspectives needed to respond effectively and fairly to major contemporary social problems and issues that affect our communities globally.
Schools who offer an Undergraduate Program
(respondents to 2019 NASPAA Undergraduate Survey)
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools with an Undergraduate Program
This list contains the names of, links to, and basic information about undergraduate programs who completed NASPAA's Undergraduate Education Survey (updated Feb 2019)
Accelerated/Hybrid programs allow students to complete a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in a shorter time frame than completing them separately (typically five calendar years instead of six or seven). Qualified students may accelerate their careers by beginning graduate level courses in their third or fourth year of undergraduate study. While programs may vary, in a typical accelerated program a set number of credits will be shared with the student’s bachelor’s and the master’s degree. Once the students complete the credits required for the baccalaureate degree, students continue their graduate coursework full time, in order to finish their undergraduate and graduate degrees in five calendar years. Students must meet the individual program’s admission requirements. Many programs allow students to take the graduate courses at the undergraduate tuition rate.
Some benefits of these programs:
•Earn an MPA in half the time
•Save up to a year of tuition
•Maintain continuity with faculty and research facilities
Undergraduate degree(s) in public affairs education provide students with a foundation for careers in the private, non-profit and public sectors.
PPIA
PPIA’s mission and overall focus are to promote the inclusion and full participation of underrepresented groups in public service and to advance their leadership roles throughout our civic institutions serving domestic and international affairs.
Articles on Undergraduate Education
Going beyond study abroad: An introduction to United States and Chinese joint undergraduate degree programs in public affairs education
Continuing to build knowledge: Undergraduate nonprofit programs in institutions of higher learning
