Public Affairs (BSPA)

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 two concentrations in Criminal Justice Policy and Healthcare Management.  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 combined (excluding PPOL 37101). No more than 60 credits may be transferred 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.  Additional public policy courses may be used to satisfy 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:

• Degree Requirements  
• General Education Requirements  
• Overlapping Content  
• Academic Regulations  

---

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: