Public Administration
Public administration is the implementation of government policy and also an academic discipline that studies this implementation and prepares civil servants for working in the public service. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" whose fundamental goal is to "advance management and policies so that government can function". Some of the various definitions which have been offered for the term are: "the management of public programs"; the "translation of politics into the reality that citizens see every day"; and "the study of government decision making, the analysis of the policies themselves, the various inputs that have produced them, and the inputs necessary to produce alternative policies."
Public administration is "centrally concerned with the organization of government policies and programs as well as the behavior of officials (usually non-elected) formally responsible for their conduct". Many unelected public servants can be considered to be public administrators, including heads of city, county, regional, state and federal departments such as municipal budget directors, human resources (HR) administrators, city managers, census managers, state mental health directors, and cabinet secretaries. Public administrators are public servants working in public departments and agencies, at all levels of government.
In the United States, civil servants and academics such as Woodrow Wilson promoted civil service reform in the 1880s, moving public administration into academia. However, "until the mid-20th century and the dissemination of the German sociologist Max Weber's theory of bureaucracy" there was not "much interest in a theory of public administration". The field is multidisciplinary in character; one of the various proposals for public administration's sub-fields sets out six pillars, including human resources, organizational theory, policy analysis, statistics, budgeting, and ethics.
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Scholarships for Public Administration Majors
Ohio LSC Legislative FellowshipOhio Legislative Service Commission |
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award $42,000 |
deadline Varies |
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DescriptionThe Ohio LSC Legislative Fellowship is available to college seniors who wish to gain practical experience in the legislative process. Duties may include handling constituent inquiries, writing (newsletter articles, press releases, letters, speeches, etc.), and general administrative duties. View Scholarship Details |
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Truman Scholars ProgramHarry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation |
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award $30,000 |
deadline February 03, 2026 |
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DescriptionThe Truman Scholars Program is open to full - time college juniors who plan to attend graduate school in pursuit of a career in public service. Recipients of this award are required to attend Truman Scholars Leadership Week in Liberty, MO. View Scholarship Details |
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PIRG FellowshipNational Association of State Public Interest Research Groups |
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award $25,500 |
deadline Varies |
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DescriptionThe PIRG Fellowship is available to recent college graduates who are interested in the public interest movement. As a PIRG Fellow, you will build expertise on global warming, campaign reform, or another social problem. You will conduct research, make the case for solutions, act as a spokesperson to the media, build diverse coalitions, write... View Scholarship Details |
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Sturgis FellowshipUniversity of Arkansas |
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award $20,000 |
deadline February 01, 2026 |
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DescriptionThe Sturgis Fellowship is available to incoming freshmen who plan on majoring in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas. You must demonstrate exceptional academic performance to be considered for this renewable award. In addition, you must have a minimum 30 ACT/1320 SAT score and a minimum 3.8 GPA to be... View Scholarship Details |
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Graduate Assistantships for Doctoral Students Scholarship - Nova SEUNova Southeastern University |
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award $15,600 |
deadline Varies |
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DescriptionThe Graduate Assistantships for Doctoral Students Scholarship is available to full-time doctoral students at Nova Southeastern University. You must be enrolled in a humanities or social sciences program and have a minimum 3.5 GPA to be eligible for this award. Positions are for a maximum of 20 hours per week and run from fall to summer terms. View Scholarship Details |
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Mat-Su Health Foundation Vocational ScholarshipMat-Su Health Foundation |
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award Up to $5,000 |
deadline Varies |
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DescriptionThe Mat-Su Health Foundation Vocational Scholarship is available to students who have been a resident within the Mat-Su Borough of Alaska for a minimum of one year. To be considered for this award, you must be pursuing studies in health and human services at a vocational/technical school and be a U.S. citizen/permanent resident. View Scholarship Details |
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Feinstein ScholarshipProvidence College |
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award Up to $5,000 |
deadline Varies |
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DescriptionThe Feinstein Scholarship is available to students majoring in public and community service studies at Providence College. You must demonstrate a significant contribution to community service, a proven record of community involvement and a strong academic record to be considered for this award. View Scholarship Details |
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Education and Human Service Part-Time Scholarship - Suffolk UniversitySuffolk University |
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award $3,000 |
deadline Varies |
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DescriptionThe Education and Human Service Part-Time Scholarship is available to entering part-time graduate students at Suffolk University. You must be enrolled in education and human services to be eligible for this award. View Scholarship Details |
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Klindt, Dorothy Memorial ScholarshipIowa State University |
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award $2,250 |
deadline March 01, 2026 |
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DescriptionThe Klindt, Dorothy Memorial Scholarship is available to entering female freshmen at Iowa State University who are enrolled in the College of Human Sciences or the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. You must live in Cedar, Clinton, Muscatine or Scott County, from rural areas in Scott County, demonstrate academic achievement and... View Scholarship Details |
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Julia J. Henderson Award FundUniversity of Illinois at Springfield |
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award $2,000 |
deadline Varies |
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DescriptionThe Julia J. Henderson Award Fund is open to students at the University of Illinois at Springfield. You must be committed to advocacy or activity in social policy, social welfare, population control, family planning, housing, criminal justice and treatment of offenders, community development, budget and finance or women's issues. Additional... View Scholarship Details |
Public Administration Related Majors
- Social Work
- Public Administration and Social Services
- Public Policy Analysis
- Community Organization and Advocacy
- Youth Services/Administration
- International Policy Analysis
- Human Services
- Education Policy Analysis
- Health Policy Analysis
- Forensic Social Work
- Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Studies
- Public Works Management