Administration Sciences Schools and Programs in The United States

Administration Sciences Studies in The United States

Administration sciences deal with how organisations are run: planning, budgeting, managing people and keeping the daily operations of a company, a public agency or a hospital working. In the United States the field is not a single degree. It is taught as business administration, public administration, health administration and office administration, at every level from a two-year associate degree to a master's degree. SpainExchange lists 26 colleges and universities in the United States under administration sciences; 13 of them are community or technical colleges.

How the degrees are organised

• Associate degree (two years): community colleges offer associate degrees in business administration, many of them designed for transfer. Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York, describes its Business Administration A.S. as a transfer programme towards a bachelor's degree, with coursework balanced between business and the liberal arts and sciences; graduates can in many cases enter a four-year college with junior status
• Bachelor's degree (four years): usually a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Business Administration. At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration has 120 credits. Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, teaches a Business Administration major at its Katz School of Business
• Master's degree: the Master of Business Administration (MBA) for the private sector and the Master of Public Administration (MPA) for government and non-profit organisations. The MPA at the University of Connecticut has 42 credits: 24 in core courses, 12 in electives and 6 in a supervised internship, spread over two years of full-time study. Walden University teaches an online MPA of 48 quarter credits
• Certificates and short programmes in office administration, also at community colleges and technical schools

Core subjects are similar everywhere: accounting, economics, business law, organisation and management, marketing and statistics at undergraduate level; public finance and budgeting, human resource management, project management and quantitative methods in an MPA such as the one at the University of Connecticut.

Admission and language

Each institution sets its own requirements. Undergraduate applicants need to have completed high school; master's programmes require a bachelor's degree, as Walden University states for its MPA. Teaching is in English, and universities require an English proficiency test before admission.

International students need an F student visa for a full degree on campus. They must first be accepted by an institution certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), whose international student office issues the Form I-20 for the visa application.

Costs

Tuition is set by each institution. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, average tuition and fees in 2022-23 were $4,000 at public two-year colleges, $9,800 at public four-year institutions and $40,700 at private non-profit four-year institutions. The public figures are in-state rates, so international students should check the non-resident rate. Because so much of this field is taught at community colleges, the two-plus-two route is common: two years at a community college, followed by two years at a university to complete the bachelor's degree.

Where to study administration sciences

The 26 schools are spread across the country, with no more than one per city in this directory. Examples include:

• Community colleges: Hudson Valley Community College (Troy, New York), the Community College of Rhode Island (Warwick), Bucks County Community College (Newtown, Pennsylvania), McLennan Community College (Waco, Texas) and Laramie County Community College (Cheyenne, Wyoming)
• Universities: the University of Connecticut (Storrs), New York University, Northeastern University (Boston), Wayne State University (Detroit), Tennessee Tech University (Cookeville) and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach), which links business administration to aviation
• Online universities: Walden University

Accreditation and recognition

Administration is not a licensed profession, so the value of the degree rests on accreditation. Recognition of credits and degrees by other institutions and by employers is linked to the accreditation of the institution. On top of that, business and public administration programmes can hold a specialised accreditation, and schools state it on their pages: Embry-Riddle reports that its Business Administration programme is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), Fort Lewis College refers to the AACSB International accreditation of its business school, and the University of Connecticut states that its MPA is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA). There is no official ranking of U.S. universities.

Careers

Graduates work in the administration of companies, public bodies, hospitals, schools and non-profit organisations. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) gives figures for several of the occupations involved:

• Management occupations overall: employment is projected to grow faster than the average from 2025 to 2035, with about 1.1 million openings a year
• Administrative services and facilities managers: about 444,800 jobs in 2025 and projected growth of 5% to 2035; they typically need a bachelor's degree, often in business, and related work experience
• Management analysts: projected growth of 10%; a bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement, and some employers prefer an MBA
• Medical and health services managers: projected growth of 24%
• Secretaries and administrative assistants: employment is projected to decline 2%

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an MBA and an MPA?

Both are master's degrees in administration. The MBA is aimed at business; the MPA prepares for management in government and non-profit organisations, with subjects such as public finance and budgeting.

Can I start at a community college and finish at a university?

Yes. Many associate degrees in business administration are designed for transfer. Hudson Valley Community College, for example, states that its graduates can in many cases transfer with junior status to a four-year college or university.

How long does a Master of Public Administration take?

About two years of full-time study. The University of Connecticut's MPA has 42 credits and its model study plan covers two years.