Public Administration

Undergraduate
On Ground
120 hours
4 years

Public Administration at Harding

Public administration is what happens when the elections are over and the governing begins. It is the accomplishing side of all levels of government and is a field devoted to the implementation, evaluation and analysis of public policies and their outcomes. Students within this major will complete courses in political science, business, economics and other fields.

Learn more about History

Why study public administration at Harding?

The American Experience Tour

Students have the opportunity to explore history where it happened through a summer travel program. Recent trips have included visits to the Cane Ridge Meeting House, the U.S. Capitol, Ellis Island, the Boston Freedom Trail, Gettysburg, Independence Hall, Mount Vernon and the USS Constitution.

Model United Nations

Model United Nations provides students the opportunity to act as a team of delegates from a given country at select conferences that simulate the United Nations. Over the course of the semester, students learn about their country, parliamentary procedure, and how a delegate from that state would respond to different issues.

Tenor of Our Times

This award-winning print and online journal is a student-managed publication that publishes undergraduate historical research of current Harding students and recent alumni. Supported by a faculty editorial board, students receive valuable experience having their work edited, published and reviewed.

More information

  • African and African American Studies
  • Geography and Geographic Information Systems
  • History
  • Medieval and Renaissance Studies
  • Military and Strategic Studies
  • Political Science
  • Public Administration
  • Public Administration Minor (for history majors)
  • Social Science
  • Women’s Studies

Phi Alpha Theta: An international honor society for undergraduate students, the Eta Phi chapter at Harding joins more than 400,000 members and 900 chapters worldwide. Students visit exhibits and historical sites; organize and participate in lectures, a History Faire for local children, and movie nights; and present historical research at both regional and national conferences.

Pi Sigma Alpha: A national honor society for political science students, Pi Sigma Alpha was founded in 1920 and now boasts over 600 chapters. Students are granted admission based on classification, GPA and earned political science credits.

What can you do with a degree in public administration?

Government

A degree in public administration will prepare you well for many different positions within the U.S. government system. Career paths include work in intelligence, political campaigns, elected leadership, libraries, national parks, public relations, museums and more. 

Law

Harding public administration majors go on to excel in prestigious law schools around the country including Baylor University, George Mason University, Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee.

Intelligence agencies

Intelligence analysts work with large data sets to identify patters relevant to security concerns. They also use their exceptional communication and networking skills to build relationships and clearly convey information so it can be useful in high-impact situations.

ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IN THE WORLD IS TO HAVE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PAST. WE ENCOURAGE OUR STUDENTS TO THINK HISTORICALLY. IT HELPS THEM LEARN TO ASK BETTER QUESTIONS AND THINK IN MORE COMPLICATED AND SOPHISTICATED WAYS.
Dr. Nathaniel Wiewora

Associate Professor of History and Political Science

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