If you are considering choosing public administration and policy studies, your post-secondary planning process should begin as early as high school. Public administration and policy programs can be competitive and are rigorous, so it's important to plan your high school courses accordingly. Public administration and policy students need to be good communicators, so make sure you have English and speech/communication classes. Since this field deals with so many aspects of society, social sciences courses are also often required, and languages may also be helpful.
If you are still in high school and are thinking about taking public administration and policy, there are several additional things that you can do to prepare and increase your chances of being accepted:
Undertake to read and study independently. This is a good way to develop interests, expand your knowledge and improve your vocabulary and reading comprehension skills needed for school. This will also help you if admission requirements include an interview, since you will be able to impress the committee with the knowledge you have built up of terms and issues specific to this area of study.
Admissions committees are often interested in a student's personal qualities, which can be developed through participating in extracurricular activities. Consider joining or even starting school clubs related to your area of interest. This is also a good way to develop demonstrated leadership skills, which are an important aspect of any competitive application.
Work experience - paid or volunteer - can also increase your chances of being admitted, particularly to programs involving internships, and is an achievement often regarded highly by admissions committees.
Show your commitment. Applicants with some experience in public service or administration are likely to have a leg up on the competition. So check out the options in your community and get involved.
Western Michigan University Western Michigan University's (WMU) College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) strives to educate its learning community for life-long excellence in responsible professional leadership. CEAS works to increase knowledge through ...
