Choosing Majors and Careers

What Can I do With a Master's Degree in Public Administration?

Career Center Library Resources
The Career Center Library has a variety of resources to help students explore potential career fields. These resources include information about typical responsibilities, qualifications, career paths, job outlook, salary, and related careers.

Career-Related Books for Master of Public Administration Degrees

100 Jobs in Social Change
Capitol Jobs: An Insider's Guide to Finding a Job in Congress
Careers for Good Samaritans and Other Humanitarian Types
Careers in Government
Complete Guide to Public Employment
Good Works: A Guide to Careers in Social Change
Government Job Finder
Great Careers: The Fourth of July Guide to Careers, Internships, and Volunteer Opportunities in the Nonprofit Sector
Jobs and Careers with Nonprofit Organizations
Making a Living While Making a Difference: A Guide to Creating Careers with a Conscience
Opportunities in Federal Government Careers
Careers in Focus: Government

Vocational Biographies
Vocational Biographies is a series to which the Career Center subscribes. Each volume contains 25 interviews of people working in all types of career fields. The interviews describe not only what a "day in the life" is like, but also give background information about how to prepare for the careers. The Career Center Library has nearly 2000 of these interviews, including interviews with:

City Management Analyst
Economic Development Director
Economic Diversification Coordinator
Municipal Budget Director
University Government Relations Lobbyist
Victim's Impact Panel Director

Professional Associations

Internet Sites with Career-Related Information for Master of Public Administration Degrees

Profiles of Alumni — From the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration.
Budget Analysts — From the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Public Service Careers — From The National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration.
Masters of Public Administration: What Can I Do With This Major? — Outlines common career areas, identifies typical employers, and suggests general strategies to enhance employability. From Career Services at the University of Tennessee.

Internet Sites with Job Search Information for Master of Public Administration Degrees

The Recruiter Online — From the American Society for Public Administration
Community Career Center — Search database of nonprofit jobs by type, employer, job title, salary, skills, keyword, or location.
Idealist Job Search — From Action Without Borders. Search database of nonprofit jobs by job category, keyword, or location.
CascadeLink's Government Job Listings — Includes links to Local Cities, Local Counties, Regional, State, Federal, and International.
Careers in Government — Careers In Government is a clearinghouse of information, resources and jobs available in public sector organizations in America and abroad.
Local Government Job Net — From the Local Government Institute. Lists local government jobs available nationally.
Government Links — From the PSU Career Center.

Places of Employment

Students who earn a master's degree in public administration develop skills that are valued by employers. These skills include: research, analysis, writing, oral presentation, critical thinking, synthesis, and problem solving. Students and alumni may find employment in city, state, and federal government; nonprofits; social services; and educational institutions depending on their skills and experience. Career-related internships may be a prerequisite to finding employment.

The following list of employers and job titles was derived from the Career Center's jobs database where the employer specifically requested master's in public administration. This list does not reflect all potential places of employment or kinds of jobs for master's in public administration. This list does not reflect current openings.

Better Business Bureau (BBB) — Marketing Assistant
Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) — Public Utilities Specialist
C-Tran — Training & Benefits Specialist, Senior Transportation Planning Manager
Cascade Policy Institute — Director of Sponsor Relations
Children's Relief Nursery — Executive Director
City of Beaverton — Organization Development Consultant, Senior Planner, Econimic Development Project Coordinator, Mediation Services Program Coordinator, Purchasing Agent, Management Analyst, Program Manager
City of Corvallis — Airport Coordinator Traffic Technician
City of Eugene — Grant Management Analyst I/II
City of Hillsboro — Management Analyst, Development Project Coordinator, Public Affairs Manager, Assistant Water Director, Water Resources Manager
City of Milwaukie — Community Development/Public Works Director, Project Manager
City of Portland — Children's Investment Fund Specialist, Management Auditor
City of Salem — Public Works/Transportation Planning, Urban Planning Administrator, Treasury Manager, Management Analyst I, Contract Administrator, Natural Resources Outreach Specialist
City of Tigard — Management Analyst, Right-of-Way Administrator
City of Vancouver — Innovative Funding Manager, Human Resources Specialist, Financial Analyst - Fire, Parks & Recreation Director
Coalition for a Livable Future — Development Coordinator
Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission — Public Information Specialist
Construction Contractors Board — Prinicpal Executive Manager B
Corvallis Neighborhood Housing Services (CNHS) — Housing Developer, Home Ownership Program Assistant, Microenterprise Program Coordiantor
Cowlitz County — Senior Planner - Quality Manager, Associate Planner
Douglas County — Deputy Administrator
FACT - Foundation for Accountability — Finance Director
Housing Authority of Portland (HAP) — Community Revitalization Director, Sector 8 Director
Housing Division of Oregon and Community Services — Governmental Auditor 2
Human Services Council — Employment Transportation Coordinator I
IRCO - Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization — Events Planner
Independent Living Resources — Director of Programs and Services
Lattice Semiconductor Corporation — Sales Analyst I
League of Oregon Cities — Staff Associate
Legislative Administration — Policy Director, Senior Budget Analyst, Committee Administrator, Publications Coordinator, Office Manager
McCullough Research — Energy Consultant Associate
Metro/MERC — Financial Planning Manager, Deputy Finance and Administrative Services Director
Montana State University - Billings — Coordinator of Services Programs, Development and Marketing Coordinator
Multnomah County Sheriff's Office — Finance Manager
Native American Youth Association — NAYALP Education Coordinator, VISTA Financial Analyst
Northwest Jewish Environmental Project — Washington Program Director
Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board — Adult Tobacco Survey Specialist
NPC Research (Northwest Professional Consortium, Inc.) — Data Collector/Interviewer (Community Research Project)
Oregon Board of Tax Practitioners — Principal Executive/Manager C
Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services — Human Resources Analyst 3
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) — Principal Contributor 1, Budget Analyst, Air Quality Program Analyst, Land Quality Division Manager
Oregon Department of Human Services — Child Welfare Program Supervisor
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) — Bridge/Landscape Maintenance Manager, Technical Support Manager, Process Improvement Lead - Project Manager, Management Analyst 2, Procurement & Contract Specialist 1, Agreement Specialist
Oregon Food Bank — Public Policy Advocate II
Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) —Research Unit Manager, Budget & Resources Management Director
Oregon Lottery — Internal Audit Assitant
Oregon National Guard, The — Human Resources Analyst I
Oregon Office of Homeland Security — Program Analyst 2
Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) — Human Resources Analyst 1, Training and Development Specialist I, Porgram Technician I
Oregon Secretary of State Audits Division — Records Management Analyst 1, State Auditor 1
Oregon State Bar — Human Resources Manager
Oregon State University (OSU) — Licensing & Marketing Coordinator, Program Coordinator for Community and Diversity
Page One Northwest — Account Manager
Portland Community College (PCC) — Grants Officer, Replication Training Coordinator, Employee and Labor Relations Manager
Portland Development Commission (PDC) — Senior Operations Manager - Development, Senior Development Manager, Asset/Portfolio Manager, Real Estate Coordinator, Risk Management Coordinator, Project/Program Coordinator, Housing Director
Portland Public Schools — Compensation and Benefits Manager
Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center — Medical Administration Specialist Trainee
Raphael House of Portland — Project Coordinator
Salem Area Mass Transit District — Specialized Transportation Director, Procurement Specialist, Human Resources Specialist
Seattle-Northwest Securities — Public Finance Associate
Springdale Job Corps Center — Transition Coordinator, Specialized Transportation Program Coordinator
Tacoma Public Schools — Legislative and Labor Relations Director
TriMet — Planner III - Elderly & Disabled Planning Coordinator, Director of Community Affairs, Executive Director of Goverment Affairs, Fixed Route Accessibility Programs Manager, Event Representative
Umatilla County — Director of Economic Development
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) — Agricultural Marketing Specialist
US District Court - Oregon — Division Manager
US Forest Service — Student Career Experience Program
Vancouver Housing Authority — Emergency Shelter Clearinghouse Coordinator