The Bachelor of Public Affairs (B.P.A.) degree provides students with professional skills needed for working in the city, county, state and national government jobs, for other public and non-profit agencies, and in positions in private enterprises, especially those that deal with governmental relations. Past graduates of the program have managed political campaigns and worked for local, state and federal government agencies, for non-profits and gone on to law school, and graduate school, especially in public administration. Additional professional skills stressed in the B.P.A. include data management, economics, and other quantitative tools. These are very helpful for students when they seek jobs after graduation or for those students planning to apply to graduate school. Internships provide students with an opportunity to apply what they have learned in public service settings.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for this program are satisfied by the general requirements for undergraduate admission to the University. To declare the B.P.A. as a major, a student must follow the procedures set forth by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for declaring a major.

Program Requirements

Candidates for the B.P.A. degree must:

1. Complete a total of 120 credits in course work.
2. Satisfy all of the Liberal Arts Group Requirements
3. Satisfy the University General Education Requirements.
4. Satisfy the major requirements listed below.

All course work must be completed in accordance with the regulations of the University and the College governing undergraduate scholarship and degrees. Students wishing to apply transfer credits toward the B.P.A. major should consult the political science undergraduate advisor regarding departmental policies and restrictions on the use of these credits. Students must complete a minimum of 16 credit hours of Public Affairs' major requirements at Wayne State University.

Major Requirements 

A Bachelor of Public Affairs major must complete a minimum of nine courses, including seven prescribed core courses and two elective courses.   Co-registration in PS 5993 is also required.   Any political science required or elective course at the 3000-level or higher, except PS 5630 and PS 6640, may, with the permission of the instructor, be used to fulfill this requirement. Students must demonstrate proficiency in writing on public affairs subject matter in a form and style consistent with B.P.A. standards.

Election of a corequisite to PS 5993 must have approval from the instructor and students must follow the instructor's guidelines to demonstrate required proficiency. Upon certification by the instructor that the writing requirement has been fulfilled, a grade of Satisfactory ('S') will be awarded for PS 5993, a 'zero' credit course. Note that completion of the WI course has the following prerequisites: a) completion of the Intermediate Composition (IC or ICN) requirement and b) the completion of at least two Political Science courses at the 3000 level or higher.

Core Curriculum

Candidates for the B.P.A. degree must satisfy the following core course requirements:

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Introduction (1 of 3)		3-4
PS 1010	American Government
or PS 1000	How to Change Your World (An Introduction to Political Science)
or PS 1030	The American Governmental System
Essentials (2 of 2)		8
PS 2410 & PS 4460	Introduction to Public Policy and Techniques of Policy Analysis
Fundamentals (2 of 8)		8
PS 2240	Introduction to Urban Politics and Policy
or PS 2310	Introduction to Public Administration
or PS 2420	Ethics and Politics of Public Policy
or PS 3060	State Government and Politics
or PS 3070	Michigan Politics
or PS 3320	Empowering Change through Nonprofit Engagement
or PS 3450	Environmental Policy and Politics
or PS 4810	Foreign Policies of Major Powers
Methods (2 of 3)		8
PS 1050	Understanding Political Science Statistics
or PS 3600	Methods of Political Inquiry
or PS 5630	Statistics and Data Analysis in Political Science I
Select at least 2 electives from courses listed below		8
Writing Intensive (1 of 1)
PS 5993	Writing Intensive Course in Political Science	0
Total Credits		35-36

Elective Options

In addition to completion of required core work, students must select a minimum of two additional courses within the B.P.A. elective curriculum, which is comprised of the courses set forth below or an additional Policy elective listed above.  At least one course must be above the 2000 level. Electives may also be satisfied by courses in the Fundamentals category once the requirement of two Fundamentals has been satisfied.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Electives (2 of 14)		8
PS 2992	Political Science Internship
or PS 2510	Introduction to Political Philosophy: What is Politics?
or PS 2710	Introduction to Comparative Politics
or PS 2810	World Politics
or PS 3010	Public Opinion and Political Behavior
or PS 3020	Political Parties and Elections
or PS 3040	The Legislative Process
or PS 3050	Politics of the American Presidency
or PS 3080	Gender and Politics
or PS 3100	American Legal Systems and Processes
or PS 3250	Detroit Politics: Continuity and Change in City and Suburbs
or PS 5030	African American Politics
or PS 5040	Religion and Politics
or PS 6860	American Foreign Policy

Internships

Internships in government, political campaigns, political advocacy groups, civic organizations, or public agencies provide valuable work-educational experience that enables students to relate knowledge acquired in the classroom to the world-at-large. They also provide practical training that enhances future job prospects. Academic credit may be earned for an internship through enrollment in PS 2992, Political Science Internship, a course that helps to assure the educational relevance of the internship by requiring interns to prepare papers and reports based on their experiences. Interested students should consult the department’s undergraduate advisor.

Study Abroad Exchange Program with the University of Salford

Students may study for one or two semesters at the University of Salford in Salford, England, and earn Wayne State credits through an exchange agreement between the two universities. Applications may be obtained from the Office of Study Abroad and Global Programs. Interested majors or prospective majors should also consult with the Department's undergraduate advisor.