Associate Degree Programs of Public Administration in United States Public Community Colleges and Junior Colleges

This study focused on associate degree programs in public administration offered by U.S. public community and junior colleges. Public administration has been defined as the study of the process, policies and programs of government. According to Mosher (1978), the study and teaching of public administration has taken place since 1888 in U.S. higher education. From the 1920s to date, graduate and undergraduate degree programs in public administration have been in operation in United States colleges and universities. According to the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), public community and junior colleges in the U.S. have been offering associate degrees and certificates in public administration since 1972. Peterson's Two Year Colleges (2002) reported in the 2000-2001 academic year, 42 public community and junior colleges in 22 states offered associate degree programs in public administration. However, during inquiries made for this study in December of 2002, only 20 public community and junior colleges in 15 states reported that they offered an associate degree program in public administration. This study provided new empirical data about U.S. public community and junior college public administration associate degree programs based on results of a telephone survey that was administered to 20 program directors of the associate degree programs in public administration in U.S. public community and junior colleges. The data indicated that certain curriculum subject areas are being emphasized in associate degree programs in public administration. The research from this study revealed that graduates with an associate degree in public administration are working in various kinds of positions in private and public sectors of the U.S. labor economy; i.e. federal, state and local government organizations. The data also suggested that there are a number of changes that are positively and negatively affecting associate degree programs in public ix administration that are offered by U.S. public community and junior colleges; i.e. demographic changes in student population and increases in student enrollment. This study's conceptual framework's aspects of the division of labor, articulation and accreditation is discussed as to how those aspects relate to and are affected by the offering of associate degree programming in public administration by U.S. public community and junior colleges. This study concludes by offering recommendations on how U.S. community and junior colleges can utilize this study and its results for informational and evaluative purposes to institute a new program in public administration or to assess their current associate degree program in public administration. Recommendations have been made for NASPAA about the results of this study, and how they can use those results for their own research and reference purposes. Lastly, several recommendations for further research have been made based on the data that were derived from this study about associate degree programs in public administration that are offered by U.S. public community colleges and junior colleges.