What Is Public Administration? A Guide for Aspiring Public Leaders

If you're interested in a career where you can make a real impact on the world around you while building your skills and growing your professional network, then public administration may be right for you. Although it is a broad field, public administration covers many roles within government agencies and nonprofits that involve representing the best interests of different populations.

With a better understanding of what public administration is and what working in this field can look like, you may be in a better place to decide whether this professional path is right for you.
 

What Is Public Administration?

In simplest terms, public administration is a broad field that encompasses the work that goes into implementing and maintaining the programs and services that populations rely on, ranging from public infrastructure and education to public safety and healthcare. People who work in public administration help to keep these systems and programs running as efficiently as possible, ensuring that the public's best interests are represented at all times.

While many professionals in public administration work directly for government agencies at the local, state, or federal levels, many nonprofit organizations also hire public administrators to assist with resource coordination and policy research.

Why Public Administration Matters

Although public administrators often work behind-the-scenes, the work they do is incredibly important to the health and function of entire communities. When politicians sign new bills or policies into law, public administrators are the ones working to implement these new policies into working programs and public services. In this sense, public administrators serve as a critical liaison between communities and politicians, improving transparency and fostering a greater sense of trust.

On a more practical level, public administrators also serve an important purpose in ensuring that populations have access to the public services, programs, and resources they need on a daily basis — including emergency responders, public housing, public schools, and more.

Core Functions of Public Administration

While the work of the public administrator can vary depending on what type of agency in which they are employed, there are some basic functions that many public administrators are expected to carry out.

Policy Implementation

When policies are passed by government agencies, the primary role of the public administrator is to effectively translate those new policies into working programs and services for populations. This includes allocating resources as needed to ensure that these programs can function properly, plus communicating with involved parties to execute new programs and services as efficiently as possible.

Resource and Budget Management

Speaking of resources, public administrators also have an important job in managing the ways in which resources are procured and utilized within government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Often, this requires a thorough understanding of the agency's financial situation, and the acumen to effectively operate programs and services within the allotted budget.

Public Service Delivery

Communities rely on public services (including sanitation, public safety, and health services) on a daily basis — and it's often the public administrators who work quietly in the background to keep these services running smoothly. Specifically, public administrators work to ensure that everybody has equal access to these services while cutting so-called "red tape" as much as possible.

Regulatory Oversight

In some cases, public administrators may also be tasked with reviewing programs and services to ensure that they are operating within regulatory compliance standards. In fact, regulatory oversight may be the entire job of some public administrators, including those in positions within Regulatory Oversight Bodies (ROBs). Those working in these types of roles may have more specific responsibilities to improve the quality of regulations while increasing transparency and accountability within government agencies.

Key Areas of Specialization

Whether you're already working in a public administration role or aspire to break into the field, there are many potential areas of specialization that you can explore to further tailor your skills and knowledge.

Public Policy

Working in public policy generally focuses on the research, evaluation, and implementation of new policies at the local, state, or even federal levels. Public administrators in these roles work to ensure that programs and policies best serve their populations, with regular assessments and recommendations for improvement.

Nonprofit Management

If you're less interested in working in the public sector or for a government agency, you might consider exploring public administrator roles in the nonprofit sector. Working in nonprofit management gives you the opportunity to oversee everything from operations and fundraising to program/service delivery while working toward a cause or mission that matters to you.

Emergency Management

In the event of an emergency, such as a natural disaster or security threat, those in emergency management work to protect populations as much as possible. These professionals work to set up emergency preparedness plans, ensuring that communities are set up to respond to many different types of emergency if the need arises.

Urban and Regional Planning

Meanwhile, urban planners play an important role in keeping cities growing as sustainably as possible. These professionals tend to focus most on such areas of public administration as infrastructure and public safety, but they may also have input in areas like land use and zoning, environmental management, and transportation.

Healthcare Administration

Want to make a difference in the healthcare field without serving in a clinical role? Healthcare administration is a popular segue for public administrators who are looking to specialize in public health and healthcare systems. Professionals in this area may be responsible for developing, implementing, and improving the administration of certain healthcare programs and services within their communities.

Skills Needed for Success in Public Administration

What does it take to succeed as a public administrator? Some of the most important skills to possess in this field include:

• Leadership and Decision-Making – Public administrators often take on leadership roles, so they need to be able to make informed decisions with confidence while keeping groups motivated and inspired.
• Budgeting and Financial Management – Public administrators must be experts in resource allocation, which requires a thorough understanding of finance and budget issues.
• Policy Analysis – When new policies are being considered, public administrators need to be able to review and research the potential impact of these policies on their communities before making a recommendation one way or the other.
• Communication Skills – Public administrators regularly meet with members of their communities, as well as other leaders and stakeholders. With this in mind, they need to have strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ethical Judgment – Working as a public administrator requires a strong sense of integrity and ethical judgment, especially when it comes to making decisions that could impact the lives of entire populations.

Career Opportunities in Public Administration

Public administrators may have many different job titles, with some common roles including:

• City manager/administrator
• Human resources manager
• Public affairs manager
• Administrative services manager
• Community service manager
• Policy analyst
• Public relations manager
• Emergency management director

Educational Pathways

Typically, public administrators have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in public administration, business administration, or a related field. However, those in leadership or other management positions may need to have a more advanced education, such as a Master of Public Administration (MPA) and several years of experience under their belts.

If you already have an undergraduate degree, then pursuing your MPA could be a great way to build the skills needed to pursue advanced roles in the field or even make a career change. In this MPA program, students can even complete their degrees in as little as one year by taking just two courses per term.

Future Trends in Public Administration

While the future of public administration cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty, there are some emerging trends that professionals in the field (or planning to get into the field) should be aware of.

Perhaps most notably, future generations of public administrators must be prepared to leverage new technologies (like artificial intelligence and automation tools) for improved data analysis and decision-making. Likewise, as government agencies and even nonprofits continue to use more data to guide their policies and programs, the need for robust data privacy and security measures will continue to increase.

Ready to Pursue Your MPA?

A career in public administration can be a great way to make a difference in the communities you serve, whether you're interested in a leadership role within a government agency, a nonprofit management role, or anything in between. With the right education in the form of a Master of Public Administration (MPA), you have the opportunity to build the core competencies needed to grow professionally.

Champlain College Online is proud to offer a master's in public administration degree program that includes coursework on such career-ready topics as financial management, nonprofit management, public policy, and human resources. Plus, because this program is offered entirely online, you don't have to put other areas of your life on-hold to pursue your terminal degree in public administration.

Request more information about any of our programs by getting in touch, or get started with your online application for admission today.