Public Management Concentration

The Public Management concentration focuses primarily on the management of public sector organizations such as local, state, and federal government agencies.
 

Why study Public Management at Coastal Georgia?

The goal of this concentration is to provide marketable competencies that can be directly applied in the workplace while instilling essential values to ensure that students thrive upon graduation in their new careers as public servants.

What will I learn?

Public Management students are provided opportunities to study and interact with public sector organizations in the community and beyond through applied

Coastal Georgia graduate's cap

research and service-learning. Internships provide a capstone experience during the senior year. Many of the public management courses are offered in an online or hybrid format to enhance the flexibility of this program.

Students entering the Public Management major generally have completed 60 hours of program curriculum in the general education core (Areas A-F). Requirements include the following course areas and outcomes:

  • A minimum of 60 credit hours in Area A-F
  • A grade of C or better in all Area F courses and MATH 1401/1401H
  • An institutional GPA of 2.0 or better
  • Have met all prerequisites for the courses in which they plan to enroll

Following successful completion of preliminary work, the student must complete 36 hours from a core set of classes that provide the essentials for public and nonprofit management. To further tailor the degree to their specific interest, in this case, the Public Management concentration, students then complete an additional 18 hours, and two additional guided electives for degree completion. The required Senior Seminar includes a 120-hour internship with a nonprofit organization.

What can I do when I graduate?

Recent program graduates are readily being hired into positions in the public and nonprofit sectors. Students in the Public Management concentration are prepared to enter the public sector in a variety of positions, including:

  • Government Manager
  • Government Relations Director
  • City Manager
  • Lawyer
  • Program Evaluator
  • Law enforcement leaders
  • Urban Planning and Development
  • Community Health Director
  • Parks and Recreation Director
  • Environmental Agency Manager
  • Economic Development Director
  • Public Relations Consultant
  • Human Resources Director
  • Higher Education Administration

  • Dr. Heather Farley

    Farley, Heather

    Chair, Department of Business and Public Administration
    Associate Professor of Public Management

    912-279-4569

    Heather Farley is Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, Public Policy & Management in the School of Business and Public Management at the College of Coastal Georgia. Dr. Farley has been teaching at the College for more than 10 years in the areas of policy, public management, and sustainability. She also serves as the Director of the College’s Honors program. In addition to her teaching role, Dr. Farley has served as the Sustainability Coordinator at the Sea Island Company, has held roles in advising and admissions at The College of Coastal Georgia, and was the Sustainability Coordinator at Northern Arizona University.

    Dr. Farley earned her Ph.D. in Political Science (Environmental Policy), her M.A. in Public Policy, and a graduate certificate in Public Management from Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ). During her graduate studies, she also served as the full time Sustainability Coordinator for the University and helped develop the institution’s 2020 carbon neutrality strategic plan and goal. She also has a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from the College of Charleston (Charleston, SC); it was this course of study that sparked her passion for sustainability, the environment, and policy. In 2020, Dr. Farley published a second edition of her co-authored book titled Sustainability: If it’s Everything is it Nothing? She has presented her research and work at both national and regional conferences including: Western Political Science Association, American Society for Public Administration, Southern Political Science Association, Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences, and the Dimensions of Political Ecology conference.

    In addition to her professional positions, Dr. Farley is active in her community through organizations such as the Green Scene of Coastal Georgia and other community organizations.

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