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Bachelor of Science in Public Administration
A public administration degree can prepare you for many different upper-level careers in public service, including firefighting careers like Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief, and finally, Chief. The curriculum includes leadership and management skills, strategic planning for single departments but also for major disaster response, communication skills, media relations to name a few. One can expect to come away from a program in public administration with a clear understanding of how to react, manage and direct in emergency situations, making it a perfect companion to the fire and rescue field. Any rescue personnel with a public administrative degree can expect to be in high demand.
A public administration degree provides an academic background for individuals pursuing a career in both government and non-governmental/non-profit organizations. There are several areas of overlap between these pursuits, so an education which combines both will give you competitive strength and allow you to move into either area, according to your own career interests. For example, you may start your career in fundraising or getting grants for your city’s fire department, and later become a member of a governmental grant-awarding body. A public administration degree or public policy degree gives you great flexibility in changing career titles.
Like a regular degree in management, a public administration or public policy degree can focus on organizational governance, finance, and administration. With this specialization you can look into jobs in local, state, or federal government; in public service sectors such as fire and rescue or healthcare; or non-profit organizations such as arts or international relief agencies.
Career Options:
• Assistant Chief
• Deputy Chief
• Fire Administration
• Fire Chief
For more information, please refer to the following articles:
• Firefighter’s Five Step Guide to a Promotion
• Homeland Security: Top 10 In-Demand Occupations
• Use Keywords to Land a Department of Defense Job
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kwash19
10 months ago
268 comments
This is a great article, I actually just graduated on Dec 13, 2008 from Central Michigan University (Mt. Pleasant, MI) with my BS in Public Administration. I have had the goal of reaching the Chief position is I pretty much graduated from the fire academy. I really believe with this degree in my back pocket and as well as when I was going through the degree program, it made me a better fire fighter because I understood what was happening in the chiefs office. Along the way, I also got my Associates in Fire Science. This was actually the first time I saw this article on here, but I am glad that I went through and got my Bachelor Degree!!