8/30/2023
Forbes Advisor Education has recognized Upper Iowa University (UIU) for offering one of the best online bachelor’s degrees in public administration. Upper Iowa and nine other U.S. institutions were recognized.
Public administrators work in a variety of specialty areas, such as healthcare, finance, psychology, emergency disaster management, and agriculture. UIU’s public administration degree features emphases in law enforcement, policy, fire science, and emergency management.
“This is a testament to the hard work and expertise of our exceptional team of public administration as well as emergency management faculty that teach for the public administration program,” UIU Maltbie Professor of Social Science Dr. John A. Grummel said. “These experts have dedicated their time and passion to create a high-quality learning experience for our students, many of which have found employment or advancement in the field. We are honored to have these efforts recognized.”
In addition to the bachelor’s degree, UIU offers an online Master of Public Administration (MPA). The MPA offers six areas of emphasis, criminal justice, emergency management and homeland security, general study, healthcare management, nonprofit organizational management, and public management. UIU’s unique MPA Link program for UIU undergraduates, allows an even faster completion and a seamless transition from a public administration major to the Master of Public Administration.
UIU’s online learning platform offers flexibility and convenience, allowing students to balance their education with personal and professional commitments. Upper Iowa’s unique academic year consists of classes offered during five 8-week sessions and one accelerated 6-week summer session. As a result of these more concentrated sessions, students usually only take one or two classes at a time to graduate on schedule.
The University’s experienced faculty members bring real-world insights into the virtual classroom, ensuring students receive relevant and up-to-date knowledge. Additionally, UIU’s comprehensive student support services, including academic advising, career counseling and networking opportunities, contribute to student success and professional development. Students can accelerate the completion of their degree by easily transferring in up to 90 college credits from other four-year schools. Up to 12 credits can also be transferred at the graduate level. Credits may also be earned through an individual’s work experience through an experiential learning portfolio or various college examinations.
To determine the 2023 rankings, Forbes Advisor Education sourced data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as well as utilized an expert advisory board of professionals and educator reviews to verify and ensure content accuracy. The methodology used included 16 data points in various categories weighted by student outcomes, affordability, student experience, credibility and application process. The 10 best schools were selected using a curved final score of 71.73% or higher. The ranked schools were all fully accredited, had higher student retention rates, and were nonprofit institutions with relatively low percentages of students in federal student loan deferment.
For additional information about Forbes Advisor Education’s best online bachelor’s in public administration degrees of 2023, visit https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/online-public-administration-degree-programs/. For additional information about UIU’s online public administration degree, visit uiu.edu/academics/programs/public-administration/or the MPA program, visit uiu.edu/mpa/
