Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Science
Nature of the Program
The Public Service Administration (PSA) major was revised in 2014 as an interdisciplinary 120 credit hour program that enables students to complete the degree, including the internship, in a timely manner. A practicum/internship provides the students job experience and allows them to exercise skills obtained during the course of their studies. This degree prepares students for careers with all levels of government: local, county, state and federal. PSA also prepares students for a career in non - profit organizations. It is a perfect pre-law degree as it provides a number of Political Science courses. In addition, this degree is excellent preparation for graduate school in social work, public administration, political science, sociology, or business administration. Provided the correct restrictive electives are chosen, a student can obtain a minor in Political Science, Sociology or Economics without additional course work.
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 29 | |
| Program Requirements | 22 | |
| Public Service Administration Major Requirements | 69 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 5, and 6 | 12 | |
| WVUE 191 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| General Electives | 16 | |
| Total Hours | 29 | |
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 124 | Algebra with Applications (or higher, GEF 3) | 3 |
| CS 101 | Intro to Computer Applications (GEF 2) | 4 |
| ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics (GEF 8) | 3 |
| ECON 202 | Principles of Macroeconomics (GEF 8) | 3 |
| PSYC 101 | Introduction to Psychology (GEF 4) | 3 |
| SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology (GEF 8) | 3 |
| WRIT 305 | Technical Writing | 3 |
| Total Hours | 22 | |
Public Service Administration Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BCOR 370 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| ECON 225 | Elementary Business and Economics Statistics | 3 |
| ECON 441 | Public Economics | 3 |
| HUMS 210 | Introduction to Welfare | 3 |
| HUMS 320 | Public Administration | 3 |
| HUMS 480 | Grant Writing and Documentation | 3 |
| HUMS 489 | Practicum Capstone Internship | 6 |
| MANG 422 | Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| POLS 102 | Introduction to American Government | 3 |
| POLS 220 | State and Local Government | 3 |
| POLS 260 | Introduction to International Relations (GEF 7) | 3 |
| POLS 313 | American Constitutional Law | 3 |
| POLS 480 | Seminar in Non-Profit Administration | 3 |
| SOC 207 | Social Problems in Contemporary America | 3 |
| SOC 305 | Social Stratification and Power in American Society | 3 |
| SOC 311 | Social Research Methods | 3 |
| SOC 333 | Sociology of Work and Work Places | 3 |
| Minor (choose from one of the following minors: Accounting, Criminal Justice, Economics, Political Science, Sociology) or Restricted Electives (at least 3 hours must be 300 or 400 level) | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 69 | |
Restricted Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Any ACCT, ECON or POLS course | ||
| BCOR 320 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| BCOR 330 | Information Systems and Technology | 3 |
| CJ 101 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 310 | Law Enforcement Administration | 3 |
| CJ 320 | Courts and Judicial Systems | 3 |
| HIST 153 | Making of Modern America: 1865 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 261 | Recent America: The United States since 1918 | 3 |
| HIST 464 | American Foreign Relations 1941 to Present | 3 |
| HUMS 100 | Community Service | 3 |
| MANG 330 | Human Resource Management Fundamentals | 3 |
| MANG 350 | Leadership In Business | 3 |
| MILS 301 | Military Science | 0 or 3 |
| MILS 302 | Military Science | 0 or 3 |
| MILS 401 | Military Science | 0 or 3 |
| MILS 402 | Military Science | 0 or 3 |
| PHIL 170 | Introduction to Critical Reasoning | 3 |
| ANTH 105 | Introduction to Anthropology | 3 |
| CRIM 302 | Deviant Behavior | 3 |
| MDS 270 | Effective Public Speaking | 3 |
| SOC 221 | Families and Society | 3 |
| SOC 327 | Appalachian Culture | 3 |
| SOC 360 | Sociology of Gender | 3 |
| SOC 430 | World Religions | 3 |
| SPAN 101 | Elementary Spanish 1 | 3 |
| SPAN 102 | Elementary Spanish 2 | 3 |
| SPAN 203 | Intermediate Spanish 1 | 3 |
| SPAN 204 | Intermediate Spanish 2 | 3 |
| WGST 225 | Women in Appalachia | 3 |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| MATH 124 (GEF 3) | 3 | CS 101 (GEF 2) | 4 |
| WVUE 191 | 1 | SOC 101 (GEF 8) | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Restricted Elective or Minor | 3 |
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 3 |
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BCOR 370 | 3 | ECON 202 (GEF 8) | 3 |
| ECON 201 (GEF 8) | 3 | HUMS 210 | 3 |
| POLS 102 | 3 | POLS 220 | 3 |
| PSYC 101 (GEF 4) | 3 | POLS 260 (GEF 7) | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | SOC 333 | 3 |
| WRIT 305 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 18 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ECON 441 | 3 | ECON 225 | 3 |
| HUMS 320 | 3 | SOC 207 or 235 | 3 |
| HUMS 480 | 3 | GEF 6 | 3 |
| SOC 305 | 3 | Restricted Elective or Minor | 3 |
| GEF 5 | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| MANG 422 | 3 | HUMS 489 | 6 |
| POLS 313 | 3 | Restricted Elective or Minor | 3 |
| SOC 311 | 3 | Restricted Elective (300 or 400 level) or Minor | 3 |
| POLS 480 | 3 | ||
| Restricted Elective or Minor | 3 | ||
| 15 | 12 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
Major Learning Outcomes
Public Service Administration
- The student will demonstrate leadership skills through written and oral communications, both in person and through computer technology.
- The student will be able to evaluate policy, use critical thinking skills, and be able to make some predictions concerning how these policies will impact their individual and collective situations.
- The student will know the process of managing an organization or government agency program, including understanding the fiscal responsibilities.
- The student will become culturally competent and know the importance of diversity in the work environment.