Public Affairs Minor Now Available to LSU Undergraduates

BATON ROUGE - To better prepare undergraduate students for careers in public service, law, and politics, the LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business has introduced a public affairs minor, with classes set to begin in fall 2025.

Coursework emphasizes leadership, government structure, revenue and taxation, public and nonprofit management, and public policy. The 18-hour minor is offered by the Department of Public Administration, which is recognized for its popular NASPAA-accredited Master of Public Administration (MPA).  

"For more than four decades, the Department of Public Administration has provided high-quality graduate education. We identified an opportunity to use our expertise to meet the needs of undergraduates with aspirations in public service and other policy-adjacent fields," said Associate Professor Roy Heidelberg, chair of the Department of Public Administration. "This minor can enhance any field of study and will serve as a springboard for advanced degrees, including an MPA or law degree."  

The department will offer three undergraduate courses this fall:

• PADM 3010 Policy Entrepreneurs and Policy Processes
• PADM 3030 Employees in Public and Nonprofit Organizations
• PADM 4030 Managing for Social and Public Impact.

The courses have no prerequisites; enrollment is not restricted to students who declare the minor.

public affairs minor & course details

About the Department of Public Administration
For more than 40 years, the LSU Department of Public Administration has worked to improve the understanding and practice of administration and government. Building from a foundation of high-quality graduate education and scholarly research, our graduates find success in the public, non-profit, and private sectors — they work for the federal, state, and local governments, are legislators and attorneys, work as staff on Capitol Hill, and hold key positions with national healthcare providers, among many other varied accomplishments. Our researchers examine organizational, administrative, and policy sciences as they apply to government and governance, delving into important issues while remaining neutral. The department's primary degree offering is a 36-hour Master of Public Administration program that emphasizes management, public policy, and financial skills for those leading public agencies, nonprofit and health care organizations, and for-profit organizations that interact with governmental agencies. The department recently added an 18-hour minor in public affairs.