Career Opportunities For Public Administration Graduates

Wikipedia defined Public Administration as the implementation of government policy and also an academic discipline that studies this implementation and prepares civil servants for working in the public service.

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Charity officer
• Civil Service administrator
• Government social research officer
• Health service manager
• Housing manager/officer
• Local government officer
• Social researcher

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Data analyst
• Data scientist
• Detective
• Education administrator
• Human resources officer
• International aid/development worker
• Paralegal
• Public affairs consultant
• Youth worker

Typical employers

Many public administration and social policy graduates find employment in management positions, either within public sector organisations, such as the NHS authorities and trusts, the criminal justice system (including the police), local or central government and the Civil Service. Or, in private sector business and management, working in areas such as HR, marketing, retail and banking.

Opportunities also occur in social work and other personal social services work, social and political research organisations and further and higher education institutions.

You could apply for a place on a graduate management training scheme, in health, housing, the police, think tanks or specialist agencies.

Skills for your CV

Public administration and social policy courses teach a range of skills that are essential for a career in public service, policy or government. You will be able to research, interpret and evaluate data from social surveys and research publications, and also make the connection between social policy and the real world.

You also develop other skills that can be used in many careers including:

• problem solving using a methodical and organised approach
• analytical skills
• sensitivity to the values and interests of others
• communication, both written and verbal
• teamwork
• the ability to handle numerical data
• proficiency in the use of information technology.

Further study

Public administration and social policy graduates go on to further professional and vocational training in areas such as teaching, law, housing management, health and social care services, advocacy and voluntary work. Further study is also possible in areas such as marketing, finance, IT and business.

Some graduates choose to specialise in an area that they were interested in during their undergraduate degree, such as housing or urban regeneration. Other areas of study include social diversity, criminal justice, youth and community work and politics.

What do public administration and social policy graduates do?

More than two thirds of public administration and social policy graduates are in employment within six months of graduation.

Just under a fifth go on to further study or combine study and work, either to specialise in a particular subject or to undertake further professional training in areas such as law, housing, teaching and finance.