Course overview

If you wish to take your study of public sector work further, and already have diploma-level qualifications in a relevant subject, this course will meet your needs. If you are working in the public sector, the course offers the chance to improve job security and promotion prospects through an up-to-date study of the contemporary public service ethos and policies. It may also provide the opportunity to increase your chances of working in this field if you wish to do so.

Your qualifications should preferably be in the area of management studies, including a public sector focus, or be the result of combining experience of working in the public sector with your earlier study. Alternatively, you might have gained a diploma or ordinary degree in public administration and might therefore be seeking an opportunity to extend your qualification to an honours degree.

You will not need to commute to Portsmouth on this course, as all teaching and assessment is done through a flexible online learning system that has been designed to avoid the loneliness associated with many examples of distance learning. Our online system will ensure that you feel part of a group of undergraduate students with interests similar to your own.

The BA (Hons) Public Administration offers the opportunity to advance to a full honours degree from a Foundation degree in Government or Local Government, or a diploma-level qualification in a similar subject.  This course balances the work-related study of our successful FdA courses with the academic analysis of government.

Students need not be working in public administration, but the applied nature of the degree will benefit the work (and promotion potential) of those who are employed in this sector, and will improve the employment prospects of those who wish to be.

The course is entirely delivered through internet-based distance learning methods, a field in which the University of Portsmouth has been a pioneering organisation, and is designed to be manageable alongside the demands of full-time employment.  Its flexible, online delivery allows you to study at any time of day, any day of the week, and any place where you have access to broadband. The work-related aspect of the course may mean that employers are willing to support students either financially or in terms of time.

How do I apply?

Complete a University application form - not a UCAS form - by going to our 'How to apply' page.

Given the applied nature of the degree, you might be able to gain some support from your employer if you work in the public sector. This support could be assistance with course fees or perhaps provision for some study time. Self-funding study is equally possible, as you will have the possibility of paying our competitively priced tuition fees in instalments.

Course content

When you join the BA (Hons) Public Administration you will have already achieved the equivalent of the first two years of a full time degree, or 240 credits. You will need to study the following units, usually over two years, to achieve the further 120 credits required for an honours degree:

Year 1:

• The Policy Process (20 credits)
• Ethics in Public Administration (20 credits)
• Scholarship and Research Management (20 credits)

Year 2:

• EITHER Policy Futures: Challenges and Possibilities (20 credits)
  OR Understanding the European Union: An Introduction (20 credits)
• Independent Study Project: Public Administration (40 credits)

Scholarship and Research Management
This unit serves as a reminder of (and, in some instances, is an introduction to) essential scholarship skills and approaches to learning. In addition, it will both support your performance on the ‘taught’ units of the degree and prepare you for the substantive project or dissertation, your final piece of work. The unit's approach is entirely practical and its purpose is to enable you to be a competent and confident learner at degree level.

The Policy Process
The Policy Process unit assumes no prior knowledge of political theories and exposes you to ideas about the nature of politics and power before discussing theories relating to the evolution of policy in democratic states. This unit will also support your grasp of material in whichever of the two option units you choose to study.

Ethics in Public Administration
Ethical issues arise across the public sector from practices to policies and at local, national and global levels. The Ethics in Public Administration unit parallels the policy process focusing on ethical issues at each stage, from recognition of a policy need to its eventual implementation. The unit explores moral tensions between selfish individualism and the wider common good. Online, asynchronous discussion will centre round topics such as the public interest, public good, and professional, organisational, political and legislative ethics.

Policy Futures
The Policy Futures unit examines key socio-economic trends and the context in which governments create policy in order to respond to seemingly intractable social problems. You will examine a number of case studies covering contemporary issues at the forefront of policy-making with a view to evaluating the success and shortcomings of policy and will also explore the economic, social and political parameters in which future policies are likely to emerge.

Understanding Europe
This Understanding Europe unit examines the significance of the European Union as an institution, the consequences for policy-making within the EU and government and governance within the EU. You will also explore questions of state sovereignty, subsidiarity and regionalism. In addition, the unit explains the development of the EU and examines theory in relation to European integration.

Independent Study Project: Public Administration
This is the final piece of work you will undertake for the honours degree, and it is your opportunity to study and discuss or research a topic of your choice. This may derive either from personal interest or may be highly applicable to the organisation in which you work, or for which you would like to work in future.

Given the recent changes in public service ethos and policies for promoting workforce development, it is particularly timely to register on this degree.

Teaching and assessment

All course materials will be delivered online via the University of Portsmouth’s virtual learning environment (VLE), Moodle. All assessments are designed to be completed by drawing on unit content, directed reading and independent research. You will have access to the University’s extensive collection of electronic texts and journal articles. In addition, the University Library provides a dedicated service for distance learning students.

Assessments are submitted, marked and returned online and Moodle will keep an account of grades achieved so you will be able to monitor your progress easily. Please note that there are no formal examinations.

You will have ready access to tutorial support throughout your studies as each unit has a dedicated tutor, and the course leaders offer personal tutorial support. Moodle provides ready mechanisms for e-mail contact and also has a facility for instant messaging.

Career prospects

The skills and knowledge developed in this degree can be used to enhance your employment and promotion opportunities in local or national government bodies, charities or other public sector organisations. It will also satisfy your interests if they centre on the theory of public administration, as well as the practical issues.

On successful completion you will also be prepared for postgraduate courses. Should you want to extend your studies, the University offers a Master's in Public Administration and postgraduate research degrees opportunities for the research oriented student.

Facilities and features

All material will be delivered online via our virtual learning environment (VLE), Moodle, and you will also have access to the University’s extensive collection of online electronic texts and journal articles. In addition, the library provides a dedicated service for distance learning students – visit www.port.ac.uk/library/distance for further information.

You will have ready access to tutorial support throughout your studies; each unit has a dedicated tutor and the course leaders provide personal tutorial support though the VLE’s instant message facility and email.

Entry requirements

View all the entry requirements for BA (Hons) Public Administration for the academic year 2013/14 (opens in new window).