BACHELOR OF ARTS in
Public
Administration
Public Administration
In an increasingly complex world, society needs eective leadership and
competence in the administration of public services. Situated within an
increasingly complex society, the added responsibilities and growth of all levels
of government and public service organizations has led to the need for more
capable public administrators.
The structure and necessity of government continues to evolve, and with it the
need for competent public administration scholars and practitioners. This is
especially true in Imperial County, where the percentage of those working in the
public sector is twice the national average.
The primary purpose of the public administration major is to provide knowledge
and skills for students who wish to prepare themselves for management careers
in government, community agencies, nonprofit organizations, planning and
consulting firms, and private sector organizations that work in partnership with
the public sector. Our faculty consists of a mix of published scholars as well as
prominent government leaders in the community. In addition to the Bachelor of
Arts in Public Administration degree, SDSU Imperial Valley also oers a Minor in
Public Administration.
What job can I get with a public administration degree?
With a public administration degree, you will be prepared for a public sector
career in:
• Administration and finance
• City planning
• Environmental management
• Policy analysis and advising
• Community and economic development
• Educational administration and planning
• Health care management
Future SDSU Imperial Valley Regional Resilience (r2)
Research Lab
The r2 Lab will serve as the research hub for SDSU-IV, as well as create an
academic center for developing research-driven partnerships with community
agencies. The lab will contribute to expand research opportunities for SDSU-IV
faculty, and become one of the primary
research locations in the Imperial Valley.
Faculty will span several SDSU-IV
programs, the lab will be able to conduct
transdisciplinary research helping to
elevate the scholarship conducted
on campus and improve the quality
of life for the Imperial Valley. Current
members include faculty in the Criminal Justice, Homeland Security, Mathematics,
and Public Administration disciplines. Examples of projects underway include
research focusing on community leadership, teaching mathematics at an HSI, and
active shooter incidents.
In short, the lab will: 1) provide a space dedicated to faculty and student-aided
research that is evidence-based and transdisciplinary; 2) function as a meeting
location to collaborate with community partners on regional research projects;
and 3) serve as a location to host San Diego campus colleagues and research
assistants working on regional research projects.
• Housing aairs
• Human resource management
• Labor management
• Transportation
• And many other public
sector careers!
The SDSU Imperial Valley Public Administration major, the
Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration, is oered as a transfer
program only.
Admission to SDSU Imperial Valley as a transfer student
in the Public Administration
To be admitted to the SDSU Imperial Valley as an upper-division transfer
(UDT) student:
1. Be in good academic standing at last college or university attended, “good
standing” means you are eligible to re-enroll at your last college or university;
2. Have an overall college GPA of at least 2.40; your GPA is calculated using all
your transfer units attempted;
3. Complete a minimum of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units of
transferable coursework including 10 lower-division general education
courses (30 semester units or 45 quarter units) and four basic skills courses.
Major Preparation coursework: 18-19 UNITS (Six Courses)
COURSE COLLEGE EQUIVALENT UNITS
Accounting 201 ACCT 210 3
Economics 101 ECON 102 3
Economics 102 ECON 101 3
Political Science 102 POLS 102 3
MIS 180 CIS 101 3
Choose SOC 201, STAT 119, or STAT 250* MATH 119*
*MATH 119 at Imperial Valley College is four units
Applying to SDSU Imperial Valley (as a transfer or 4-year student)
1. Apply online at calstate.edu/apply – October 1 to December 15 — Once your
admission application has been submitted SDSU Imperial Valley will contact
you via mail or electronic correspondence in regards to the supplemental
application process.
2. Submit SDSU Supplemental Application: In January, you will be invited to log
back into Cal State Apply to submit SDSU’s Supplemental Application. In it, you
will tell us which major preparation requirements you have already fulfilled and
which are in progress.
3. Check Your Application Status: Several days after submitting Cal State Apply,
you will be e-mailed login credentials to access my.SDSU, San Diego State
University’s applicant pool. Check your admission status weekly through
my.SDSU.
Major Requirements
39 Units (Thirteen Courses Total)
Upper Division Core Classes: 21 Units (Seven Courses)
PA 200 The Urban Scene Oered in Fall*
PA 301 Concepts and Issues in Public Administration Oered in Fall and Spring**
PA 310 Management of Urban Governments Oered in Fall
PA 330 Public Personnel Administration Oered in Spring
PA 340 Administrative Behavior Oered in Fall
PA 450 Fiscal & Budgetary Policy Oered in Spring***
PA 460 Administration & Public Policy Development Oered in Spring
*Take first semester (or first Fall semester) in major
**Take first year in major, preferably first semester
***Prerequisite is PA 301
Upper Division Electives: 15 Units (Five Courses)
At least three courses (nine units) must be Public Administration (PA). Students
are encouraged to take two 500 level courses. Non-PA SDSU Imperial Valley
qualifying electives exist in Biology, Chicana and Chicano Studies, Criminal
Justice, Geography, Geology, Gerontology, History, Public Health, Political
Science, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, and Women’s Studies – please see
advisor for more specifics. The Public Administration electives are listed below:
PA 312 Management of State Governments Oered in Spring
PA 315 Management of the Federal Government Oered in Summer*
PA 350 Contemporary Urban Issues Oered in Spring
PA 480 Leadership and the Public Sector Oered in Fall*
PA 485 Planning and Public Policy in US-Mexico Border Region Oered in Fall*
PA 520 Decision Making in the Urban Community Oered in Spring*
*Prerequisite is PA 301
SDSU Imperial Valley
Public Administration
MASTER PLAN
IMPERIAL VALLEY
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. David Kanaan
Dr. Dominika Bukalova is an Assistant Professor
of Public Administration at SDSU Imperial Valley
and a member of the faculty of the School of
Public Aairs at San Diego State University.
Her research focuses on the competencies
that support leadership practice in public
administration and how competencies are
developed to address challenges in a local
government context. Prior to joining the faculty,
Dr. Bukalova worked in local government, where
her experience included serving as Chief of
Sta to the San Diego City Council President and holding the positions
of Director of Policy and Committee Consultant at the San Diego City
Council. Dr. Bukalova is also a certified leadership coach. She earned
her Ph.D. in leadership studies at the University of San Diego, and is a
graduate of San Diego State University (M.A. in Political Science) and The
George Washington University (B.A. in Political Science and International
Aairs) in Washington, DC.
Dr. David Kanaan is Chair of the Division of
Professional Studies at SDSU Imperial Valley
and a member of the faculty of the School of
Public Aairs at San Diego State University. His
research includes state and local government
performance and public policy eectiveness.
Dr. Kanaan served as Managing Editor for the
journal Public Administration Review (PAR) from
2017 – 2021 and has presented his research
at conferences including the American Society
for Public Administration (ASPA), Urban Aairs Association (UAA) and
Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM). He is
a graduate of the University of Central Florida (UCF) Doctoral Program in
Public Aairs (Ph.D.) and has published articles in several peer-reviewed
journals. Dr. Kanaan is also a Certified Nonprofit Professional through the
Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. Dr. Kanaan lives in the Imperial Valley and
is originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Dominika Bukalova
Upper Division Practicum: 3 Units (Choose One Course)
Prerequisite for each course: 90 units completed. Choose one from the following:
Option 1: PA 497 Investigation and Report Oered in Fall and Spring
Option 2: PA 498 Internship in Criminal Justice Oered in Fall and Spring*
*Minimum 3.00 GPA, required prerequisites PA 301, PA 330, PA 340, PA 450 and must request
permission to enroll
Upper Division General Education Explorations Requirement: 6 Additional Units
(Two Classes)
Students must choose one Cultural Diversity course from an Area A (Natural
Sciences), B (Social and Behavioral Sciences), or C (Humanities) category and
one ethnic studies course. Please see advisor for options and schedule.
Public Administration Minor
Students must comple 21 units (Seven Courses):
Required Courses: 15 Units (Five Courses)
POLS 102 Introduction to American and California Gov. and Politics* Oered in Fall
PA 301 Concepts and Issues in Public Administration Oered in Fall and Spring
PA 310 Management of Urban Governments Oered in Fall
PA 330 Public Personnel Administration Oered in Spring
PA 450 Fiscal & Budgetary Policy Oered in Spring**
*Imperial Valley College equivalent is POLS 102
**Prerequisite is PA 301
Public Administration Minor Elective Courses: 6 units
(Choose Two of the Courses Below)
PA 312 Management of State Governments Oered in Spring
PA 315 Management of the Federal Government Oered in Summer*
PA 350 Contemporary Urban Issues Oered in Spring
PA 480 Leadership and the Public Sector Oered in Fall*
PA 485 Planning and Public Policy in US-Mexico Border Region Oered in Fall*
PA 520 Decision Making in the Urban Community Oered in Spring*
*Prerequisite is PA 301
For Information on SDSU Imperial
Valley Public Administration
program, please visit the Academic
Advising homepage: https://
tinyurl.com/2luzz9we
For application questions,
please contact SDSU Imperial
Valley Outreach and Recruitment
Coordinator Francisco Peraza:
For financial aid questions,
please contact SDSU Imperial
Valley Financial Aid Analyst
Georgette Astorga:
720 Heber Avenue, Calexico, CA 92231
560 CA-78, Brawley, CA 92227
(760) 768-5500
imperialvalley.sdsu.edu
