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Academic Programs
Penn State Harrisburg's School of Public Affairs, the University's flagship school of public affairs, offers undergraduate study in Public Policy and Criminal Justice, master's programs in Health Administration, Public Administration, and Criminal Justice, and a doctoral program in Public Administration.
The entire range of programs is offered at Penn State Harrisburg.
The opportunity to work and study side-by-side with nationally respected faculty, productive internship opportunities, and proximity to the state capital and the region's hub of business and commerce are among the strengths of study at Penn State Harrisburg.
The Political Science major offers the student an opportunity to understand not only American federal, state, and local governments, but also the political systems of other nations and the philosophies that underlie them. Courses are offered in American, comparative, and international politics, and in political theory and methodology. Internship opportunities are available.
The Public Policy major is designed for students interested in policy issues, politics, public administration, and related areas like policy analysis and policy advocacy. The program explores a myriad of critical issues facing our communities, the nation, and the world. Students receive the educational foundation for careers in the public sector, in government-related businesses, and in non-profit organizations, as well as for graduate work in the fields of law, public administration, criminal justice, public policy, political science, and health care administration. Building on the program core, students may choose electives from a broad array of courses in public policy and other areas.
Internships are available; the linkages with the state capitol provide for a rich internship experience. In the process, academic learning in the classroom is wed to experiential learning in the real world of public affairs.
Tentative 2-Year Schedule of Courses for Political Science and Public Policy (.xls format)
The bachelor of science degree in Criminal Justice provides graduates with the communication and analytical skills needed to succeed in criminal justice and related careers. The interdisciplinary program equips students for graduate study (including the Master of Arts in Criminal Justice and the Criminal Justice concentration in Penn State Harrisburg’s MPA program) and educates students for careers as effective problem-solvers in the criminal justice system.
The curriculum provides considerable flexibility for students, allowing them to prepare for one of the many career opportunities available in the field today. Internship opportunities are available that allow students to learn in the field; the linkages with the multitude of criminal justice agencies in the Harrisburg area greatly enrich educational opportunities.
The program reflects the numerous complexities of the discipline. It provides academic leadership for students to work within corrections, institutionalized and non-institutionalized settings, victim services, adult and juvenile services, policing and law enforcement, private security, courts, and other human service organizations serving the clients of these institutions. It also helps develop research abilities for those students who may wish to consider doctoral studies. Strong ties developed in state, local, and federal law enforcement, corrections, drug treatment, victimization, and crime control policy organizations provide research and learning opportunities for interested students.
Recognizing that the national health care system is in a period of reform and redesign, the program emphasis involves design/redesign in a 36-credit curriculum. Based on eight Prescribed Core courses defined as the foundation of administration in health care, the degree is designed for part-time professional students already engaged in, or interested in, health administration careers. The mission of the program is to further student knowledge and skills in a continuous learning cycle. Students are expected not only to know the existing health system, but are to develop a capability for design consistent with demands of access to care, management and control of costs, and quality of care delivery.
Tentative 3-Year Schedule of Courses for MHA (.doc format)
The MPA is designed for those with career interests in government, public management, health and human services, and other public and nonprofit organizations. The curriculum blends theoretical and applied concepts and assures "real-world" experiences for the novice administrator. Challenging internship opportunities abound for such students.
An important goal of the MPA program is to assist students in developing their abilities to understand, analyze, and control their organizational environments to manage more effectively and to promote positive change in the public and nonprofit sectors. Programs of specialization within the MPA include: Government Administration, Health Care Management, Human Resource Management, Criminal Justice, Nonprofit Management, Policy Analysis, and Information Resource Management. Certificate programs are offered in Public Budgeting, Nonprofit Administration, Policy Analysis and Evaluation, and Human Resource Management.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration provides a broad-based academic program combining conceptual foundations with analytic skills. The goal of the program is to improve government through the creation of "scholar/practitioners" -- professionals with the ability to create and apply knowledge through teaching, research, consulting, and management of public organizations and institutions. Areas of concentration include: Public Management, Organization Theory, and Public Policy and Governance.
Certificate Programs (PDF)
For further information:
- Write:
Penn State Harrisburg
School of Public Affairs
777 West Harrisburg Pike
Middletown, PA 17057-4898
- Email: Daria Sessamen (dds3@psu.edu)
- Telephone: 717-948-6773
- Fax: 717-948-6320