Program: B.S. in Public Affairs
Department of Public Policy
College of Professional Studies
Neff Hall 260 Ph: 260-481-6351
The BSPA (Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs) degree program provides a background in the liberal arts and a focus on public affairs. This degree offers a major in Public Administration and Policy with four concentrations in Criminal Justice Policy, Law and Public Policy, Healthcare Management and/or Nonprofit Management and Leadership. Internships are available and are strongly encouraged to provide qualified students with the opportunity to apply classroom theory and techniques to real-life experiences. The internship program is designed for maximum flexibility; internships can be full or part time, paid or unpaid, credit or noncredit.
The Public Administration and Policy curriculum is divided into five categories - Purdue General Education area, Public Policy general knowledge area, Public Policy core, a major area, and general electives. The BSPA requires a minimum of 120 credit hours with a 2.0 or higher cumulative grade-point average and a 2.3 or higher grade-point average in core and major courses (excluding PPOL 37101). No more than 90 credits may be transferred from other accredited institutions (60 credits from a junior college). Public Policy requires that 15 hours of course work in the major at the 300 or higher level be completed at Purdue (excluding PPOL 37101). A maximum of 10 credits may be applied from military transfer experience, and a maximum of 12 credits may be awarded for police academy training completed within the past year. Up to 6 credits in Public Affairs Courses (excluding PPOL 37200 and PPOL 37601) may be used in order to meet specific Public Affairs degree requirements in a second Public Affairs concentration or minor. However, Public Affairs courses may be double-counted to satisfy the Purdue University Fort Wayne general-education distribution and public policy general elective requirements.
The student learning outcomes for the degree are as follows:
Students should be able to:
- Understand the importance of ideas and theory in the formulation and implementation of public policy.
- Understand the importance of politics in all substantive public policy areas.
- Appropriately utilize quantitative approaches for dealing with management and public policy challenges.
- Understand the origins, processes, and impact of law in the creation and implementation of public policy.
Declaring this Major:
- To declare a major in Public Administration and Policy, students must have a 2.0 GPA and must meet with the Public Policy Coordinator of Advising and Student Services to determine eligibility.
General Requirements:
To earn the Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs at Purdue, students must fulfill the requirements of Purdue (see Regulations, Policies, Rights, & Responsibilities) and the Department of Public Policy, and complete the following course requirements:
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