The recent Wall Street Journal article, “At Auburn, Athletics and Academics Collide,” claimed that the public administration major is useless and offered merely so that athletes can pass classes. The public administration faculty and students of Auburn responded with a very different opinion.
“That article all of a sudden demeaned a whole list of alumni and the hard work they have done,” said Mary Afton Day, graduate assistant in the masters program of public administration.
Public administration is best described as a public service major by those within it. Almost any subject or area of government involves some sort of leadership and administrative system. Public administration majors train to work in these fields.
"To me, it means working toward the betterment of other people's lives," said Anna Richardson, senior in public administration.
Assistant professor of political science and adviser in the masters program of public administration Joseph Vonasek said he believes one of the most important things about the major is the life skills students learn.
“I’ve learned from teaching budgeting and finance that a lot of undergraduates don’t know how to budget,” Vonasek said. “It gives you an overall perspective on how to budget in the future for an organization to meet its goals and objectives.”
Along with budget and financing, Vonasek also teaches many undergraduate seminars in public administration as well as organization and theory, a class Vonasek said is challenging to many students.
“We do a lot of comparing investments,” Vonasek said. “If you have two alternative programs that require cash finances, you can compare which one will cost less, and it teaches students the value of time in money.”
Day herself said she had never heard of the major until she walked into her adviser’s office sophomore year.
“I knew I loved people, and I could talk to a brick wall,” Day said. “Judy Sanders asked me, ‘So pretty much you want to mix communication, public relations, non-profit, and government and city management?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, that sounds perfect.’”
After the Wall Street Journal article, the question arose as to what jobs are even available to those with a degree in public administration.
Kelly Krawczyk, assistant professor of political science, has a masters in public administration and is an expert in the non-profit sector. She said the non-profit section of public administration offers a wide variety of jobs and valuable volunteer work.
“The non-profit sector is a major economic engine for our state, providing jobs for more than 235,000 Alabamians and delivering vital social services to its residents,” Krawczyk said.
According to Krawczyk, the first classes in public administration were offered in the 1930s, but it can be dated back as early as 1887. In 1887, Woodrow Wilson published an article titled, "The Study of Administration." The major was then created when a need to professionalize public servants became necessary.
“Today, public administration is a thriving undergraduate major, as well as a vital and popular graduate program of study,” Krawczyk said.
For those who enjoy working for the betterment of other’s lives, non-profit seems to be the right path for a public administration major.
“I plan to work for a non-profit as an executive director, while going to grad school to obtain an MBA,” Richardson said. “Helping people has always been very important to me, and I found a degree that mirrors that value.”
Richardson said she chose public administration as her major because of its diverse curriculum and versatility in the workplace.
“This degree can be used in the public or private sector as well as in profitable companies or non-profits,” Richardson said. “Also in PA you are taught communication skills, as well as verbal skills, leadership qualities, management principles and more.”
The majority of those in the field of public administration admire the diverse range of careers that are capable with such a major.
Associate professor of political science and the director of the masters program of public administration Kathleen Hale said this is a great major for those who want to make a difference, and said the possibilities are endless.
“There is truly no limit to the the kinds of jobs that are open to students with an undergraduate degree in public administration,” Hale said. “Students go on to become city managers, program officers for non-profit, community outreach directors and public information officers.”
Vonasek said one of the most attractive aspects of the major is that you can basically work in any subject area you are interested in.
“Have an interest in agronomy?” Vonasek asked. “There are many organizations in state government that deal with farms and natural resources.”
According to Vonasek, those in administrative government for the next 20 or 30 years will be his students.
“Pick a field,” Vonasek said. “When you think about what government does … anything that you have an interest in, you can become involved with in a public sector of an organization.”
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