Bachelor of Public Administration

Learn what it takes to manage public agencies

Public Administration (BPA)

The Bachelor of Public Administration is designed for optimum flexibility for working professionals. All classes are held in a synchronous online format utilizing Zoom or another web-based meeting platform. This means you can attend your live class during its scheduled day and time from a location of your choosing: the comfort of your home, the closest Barry University campus, or anywhere in the world you have an internet connection.

During the 7-week course, the instructor will teach from one of our campuses, for a minimum of one of the class sessions. In-person attendance for this session is optional as the class will still be offered via a web-based meeting platform. During the other scheduled classes, the instructor will teach from a location of his/her choosing, utilizing a web-based meeting platform. This program has been designed to provide working professionals a better life/work/school balance by eliminating the after work commute to campus while still offering live instruction and access to professors.

View Curriculum

The Public Administration (BPA) program gives you a broad understanding of all things related to managing public agencies.

Program Highlights

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    Broad Overview

    The BPA program teaches you how public administrators create and implement policies to help build and strengthen communities. You will master techniques for measuring and improving productivity in public organizations.

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    Comprehensive Curriculum

    Required major courses include Values and Ethics in Public Administration; Public Budget and Finance; and Administrative Law and Practice. Courses like these offer a good overview of important aspects of public work.

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    Career Opportunities

    A BPA provides an ideal background for students interested in pursuing careers in the police force, fire service, public safety, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, management in public health institutions, and more.

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    Contemporary Focus

    Learn about contemporary issues in public safety, including the roles of fire prevention and suppression, emergency medical practice and transportation, police protection, community policing, public safety departments, and collective bargaining.

Experiential Learning Portfolio (ELP)

You may not have been in a classroom for a while, but you have never stopped learning. Your professional and community activities are valuable. The portfolio program allows you to translate your real-life learning into college credit. 

You may earn up to 30 credits by demonstrating college-level learning in one or more of the following academic disciplines: administration, behavioral sciences, communication, humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and five special topics. Please see your advisor for additional information.

Adult Learner FAQs Experiential Learning Portfolio Presentation

Thousands of Barry University adult students have completed portfolios and considered this experience time and cost effective as well as personally rewarding.

Here are what three students said about their portfolio experience:

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    Student 1

    "You know, it sort of gave me more pep in my step and actually gave me a sense of accomplishment and pride. It also made me realize how marketable I am. It did, it did a lot of things for me but it really gave me a sense of empowerment."
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    Student 2

    "It really made me stop and think. It reinforced my belief in myself. I tend to get so caught up in everyday situations that I forget that I ever did something, you know, fifteen years ago. I think the portfolio is one of the most rewarding pieces of work that I have ever done."
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    Student 3

    "The insight gained from [my] portfolio helped me to see, as the slogan goes, ‘You've come a long way baby'! in my accomplishments, achievements, [and] my development. A degree with a portfolio makes you assess your professional life; without a portfolio, you just know your academic strengths, but you don't know your professional strengths."

Top Stories

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    Ruth Forbes, a Barry alumna and a Turks and Caicos Islands native, has been chosen to succeed FortisTCI President & CEO Eddinton Powell and become the first woman at the head of the company

School of Business and Public Administration Faculty

Barry's small, interactive business classes are led by scholarly, full-time faculty, of which more than 90% hold doctoral degrees. The ASB faculty have a unique combination of international diversity and cultures. Our faculty also have business experience with firms such as Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank, McDonalds, and Harris Corporation.

These seasoned mentors will work side-by-side with you, teaching you how to negotiate, manage successfully, and become effective leaders in today's rapidly changing business arena.

Applying to Barry University

Barry University uses an online, interactive process called myBarry, allowing students to conveniently start their application process, ask pending questions, request more information on academic programs, and much more.

You can rest assured knowing your Admission team and resources found in your personalized myBarry will guide you through the entire admissions process.

Apply Now! Admissions Requirements

There is no application fee when you apply online.

Financial Aid Affordable for you.

If you’re a full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate, you may qualify for our merit-based scholarships with awards up to $17,000, based on your cumulative GPA and standardized test scores. Scholarships are available for freshmen (including test optional), transfers, international, DACA, and Dreamer applicants. Using your admissions application, we automatically determine your eligibility.

More than 90% of our students receives some form of financial assistance. Apply to see if you qualify for a full array of federal and state financial aid programs. Just submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Complete it as soon as possible since funds may be limited. Barry's federal school code is 001466. 

Financial Aid Programs Tuition and Fees

Explore our scholarship system to see if you qualify for scholarships funded by alumni, private donors, corporations, and others.

You can use the Barry University Scholarship System to find other scholarship opportunities that you may be eligible to receive:

  • Answer as many questions as you like—the more questions answered, the more scholarships you’re matched to
  • Be automatically considered for many of the scholarships available at Barry University
  • Do a keyword search for scholarships and review the criteria to see if your qualifications are a match
The scholarships are funded through contributions from private donors, alumni, faculty, staff, parents, campus organizations, and corporations.
Barry University Scholarships

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