100% Online Major in Public and Nonprofit Administration – Bachelor of Arts (BA)

The 100% Online BA program at Rutgers SPAA is designed to prepare students for careers or advanced study in public and nonprofit administration. The 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 and projects that provide the practical knowledge and skills required to enter rewarding careers in government or the nonprofit sector in a variety of policy areas.

Online BA Quick Facts

Location: 100% Online
Program: full-time or 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)
Application Deadline: Fall: Dec. 1 | Spring: October 1
BA Program Director: Michael Dillard, EdD

> Discover Why Rutgers SPAA is the place for aspiring leaders to gain the knowledge and skills required for successful Careers in government or the nonprofit sector
> Learn about our exceptional Students
> Read our Alumni Stories to see what some of our alumni do with their degrees from Rutgers SPAA

Curriculum

For course descriptions and prerequisites see Courses.

* Required Courses

Core Courses
(15 Credits – All Required)

Introduction to Public Administration (3)*
Introduction to Nonprofit Administration (3)*
Ethical Public Service [Writing Intensive] (3)*
Public Service Organizations (3)*
Leadership for the Service Professions (3)*

Service-Learning Internship Courses
(5 Credits – All Required)

Career Explorations in Public Service (1)*
Service-Learning Internship I (4)*

Electives I
(Select 15 credits from the following)

Public Service as Responsible Citizenship (3)
The United States and Global Urban Experience (3)
Technology and Public Service (3)
Grant Writing for Organizations [Writing Intensive] (3)
Servant Leadership (3)
The Arts and Culture of Public Service (3)
Philanthropy: Volunteerism, Fundraising, and Community Engagement (3)
Democratic Foundations of Public Service (3)
Research in Public Administration [Writing Intensive] (3)

Electives II
(Select no more than 6 credits from the following)

Public Service Independent Study (credits by arrangement)

The undergraduate major curriculum consists of thirty-five (35) credits broken into three areas: core courses (15 credits), service-learning courses (5 credits), and electives (15 credits). Undergraduate students must complete an eighteen (18) credit second concentration. 100% Online BA students must complete SPAA’s Accelerated MPA courses as their second concentration.

The Accelerated MPA program allows students to complete eighteen (18) graduate credits during their senior year. SPAA has an established fully online MPA program and students are allowed to register for the online courses to complete the concentration. The Accelerated MPA curriculum consists of:

Intro to Public Administration (3)
Ethical Challenges in Public Affairs (3)
Human Resource Management (3)
Economics for Public Administration (3)
Two (2) MPA electives (6)

Internships

As part of the core requirements for the program, students take their classroom training
and apply it to the real world in the form of a supervised, structured, service-learning
internship within local, state, federal, and global governments, organizations, and
agencies.

For more information and a sampling of organizations where SPAA interns serve in the
greater Newark, NJ area and beyond visit Internships at Rutgers SPAA.

Leadership & Engagement Opportunities

Rutgers SPAA students have access to many leadership and engagement opportunities
via the school’s events, initiatives, activities, and partner organizations.

For academic year-long, annual, and other opportunities, visit Leadership & Engagement Opportunities.

To Apply / Admission Requirements

For admission requirements and application information and deadlines see Apply Now.

For More Information

To learn more, Request Information or Join a SPAA Info Session. If you have questions about a program or the application process, contact Aaron Gibbs, associate dean of student and academic services, at algibbs@rutgers.edu.