Skip to Main Content Skip to bottom Skip to Chat, Email, Text

online bspa degree

Bachelor of Science in Public Administration​ Degree

Start your online public administration degree

Gain an understanding of public policy and how it’s implemented in government, nonprofit or public institutions. Our Bachelor of Science in Public Administration degree prepares you for roles in both the public and private sectors and covers everything from civil leadership, business and governmental law to finance and budgeting.

Transfer credits

Earn your bachelor's degree faster and with eligible transfer credits.

Scholarships

Earn a scholarship up to either $1K or $3K starting with your first course. 

Apply free

No application fee
No SAT/ACT
No essay required

Ignite Your Passion

Start when you're ready

Courses

Browse courses for your online public administration degree

Education should hold practical value. That’s why our courses meet rigorous academic standards and provide you with skills and knowledge immediately applicable to your career.

Skills-aligned program icon

Look for this icon to see which skills you’ll learn in a course.

Requirements: 120 credits

You’ll need 120 credits to complete this Bachelor of Science in Public Administration. Your course schedule may vary based on transferable credits or credits earned through the University’s Prior Learning Assessment.

14 Core Courses

Here’s where you’ll pick up your program-specific knowledge. By the time you finish these courses, you should have the confidence and skills needed in a public administration environment.

12 Gen Ed Courses

These courses lay the foundation for all our degree programs. Because communication, math and writing skills aren’t just universally applicable in this field — they’re useful in daily life.

14 Elective Courses

Elective courses allow you to learn about topics you’re interested in. That means you’ll have a degree that’s unique to you and your education goals.

Schedule

Your academic counselor will help schedule your courses for a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration.

Skills-aligned program icon

Earn career-relevant skills in weeks – not years.

Learning shouldn’t take years to put into practice. That’s why we’re empowering you to build career-relevant skills with every five- to six-week course.

We’ve worked with labor market researchers like Lightcast to find in-demand skills for careers and mapped those to our related associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.

Tuition

Transfer credits

Get credit for what you already know. Earn your degree without starting from scratch. Have previous relevant work and life experience evaluated for potential credit. If you have military or law enforcement training, such as Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy training, you can apply to have that experience evaluated for up to 30 credits.

Save time and money when you transfer in eligible credits toward your degree.

Affordable, fixed tuition

Lock in the peace of mind that comes with fixed, affordable tuition. You’ll enjoy one flat rate from the moment you enroll until the day you graduate from your program. That’s your Tuition Guarantee.

Tuition Guarantee Emblem

University of Phoenix public administration degree vs other universities

Phoenix ASU Online (BAB) Capella DeVry GCU Purdue Global SNHU Strayer
Cost per credit
Cost per credit
Cost per credit
$398
Cost per credit
$563
Cost per credit
$365/415[1]
Cost per credit
$514
Cost per credit
$485
Cost per credit
$371
Cost per credit
$330
Cost per credit
$328.89
Credits per course
Credits per course
Credits per course
3
Credits per course
3
Credits per course
3-6
Credits per course
2-4
Credits per course
4
Credits per course
5-6
Credits per course
3
Credits per course
4.5
Tuition per course
Tuition per course
Tuition per course
$1,194
Tuition per course
$1,698
Tuition per course
$1,095-
$2,490
Tuition per course
$1,028-
$2,056
Tuition per course
$1,940
Tuition per course
$1,855-
$2,226
Tuition per course
$990
Tuition per course
$1,480
Total program length in credits
Total program length in credits
Total program length in credits
120
Total program length in credits
120
Total program length in credits
180
Total program length in credits
124
Total program length in credits
120
Total program length in credits
180
Total program length in credits
120
Total program length in credits
180
Length of course in weeks
Length of course in weeks
Length of course in weeks
5
Length of course in weeks
7.5
Length of course in weeks
10
Length of course in weeks
8
Length of course in weeks
7-8
Length of course in weeks
10
Length of course in weeks
8
Length of course in weeks
11
Fees
Fees
Fees
One fee per course
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Tuition guarantee
Tuition guarantee
Tuition guarantee
YES
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO

Data pulled on September 14, 2023

[1] $365 per 1000-2000 level credit; $415 per 3000-4000 level credit

Source of data: For each institution, the data are publicly available in multiple locations, including Academic Catalogs, Program pages, Tuition and fees pages, and syllabi. All data are publicly available on the websites. 

Certain licensure programs and coursework in other degree programs may have additional fees. Please check with your advisor or course catalog for additional info.

COA Components Bachelor's Degree (non-CBE)
Tuition and Fees¹
Tuition and Fees¹
Tuition and Fees¹
$9,288
Books, course materials, supplies and equipment
Books, course materials, supplies and equipment
Books, course materials, supplies and equipment
$1,416
Transportation
Transportation
Transportation
$1,360
Miscellaneous personal expenses
Miscellaneous personal expenses
Miscellaneous personal expenses
$550
Living Expenses²
Living Expenses²
Living Expenses²
     Food
     Food
     Food
$2,650
     Housing³
     Housing³
     Housing³
$5,120
Federal student loan fees
Federal student loan fees
Federal student loan fees
$60
Dependent care expenses
Dependent care expenses
Dependent care expenses
$0
Disability related expenses
Disability related expenses
Disability related expenses
$0
Total COA
Total COA
Total COA
$20,444

1The tuition component is based on a per credit weighted average for the credential level across the entire University.

2The University allows the same living expense amounts for students in all living arrangements and dependency statuses.

3The living expense component for students receiving Military Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) only includes an allowance for food.

Scholarships to earn your bachelor’s degree, more affordably.

Everyone deserves an affordable education. That’s why we offer an unlimited number of scholarships, so if you qualify, you can get one. Starting with your first course, every qualifying new student will be awarded one of our scholarships, worth up to either $1K or $3K. Or you'll get the better offer you qualify for.

Financial aid

You have options when it comes to paying for college tuition and expenses, such as federal grants and loans. Our finance advisors can answer your questions about financial aid and can help guide you through the process.

Federal Student Loan Basics

Careers & Outcomes

What can you do with a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration Degree?

Discover where your degree might take you and make informed choices about your future.

A BSPA can prepare you to be a:

  • Community Outreach Coordinator
  • Nonprofit Manager
  • General Manager
  • Operations Manager
  • Regulatory Affairs Manager
  • Program Manager

Top skills learned in this program:

  • Public Administration

  • Management

  • Data Driven Decision Making

  • Problem Solving

  • Budgeting

Ready to get started?

Start your application for free or request additional information.

What you’ll learn

When you earn your bachelor’s in public administration online, you’ll be equipped with a concrete set of skills you can apply on the job. You’ll learn how to:

  • Analyze public administration concepts
  • Apply public administration management practices
  • Analyze research methodologies for public administration
  • Apply the ethical standards of public administration
  • Examine fiduciary practices in public administration

12% Growth

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for Social and Community Service Managers is projected to be much faster than average between 2021 and 2031.

The BLS Projected Growth for 2021-2031 is published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects the BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.

Admissions

Apply for free – no application fee, no obligation.

Starting your degree is a big decision — and we want you to feel great about it. That’s why we remove obstacles from your application.

  • No cost to request transcripts 
  • No SAT/ACT required 
  • No essay required 
  • No cost, risk-free trial for eligible students
G. Galindo - Enrollment Representative

Gabriel G., Enrollment Rep

Receive highly rated 1-on-1 support

You’ll have a support team of real people you can lean on to encourage your success as a student. Start a conversation about your future with one of our enrollment representatives today.

Call us at 844-937-8679 or chat with us 7 days a week.

Receive highly rated 1-on-1 support

You’ll have a support team of real people you can lean on to encourage your success as a student. Start a conversation about your future with one of our enrollment representatives today.

Gabriel G., Enrollment Representative

Call or chat with us 7 days a week.

Student Experience

An education that fits your busy life

Balancing family, work and school

Work toward your degree without giving up what matters most. Start your degree year-round and take one class at a time.

Online learning

Enroll in online classes and attend class whenever it fits your life, day or night.

Around-the-clock support and resources

You have a support team available up to 20 hours a day, 5 days a week. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 90% of our surveyed students.1

[1] Transactional Survey, August 2021-22 (18,645 respondents)

Phoenix provides support and resources for busy students

Faculty Spotlight

Professionals dedicated to you

Your success is a top priority for our deans and faculty members. They bring an average of 26 years of experience and hands-on perspective to the classroom, and help bridge the gap between academics and industry knowledge.

Doris Savron

As a faculty member, I'm on your team. I'm your coach and your cheerleader.

Doris Savron
Vice Provost of Colleges, University of Phoenix

Accreditation

Count on the quality of your education

University of Phoenix has been continually accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org, since 1978.

Frequently asked questions about the Bachelor of Science in Public Administration​ degree

Public administration consists of services we all rely on in every community to implement government policy and public service. Public administrators work in local and federal entities and departments in the public sector, as well as in non-profit organizations.

A public administration degree helps prepare you for roles in both the public and non-profit sectors. The degree covers topics such as civil leadership, city and county operations, finance and budgeting, grant writing, public policy and ethics, and many more public admin related topics.

Our online public administration degree is designed specifically so that working professionals like you can earn it without leaving your current role. The degree helps you build a strong foundation in public administration while teaching the leadership skills to help prepare you for a career in the field. You’ll learn from faculty who are currently working in the public sector, and you’ll be able to join our large alumni network. Additionally, our Career Services for Life® commitment helps students in their current position and prepares them for career enhancement with career planning, resumé help and more.

While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.