MRU Uganda Department of Public Administration and Relations Management
Muteesa 1 Royal University School of Business Department of Public Administration and Relations Management
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (BPA)
Our Degree in Public Administration (BPA) is an exciting, varied and innovative program taught by excellent faculty with specialized knowledge and skills based on academic training and field experience. During the course students develop practical and theoretical understanding of public administration, corporate communications and political skills. The public administration curriculum includes courses in communications, governance, accounting, and administrative law, among others.
Background
Public Administration as a practice is as old as mankind, but as a profession it is relatively new, being only a little more than 100 years old. As a profession it has grown much more in the Developed World than in the Developing World. As such it is still a very young and relatively little known or understood in the East African Region. Many organizations still don’t have a position for a Public administrator, and others might have the person but misplace him or her in the organizational structure, thereby reducing on the benefits public administration would yield to that organization.
Each and every organization and individual is involved in public administration, whether consciously or unconsciously. In this information age, with its accruing globalization and localization challenges, combined with the instant information dissemination accelerated by the ever improving and low-priced information-communication technologies the otherwise long-standing and strong corporate image of any organization can crumble down instantly through a few minor mistakes. No serious organization, therefore, should risk leaving the management of its public administration to chance. This raises the need for Public administration professionals much more than it has ever been before
Justification
Many universities in Uganda have been producing Public Administration graduates with only a little academic component from the area of Public Administration. The challenge of effective corporate communication between employers and employees, the organization and its external publics, etc. requires a Public Administration professional who is deeply grounded in the theoretical and practical underpinnings of the profession. This Degree course is a fully-fledged course in Public Administration, and has been designed to equip the students with both the knowledge and practical skills to meet that need. The world today yearns for such graduates, and this course makes our graduates the most appropriate to meet that challenge.
Target Groups
The BPA program targets students with UACE – two principal passes at the same sitting and UCE with at least a credit in English Language or those holding an appropriate diploma from a recognised institution and the working class people who wish to undergo an academic and professional education that prepares them for positions in public administration, politics and management.
By balancing the study of theory and practice, the program is an excellent preparation for students:
- Looking to enhance their careers with knowledge that will apply directly to their working lives, or
- Interested in pursuing advanced degrees at the Masters and later Doctoral levels in public policy, management, corporate and organizational administration.
Duration of the Programme
The Degree in Public Administration is a 3-year course, running two (2) semesters per year, making a total of six (6) semesters for the entire course period. A semester shall run for seventeen (17) weeks with fifteen (15) weeks for teaching and two (2) weeks for final end of semester examinations. The programme shall be a full time undertaking.
Grading system
The degree awarded shall be called bachelor Science in Development Economics(BSDE) and its classification shall be based on CGPA as follows.
CLASS CGPA
First Class 4.49 – 5.00;
Second Class (Upper Division) 3.60 – 4.48;
Second Class (Lower Division) 2.80 – 3.59;
Pass 2.00 – 2.79.
Fail Less than 2.0