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Studies & Degrees in Public Administration/Management

Public administration is the study of how governments and public bodies are organised, financed and managed, and of how public policies are designed, carried out and evaluated. It is an applied subject. Students who choose it usually want to work inside the public sector or in the organisations around it, rather than to study politics as theory. The subject is also taught under the names public management and public policy.

A typical programme combines administrative and constitutional law, political science, public finance and budgeting, economics, human resources in the public sector, statistics and policy analysis. Many programmes include a placement in a public body. Because public law and the structure of the state differ from country to country, a large part of what is taught is national: the degree prepares students above all for the administration of the country where they study.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degree in Spain. The usual official degree is the Grado en Gestión y Administración Pública. Like other Spanish bachelor's degrees it has 240 ECTS credits. At the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the plan is spread over 8 semesters (four years) and includes optional external placements and four specialisations. The Universidad de Cádiz teaches the degree at its faculty in Jerez de la Frontera, with a focus on administrative and financial management in public administrations, and the Universidad de Oviedo offers it as a distance (online) degree.
  • Bachelor's degrees elsewhere. In the United States, universities such as San Diego State University offer a B.A. in Public Administration. In Chile, the Universidad Autónoma de Chile teaches Administración Pública as a programme of 10 semesters that leads to the professional title of Administrador(a) Público(a).
  • Master's degrees. The Master of Public Administration (MPA) is the standard professional qualification in the United States, alongside the Master of Public Policy. San Diego State University offers its MPA in person and online, with specialisations in criminal justice or city planning, and states that the programme is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA). In Spain, official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. An example of a specialised programme is the Máster en Políticas Sociales y Acción Comunitaria of the Escola de l'IGOP, linked to the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
  • Doctorate. A PhD is the route into research and university teaching.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 164 active schools for public administration. The United States has the most, with 47, followed by Spain with 42. Mexico has 6, China, Canada and France 4 each, the United Kingdom, Chile and South Korea 3 each, and Egypt, Lithuania and Argentina 2 each.

In Spain the subject is taught mainly at public universities, in Spanish. Examples from the list are the Universidad de Cádiz, the Universidad de Oviedo and the Universidad de Murcia. Examples in the Americas are San Diego State University and LIU Post in the United States, the Universidad de Guadalajara in Mexico and the Universidad Autónoma de Chile. US programmes are taught in English.

When choosing, think first about the country where you want to work. A degree built around Spanish administrative law is of most use in Spain, and a US MPA in the United States. Students who plan to return home should look for programmes with a strong comparative or international part, or for a general master's in public policy.

Careers

Graduates work in national, regional and local government, in public agencies and public companies, in international organisations, in non-profit organisations and in consultancies that work for the public sector. Typical tasks are budget and financial management, personnel management, procurement, the management of public services, and the analysis and evaluation of policies.

A degree does not give direct access to a civil service post. In Spain, career civil servants are selected through competitive examinations (oposición or concurso-oposición), and the higher groups, A1 and A2, require a university bachelor's degree. Nationality also matters: citizens of other European Union member states can become civil servants on the same terms as Spaniards, except for posts that involve the exercise of public authority, while other foreigners with legal residence in Spain can be hired by public administrations as contract staff (personal laboral). Other countries have their own rules, so check them before choosing a degree for this purpose.

For the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes projections for occupations that public administration graduates often enter. From 2025 to 2035 it projects that employment of social and community service managers will grow 7 percent and that of urban and regional planners 4 percent, while employment of political scientists, a small research occupation that typically requires a master's degree, is projected to decline 2 percent.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between public administration and political science?

Political science studies power, institutions and political behaviour. Public administration is more applied: it teaches how public bodies are managed, financed and regulated, and how policies are put into practice.

Does a degree in public administration make me a civil servant?

No. In Spain, career civil servants are selected through competitive examinations. The degree gives the required qualification for the higher groups and covers part of the content of the exams.

Can a foreigner work in the Spanish public administration?

Citizens of other EU member states can become civil servants on the same terms as Spaniards, except in posts that involve public authority. Other foreigners with legal residence can be hired as contract staff.

How long does the degree take?

In Spain the Grado en Gestión y Administración Pública has 240 ECTS credits and takes four years. An official master's has 60 to 120 ECTS credits. In Chile, Administración Pública at the Universidad Autónoma de Chile takes 10 semesters.