Public Administration and Governance (BA)

Overview

Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University has a long history. The certificate program accepted its first students in 1962, and in June 1964, seventeen (17) students graduated. The Level 2 Certificate was introduced in 1981. In 1983 the degree program -- the first "stand-alone" part-time degree at Ryerson -- was launched. It was the first degree program to formally recognise -- through the Practicum structure and through "mature student" admission rules -- that learning occurs in the field as well as in the classroom. The program remains one of very few undergraduate programs in Public Administration available in Canada.

This program provides you with an opportunity to gain a better understanding of organizations and operations in the public sector, as well as specialized knowledge and skills necessary for career development. It is designed for managers, administrative officers, front-line service providers, policy analysts and those preparing for employment and advancement in federal, provincial or municipal government; social service agencies and other public or non-profit organizations. 

The program admits three times per year: for Fall, Winter, and Spring/Summer terms.  

The part-time program offers three separate but interrelated courses of study: a Level 1 Certificate, a Level 2 Certificate, and a Bachelor of Arts (honours) in Public Administration and Governance. If you already have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university, you might want to consider the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Public Administration and Leadership.

All of the courses necessary to complete the program are available through evening classes.  In addition, both Level 1 and Level 2 can be completed entirely through online and/or hybrid course deliveries.  The Department is working to make more courses available in hybrid (combination of classroom and online) format.