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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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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UNCF/CVS Health Foundation Health Care Careers ScholarshipUNCF, Inc |
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award $10,000 |
deadline May 15, 2025 |
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DescriptionThe UNCF/CVS Health Foundation Health Care Careers Scholarship is available to full-time, junior-level undergraduate students who identify as African American/Black or Latino/a/e. To be considered for this renewable award, you must be majoring in pharmacy, nursing, business management, biology, biochemistry, finance, operations/supply chain,... View Scholarship Details |
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Herbert Roback ScholarshipNational Academy of Public Administration |
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award Up to $7,500 |
deadline May 31, 2025 |
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DescriptionThe Herbert Roback Scholarship is available to full - time graduate students enrolled in a master's degree program in public administration, public and international affairs, or political science. To be eligible, you must be attending the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, Brandeis University, the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton... 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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Frank L. Roberts Community Service Endowed ScholarshipPortland State University - School of Urban and Public Affairs |
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award Up to $5,000 |
deadline May 15, 2025 |
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DescriptionThe Frank L. Roberts Community Service Endowed Scholarship is available to graduate students at Portland State University-College of Urban and Public Affairs whose activities reflect the importance of civic responsibility either through career choice or desire to use higher education to achieve specific goals shared by a community. View Scholarship Details |
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Carl Abbott FellowshipPortland State University - School of Urban and Public Affairs |
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award Up to $5,000 |
deadline May 15, 2025 |
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DescriptionThe Carl Abbott Fellowship is available to doctoral students at Portland State University-College of Urban and Public Affairs. View Scholarship Details |
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Ruth Segal ScholarshipOut of Home Advertising Association of America, Inc. (OAAA) |
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award $5,000 |
deadline June 02, 2025 |
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DescriptionThe Ruth Segal Scholarship is available to undergraduate and graduate students. You must be studying government affairs, urban affairs, public affairs, or political science to be eligible for this award. 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