Public Administration
Students in the Bachelor of Science in Public Administration Program want to be in careers that make a difference, challenge their problem-solving skills, and allow them to take on leadership roles. The degree program is an excellent pathway for driven civic servants. Public managers oversee and direct operations in either the public sector or nonprofit sector by providing leadership, maximizing resources, and developing programs within their communities.
Students in this program will be taught by faculty with extensive backgrounds in the public and nonprofit sectors. Our faculty have worked in areas such as environmental policy, city management, nonprofit development and management, law, local emergency management, and more. With three unique concentrations to choose from (Cyber Defense, Political Science, and Public Management), plenty of service-learning opportunities, and a senior-level internship experience, this program offers students practical pathways into public service. Our faculty experience, combined with a curriculum that is unique in the state at the undergraduate level, will set you up for success as a public leader.
Students with this degree may go into a wide variety of fields, such as environmental management, healthcare, higher education, human resources, law, and much more.
Concentrations in Public Management
*Information coming soon.
The Public Management concentration focuses on leadership, management, and organizational theory.
Contact Information:
Dr. Heather Farley
Associate Professor of Public Management
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.
Coastal Alumna Earns Masters Degree
Mi’chelle Armstrong graduated from Coastal Georgia in 2021 with her B.S. in Public Administration, and just recently earned her Master of Business Administration in Operations Management from Georgia State University. Mi’chelle acknowledges Coastal Georgia’s Dr. Heather Farley as a major factor in her success.
[Her] mentorship during my time as an undergraduate was invaluable in helping me to find my direction and develop my skills and knowledge in public management and business administration. Had it not been for [her] efforts and taking an interest in me, I don’t know that I would have accomplished all that I have thus far on my journey.
-Mi’chelle Armstrong