MA Public Administration

M.A. in Public Administration is a two-year post-graduate programme offered by Social Science department of various universities across the country. The course offers specializations in a variety of subjects such as management, political science, economics, civics, law, among others. The courses introduce students to the social-political issues which are the core of Public Administration of the country. Candidates through the master’s degree develop administrative skills and learn about the mechanism of government and its agencies.

Admission to M.A Public Administration is done both by an entrance exam and merit basis. Some colleges consider entrance exam and some others take in students through their merit. Candidates need to have minimum 50%-60% marks in the previous qualifying exam. M.A. in Public Administration is now available in Distance Education also. Different specializations are there in the course including management, law, economics etc. Candidates who have interest in public policies, management and other management-related aspects can pursue this course. 

M.A. Public Administration Highlights

M.A. in Public Administration Benefits

By pursuing an M.A. Public Administration course, a candidate can achieve the ability to understand the social, political, and economical factors that have great importance in public policies

• Gained immense knowledge of the methodologies used for policy analysis
• Candidates achieve the art of planning, implementing, and managing the policies used in the public sectors
• M.A. in Public Administration course helps the candidates to explore job opportunities in both private and public sectors
• Doors of further higher education are also open for them. If one desires, he/she can go for research programmes
• There are employment scopes in the public sector where one can start their career in the management designation.
• Opportunities are also there in the social work sector. One can perform for social causes on a personal level or they can work in the social and political organizations.
• After the successful completion of the M.A. Public Administration course, one can join Indian Civil Services, Municipal Corporations and different Healthcare Organizations.

• Minimum Qualification Required for admission in  M.A. Public Administration course is Graduation in any stream
• Minimum Marks Required (Aggregate) is 50% to 60%. It varies from college to college
• Age Limit: Some institutes may have an age limit for candidates who seek admission in M.A. in Public Administration. 

Note: It is necessary to present all original documents and marksheets at the time of admission.

M.A. in Public Administration Admission Process

• Register at the desired college that offers M.A. Public Administration Course
• Admission to M.A. in Public Administration is through entrance examination
• Various government/ state college conduct their own entrance examination
• The entrance exam for M.A. in Public Administration are always subject specific

Following are some of the popular Entrance Exams for M.A. in Public Administration

• Jawaharlal Nehru University JNU, New Delhi Entrance Exam
• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University Entrance Test
• Kurukshetra University Entrance Exam

M.A. in Public Administration Entrance Exam Preparation Tips

• Candidates aiming to pursue the M.A. Public Administration Course need to appear in an entrance exam
• To crack the Master in Public Administration entrance exam, Candidates need to prepare on current affairs, Government and Politics of India, the Indian Constitution
• Candidates should make a practice of reading daily newspapers to gather knowledge on current affairs
• They should check the previous year’s question paper for the M.A. Public Administration entrance examination to analyze the question pattern
• While practicing the previous year’s question pattern, one should solve the papers within time. It will help them to enhance their time management skills

Some of the topics, candidates can focus on to prepare for the entrance exam are:

• History of Indian Administration
• International Organizations
• Constitutional Bodies
• Governing Structure
• Political Parties

M.A. in Public Administration Distance Education

M.A. Public Administration through Distance learning is very popular among Candidates who do not opt for regular courses due to financial and professional reasons. These days, most of working professionals prefer to opt for distance learning courses due to time constraints.

To get admission in M.A. in Public Administration distance education, candidates need to apply for the course by filling up an application form. As it is not a regular course, the Candidates can access the study Materials from their convenient location and time. At the end of the course, they need to appear in the final examination for M.A. Public Administration. The course has to be completed within its duration.

Colleges that offer M.A. in Public Administration Distance Education are:

• Indira Gandhi National Open University
• Uttar Pradesh Rajarshi Tandon Open University
• Nalanda Open University
• Uttarakhand Open University

First Year:

Second Year:

M.A.- Public Administration Books

Following is the list of M.A. in Public Administration Books:

• Indian Public Administration by Arora and Goyal
• Administrative Thinkers by Prasad and Prasad
• Public Administration in India 1st Edition by Maheswari
• Public Administration by Laxmikant
• Governance in India by Laxmikant
• New Horizons of Public Administration by Mohit Bhattacharya
• Public Administration by Fadia and Fadia
• Comparative Public Administration by R.K. Arora

M.A. in Public Administration and M.A. Political Science Course Comparison

M.A. in Public Administration and M.A. in Political Science are two popular courses in social science studies. Candidates often get confused about choosing them. Therefore, a comparison between these two courses is provided below:

After pursuing an M.A. in Public Administration, students can apply for higher research programmes or UGC-NET or Junior Research Fellowship Program. The success in these exams can fetch you a job as assistant professor in colleges.

The employment areas for candidates after M.A. in Public Administration are Economic Department Offices, Government Bodies, Indian Civil Services, Municipal Bodies, Secretariat Offices, and others.

The average starting salary package of a fresher after pursuing M.A. in Public Administration is between Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 4 lakh.

M.A. Public Administration Skills Achieved

The job profiles of public administration require certain skills that a candidate can achieve through the M.A. Public Administration Courses. These skills are as follows:

M.A. Public Administration Scopes

• After pursuing M.A. in Public Administration, interested candidates can opt for higher studies including research programmes
• As the course focuses on administrative studies, the candidates will be benefited if they go for M.A.nagement courses. The existing administrative skills pursued through M.A. Public Administration courses will get enhanced by pursuing a management course
• One of the most prestigious jobs in India is the Indian Civil Services. After pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration, one can prepare for the exam. With success, they can work as a civil servant.
• Opportunities in social services, political research organizations are the great scopes that a candidate can enjoy after completing M.A. Public administration course.
• Apart from that, there are several job positions including activists, public administrators etc. where candidates can work with sufficient salaries.

M.A. Public Administration Jobs and Salary

After pursuing M.A. in Public Administration, candidates can work in different prestigious positions like BDO, Civil Services professionals, etc. With the completion of the M.A. in Public Administration, as the candidates get trained in administrative work, one can easily manage the job responsibilities associated with the post.  Listed below are the job roles and their respective salaries:

Secretariat- The duties of a Secretariat is to organize day-to-day administrative operations for an organization. Every Government and private organization that deals with various jobs has a secretariat department where the professionals of this designation manage human resources, company finances and other official issues. Besides they are responsible for handling the company database. The national average salary of a secretariat working in the governing bodies is INR 8,64,838.

Block Development Officer- A Block Development Officer is in charge of a block. His chief responsibility is to monitor the implementation of the government planning prepared for the development of the blocks. Apart from that, he also manages the activities of the other employees working under his supervision in a BDO office. The salary of a Block Development officer ranges between 0.6 Lakhs to 8.8 Lakhs.

Municipal Officer- Multiple actions are performed by a Municipal Officer that includes receiving municipal delegations, handling complaints, and ensuring that all the policies of the municipality are properly implemented. The average annual salary of official working in the Municipal Council are INR 2.8 Lakhs.

Civil Services- Professionals working in the Civil Services of India are responsible for overseeing the implementation of laws and policies prepared by the Government. They also perform policy formulation. The salary depends on the work experience. However, the basic salary can be INR 56,100 which can rise up to INR 150,000.