Online Major in Public and Nonprofit Administration – Bachelor of Arts (BA)

The online major in Public and Nonprofit Administration from Rutgers SPAA prepares students for management and leadership roles across a wide range of careers spanning all levels of government (federal, state, and local), the nonprofit sector, international organizations, academia, and even the private sector.

SPAA's bachelor of arts (BA) program, which is rooted in the concept of experiential learning, is not solely focused on traditional academic coursework. Rather, the curriculum aims to give students a hands-on educational experience through internships, projects, activities, and events that provide the practical knowledge and skills required to enter rewarding and successful careers in government or the nonprofit sector in a variety of policy areas.

Program Highlights

• Service-Learning Internships: Students connect theory with practice through the program's required internship opportunity. It provides students with real-world, professional experience and serves as a great networking opportunity while students receive mentorship and guidance from practitioners in public and nonprofit administration and have the opportunity to reflect on their experience through the complementary course. For more information and a sampling of organizations where SPAA interns serve in the greater Newark, NJ area and beyond, see Internships.
• Career Explorations: This required hands-on course allows students to understand the behind the scenes of public and nonprofit administration, covering topics such as types of careers, job responsibilities, mock interview skills, cover letter and resume review, and branding your professional image. For more information on what you can do with a degree in public administration, see Careers.
• Practitioner Panel Discussions: Virtual and in-person meet-and-greets and discussion events with public service practitioners are regularly held where mayors, township business administrators, elected officials, executives, and others from various service industries talk to students about their roles and responsibilities, their impact on society, how students can get involved with their organizations, and more.

Quick Facts

• For: Transfer Students
• Modality: Online
• Enrollment: Full-time / Part-time
• Credits: 35 (out of the 120 required for an undergraduate degree)
• Courses: 12 (5 core / 5 elective / 1 service-learning Internship / 1 career explorations)
• Required Second Concentration: Accelerated Master of Public Administration (BA/MPA) or BS/MPA)
• Application Deadline: Fall: Dec. 1 / Spring: October 1
• Program Director: Michael Dillard, EdD

Curriculum

The undergraduate major in Public and Nonprofit Administration consists of thirty-five (35) credits separated into three areas: core courses (15 credits), service-learning courses (5 credits), and electives (15 credits). Undergraduate students must also complete an 18-credit second concentration within the 120 total credits required for an undergraduate degree. Online BA students must complete SPAA’s Accelerated MPA courses as the second concentration.

For course descriptions and prerequisites, see Courses. All courses required to complete the major and second concentration are available online.