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Public Administration Online Degree Concentration Within the BS in Business Administration Program

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You're viewing a Program Concentration

Total courses 5 (of 40)

Term length 8 weeks

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Concentration Overview Why focus on public administration?

As part of your BS in Business Administration program, a concentration adds focus to your degree in a particular area of study — like public administration. Southern New Hampshire University's Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business Administration with a concentration in Public Administration examines how administrators make policy and enforce programs to help build and strengthen communities and society.

Skills you'll learn:

  • Development and maintenance of public policy and programs
  • Quantitative and qualitative data analysis
  • Communication tactics to inform, negotiate and persuade
  • Processes and techniques to secure and manage public funds
  • How ethics drive conduct in public policy
Jean Besson, who earned his degree from SNHU in 2014, wearing a dark suit and tie, holding a blue dry-erase marker and standing next to a white board.

Courses & Curriculum Career-focused public administration classes

In the BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Public Administration program, you'll learn how to evaluate policies and programs and make recommendations that consider the needs of stakeholders, including communities, constituents and businesses. You’ll also focus on effective communication, navigating limitations and managing outside factors that impact decision-making.

Concentration Course Descriptions

Your 5-course public administration concentration explained

Your entire BS in Business Administration consists of 40 courses (120 credits) total. This includes general education courses (42 credits), major courses (30 credits), major elective courses (15 credits) and other elective courses (33 credits). If you select this concentration, you'll take 5 specific courses all related to public administration to meet the 15-credit major electives requirement.

Courses may include:

Course ID: PAD 330
Explore the field of public administration through the analysis of key theory and career possibilities. Examine the role of government and regulation in public policy development. Analyze how ethics drives conduct within the field.
Course ID: PAD 340
Analyze the processes and techniques used to secure and manage public funds. Examine considerations public administrators utilize when making fiscal decisions. Explore the role of oversight committees, audits, and other accountability measures to ensure accuracy of financial documents and processes.
Course ID: PAD 345
Explore the role of policy in public administration, how the public influences policy, and the impact of policy on decision-making. Learn the stages of the public policy process and how the public's involvement in policy making has evolved. Develop techniques for managing and interacting with the public.
Course ID: PAD 410
Learn the six steps of program development and evaluation, including designing program evaluation processes to measure outcomes and analyzing data to assess program success. Create purpose-driven communications to gain support for programs, disseminate program information, and report to stakeholders.
Course ID: POL 210
This course offers a broad introduction to the structure and function of the American political system at the national level, including the roles played by the president, Congress, the courts, the bureaucracy, political parties, interest groups and the mass media in the policy- making and electoral processes. This course places special emphasis on how the efforts of the framers of the Constitution to solve what they saw as the political problems of their day continue to shape American national politics in ours.

Visit the course catalog to view the full BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Public Administration curriculum.

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Upcoming term starts: June 29, 2026 | August 31, 2026

Next term starts:
May 4, 2026

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Attending college online at SNHU can be a life-changing experience. In fact, 93.4% of online students would recommend SNHU according to a 2025 survey with 8,718 respondents.

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Faculty Profile

Learn from instructors with industry experience

Our faculty members are dedicated to your success. Whether they're engaging with students on discussion boards, communicating concepts and ideas or helping you explore your passion, SNHU business instructors will strive to make your learning experience valuable and memorable.

Featured Faculty

Dr. Dominic J. Novelli

Dr. Dominic Novelli, an adjunct instructor in SNHU's online bachelor's in public administration program, wearing a sports jacket and light blue shirt.Dr. Dominic J. Novelli has taught hundreds of undergraduate and graduate courses in a variety of topics, including public sector budgeting, leadership, economic development, ethics, public policy and more. Before entering higher education, he worked for 30 years in the public sector as a senior manager and executive.

Position
Adjunct Instructor

Joined SNHU
2012

Education

  • DPA from the University of Baltimore 
  • MAS from Fairleigh Dickinson University
  • BS in Business Administration from Fordham University

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Accreditations

SNHU is accredited by the regional accreditor the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). The university also carries specialized accreditations for some programs.

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Tuition Cost & Savings College can be more affordable than you think

As a nonprofit university, SNHU offers some of the lowest online tuition rates in the country. And when you work with our Financial Services team, we'll explore ways to help you save even more on your education – and customize a payment plan that works for you.

Online undergraduate tuition

Student
Cost per credit
Cost per course
Cost for 120-credit degree*
Full- and part-time students
$342
$1,026
$41,040
Active-duty military and spouses | Full- and part-time students**
$250
$750
$30,000

*before previously earned credits are applied

Tuition rates are subject to change and are reviewed annually.

**Note: Students receiving this rate are not eligible for additional discounts.

Additional costs: Course materials vary by course.

Transfer credits and lower your cost by:

$10,260 $15,390 $20,520 $25,650 $30,780
Transfer credits and lower your cost by:

If 30 of your prior learning credits ($342/credit) are accepted toward your bachelor’s degree.

Your remaining tuition cost: $30,780

If 45 of your prior learning credits ($342/credit) are accepted toward your bachelor’s degree.

Your remaining tuition cost: $25,650

If 60 of your prior learning credits ($342/credit) are accepted toward your bachelor’s degree.

Your remaining tuition cost: $20,520

If 75 of your prior learning credits ($342/credit) are accepted toward your bachelor’s degree.

Your remaining tuition cost: $15,390

If 90 of your prior learning credits ($342/credit) are accepted toward your bachelor’s degree.

Your remaining tuition cost: $10,260

How we estimate your tuition cost:

We look at the cost per credit multiplied by the number of credits you need to earn for a bachelor's degree. Most bachelor's degrees require 120 credits. SNHU allows you to transfer in up to 90 credits, requiring a minimum of 30 credits to be taken at SNHU. This is only a tuition estimator, and doesn't account for other fees that may be associated with your program of choice.

Career Outlook What can I do with my concentration in public administration?

A BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Public Administration translates well to a variety of career options — whether you're looking to work in a sector of the government, make a difference in the town you live in or serve a specific community or nonprofit. 

Occupations

Here are just a few ways you could put your degree to use to protect the needs of the public:

Supervise staff, manage records, recommend policy changes, monitor facilities to ensure safety, security and regulatory compliance.

Coordinate and supervise programs and organizations that support the public well-being.

Help public and private institutions organize their finances to ensure proposed budgets are used for the greater good of the community.

9%
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Job growth projected nationally for social and community service managers through 2032, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).1

$77,030
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Median annual wage nationally for social and community service managers in May 2023, according to the BLS.2 Statistic not based on wage data for SNHU graduates.

Understanding the numbers
When reviewing job growth and salary information, it’s important to remember that actual numbers can vary due to many different factors—like years of experience in the role, industry of employment, geographic location, worker skill and economic conditions. Cited projections are based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not on SNHU graduate outcomes, and do not guarantee actual salary or job growth.

What SNHU students are saying

Michael Ramella, who earned his online bachelor's in public administration from SNHU in 2020, wearing a red, zippered jacket.
Michael Ramella, who earned his online bachelor's in public administration from SNHU in 2020, wearing a red, zippered jacket.

What I have found [at SNHU] is an educational program that challenged me, helped me grow and gave me the ability to obtain knowledge in areas directly relatable to my everyday work.

Michael Ramella '20

Frequently Asked Questions

A BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Public Administration is typically a 4-year program. However, the time it takes to complete your degree can vary based on factors such as your enrollment status (part-time or full-time), whether you take any terms off and if you have transfer credits.

At SNHU, online courses are available 24/7, making it easier to fit learning into your schedule — even if you’re working full time or balancing family obligations. With six 8-week undergraduate terms each year, you can take courses year-round as a full-time student and progress through your program more quickly.

Additionally, if you have prior college experience, you may be able to transfer up to 90 undergraduate credits. Since a bachelor’s degree requires 120 credits, transferring the maximum amount could put you up to 75% of the way toward completion — potentially saving you time and money.

It depends on your career goals. If you’re passionate about implementing change for the public good and want to help build strong communities at the local, state or national level, a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Public Administration could be right for you.

Public administrators help manage government services, lead the economic development of a community and guide public health, urban planning and other community initiatives. As the needs of communities evolve and become more diverse, jobs for public administrators continue to be in high demand.

According to the BLS, jobs for administrative services managers, for example, are projected to grow 6% through 2032, while social and community services manager jobs are projected to grow 9% in the same time period.1

With a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Public Administration, you can find a wide variety of jobs working for the public good, including: 

  • Administrative services manager: Plan, coordinate, and direct a broad range of activities that allow community organizations and government agencies to run smoothly, including record-keeping, security, building maintenance, and supply management.
  • Social and community services manager: Coordinate and supervise social service programs and community organizations and manage the workers who provide key social services to the public.
  • Budget analyst: Advise governments, businesses and organizations on how to organize their finances, analyze data to determine the costs and benefits of various programs and recommend funding levels based on the data.

Additionally, if you're looking to put your degree to good use, volunteering with local nonprofits and community organizations or running for public office in your town or county is a great way to enhance your resume, practice key soft skills and start working toward the common good right away.

At colleges and universities, a concentration is a focused area of study within a larger degree program. A concentration generally replaces elective coursework in the major or discipline, allowing students to focus their studies on an area of interest.

Related Articles

Sources & Citations

1Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the internet, at:

  • https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/social-and-community-service-managers.htm (viewed May 29, 2024)
  • https://www.bls.gov/OOH/management/administrative-services-managers.htm (viewed May 29, 2024)
  • https://www.bls.gov/OOH/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm (viewed May 29, 2024)

Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.