Academic Catalog

Public Affairs (B.P.A.)

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, may 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:

ECO 2010Principles of Microeconomics4
ECO 2020Principles of Macroeconomics4
PS 1010American Government3-4
or PS 1030 The American Governmental System
PS 2410Introduction to Public Policy4
PS 2420Ethics and Politics of Public Policy4
or PS 2460 Policy and Rationality: Dilemmas of Choice
or PS 2240 Introduction to Urban Politics and Policy
or PS 3430 Bureaucracy and Public Policy
or PS 3450 Environmental Policy and Politics
PS 3600Methods of Political Inquiry4
or PS 5630 Statistics and Data Analysis in Political Science I
PS 4460Techniques of Policy Analysis4
PS 5993Writing Intensive Course in Political Science0
Total Credits27-28

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. 

Select at least two of the following:8
Introduction to Public Administration
Political Science Internship
Political Parties and Elections
Political Campaigns in America
Political Interest Groups
The Legislative Process
State Government and Politics
Michigan Politics
Gender and Politics
American Legal Systems and Processes
Detroit Politics: Continuity and Change in City and Suburbs
Foreign Policies of Major Powers
African American Politics
Religion and Politics

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 inPS 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.

Political Science Honors Programs

Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Public Affairs majors with strong academic records are encouraged to pursue departmental honors. To be eligible to enter the honors program, a major must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.3. To graduate with honors, students must:

  1. Maintain a 3.3 grade point average.
  2. Under the direction of one or more members of the department, complete a senior honors paper (PS 4995).
  3. Complete all requirements for the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Public Affairs degree.
  4. Complete one 4200-level Honors seminar offered through the Honors College, see Honors Courses (HON).
  5. Accumulate an additional eight credits in honors-designated course work beyond PS 4995, and the Honors Program seminar. These honors credits can be obtained from any department, including Political Science. For information about honors-designated coursework available each semester.

Students interested in participating in the program should contact the department’s undergraduate advisor to determine their eligibility.

‘AGRADE’ Program (Accelerated Graduate Enrollment)

Accelerated Graduate Enrollment: Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Public Affairs majors with superior academic records (top twentieth percentile overall, with at least a 3.6 g.p.a. in the major) are eligible in their senior year (a minimum of 90 credit hours earned) to participate in accelerated graduate enrollment (‘AGRADE’) programs leading to either a Master of Arts degree with a major in political science or a Master of Public Administration degree. The ‘AGRADE’ programs enable students to pursue graduate and undergraduate degrees simultaneously and to apply twelve to fifteen credits of approved course work to both degrees. To participate, students must apply and be accepted into the ‘AGRADE’ program by the Departmental Graduate Committee and secure the approval of the Graduate Officer of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in accordance with rules and procedures established by the College. Students should contact the Department’s undergraduate advisor for further details.

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