Online Schools Offering Public Administration Degrees

Public administrators manage local, state, and federal government agencies. Guide to Online Schools lists 145 public administration programs available at many degree levels. The 24 colleges and universities listed here have an average tuition of $16,910, with costs ranging from $6,380 to $42,818. On average, online student reviewers gave these schools a career helpfulness rating of 59 percent. This is the percentage of students who reported that their degree helped advance their career.

Public administrators need to understand how business and management principles apply in a service-oriented organization. Associate programs in public administration introduce students to the basics of office management and client service and prepare graduates to become social and human services assistants. The bachelor's degree is the usual entry-level requirement for public agency and nonprofit management positions. Students take courses like fundraising and budgeting, organizational behavior, and program evaluation in public agencies. The master's in public administration is a professional degree that combines practical courses with fieldwork in a mission-driven organization. The doctorate program is used to do research into public administration practices, in order to enter high-level administrative roles or college-level instruction positions.