Welcome

Effective public sector management depends upon the knowledge, expertise, and skills of professionals who have a sophisticated understanding of public policy and administration. Ryerson's Department of Politics and Public Administration 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. The program 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 part-time program offers three separate but interrelated courses of study: a Certificate, an Advanced Certificate, or a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration and Governance.

Public Administration at Ryerson has a long history. The certificate program accepted its first students in 1962, and in June 1964, seventeen (17) students graduated. The Advanced 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.