What is Public Administration?

Public administration is the implementation and management of public policies. The study of public administration is the study of how government achieves the goals and objectives of the public in various government and nongovernmental institutions. We are interested both in the efficiency of service delivery and the efficacy of public services. 

In North Carolina, professional public administrators are county staff, city managers, planners, public safety officers, teachers, and many others. Across the state about 72,000 people work for the federal government, 80,000 people work for the state of North Carolina, and 180,000 work for local and other government entities.

The professional degree of public administrators is the masters of public administration which is supported by universities across the state of North Carolina who join over 200 programs nationwide. The network of scholars that support these programs are generating groundbreaking research into how public systems can improve their organizations, service delivery, and democratic accountability.