Interdisciplinary Studies: Public Management 90–30

You may earn either a B.A. or B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies: Degree completion with a Specialization in Public Management.

Northern Arizona University’s flexible, B.A. and B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies offers you an opportunity to design a plan of studies, in consultation with an advisor, to meet your individual educational needs. You may choose either of these degrees if you plan to enter an occupation that requires a broad general education, if you are seeking career advancement or personal intellectual enrichment, or if you are considering a pre-professional plan.

We also offer this degree as part of Northern Arizona University’s Extended Campuses program; however, not all Specialization areas are available through Extended Campuses.

We designed this degree to broaden your background, but not to substitute for a degree that meets specific professional or occupational needs. If you are preparing for an occupation where entry is governed by licensure and/or professional certification, you should seek admission to the appropriate degree plan.  

To earn the Interdisciplinary Studies degree, you must complete at least 120 units of course work, which we describe in the sections that follow:  

• To avoid any deficiencies (or risk having to take more than 120 hours of credit to complete this degree), a completed community college degree AND an AGEC from a regionally accredited community college in Arizona are highly recommended.

• Students with a completed associate's degree and an AGEC will have completed the 35 units of liberal studies requirements; however, students without an AGEC certification will need to meet the Northern Arizona University liberal studies requirements.

• Students may transfer up to a maximum of 90 hours of community college and/or university credit from regionally accredited institutions of higher education.

• Students must complete at least 30 upper-division units in a specifically designed program of study at Northern Arizona University.

• Students must complete an overall total of at least 120 units.

• To be eligible for Honors at Graduation, you must complete 45 units at Northern Arizona University. If you complete fewer than 45 units at Northern Arizona University en route to this degree, you will not qualify for Honors at Graduation, regardless of your cumulative Grade Point Average.

Be aware that some courses required for your degree may have pre-requisites that you must also take. Check the courses in the appropriate subject. (You may be able to count these pre-requisites toward your liberal studies or general elective credit.)

Please note that you must complete Northern Arizona University’s diversity requirements by taking two 3-unit courses, one in U.S. ethnic diversity and one in global diversity awareness. These courses may be used to meet other requirements within your academic plan if you choose them carefully. Click here for a list of the available diversity courses.

The Interdisciplinary Studies requires that you must take at least 30 units of upper-division courses (those numbered 300 and above).

Additionally, please note that you may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement; however, you must still meet the total of at least 120 units to graduate. Contact your advisor for details.  

Liberal Studies (General Education) Requirements  

If you have earned an Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) Certification from a regionally accredited community college in Arizona, then you have satisfied the Northern Arizona University Liberal Studies requirement for this degree. Students who have not earned an AGEC must complete all Liberal Studies requirements before graduation.

Click here to go to the section titled Northern Arizona University’s Undergraduate Academic Plans for information about the 35 units of liberal studies credit that we require. Contact the department of your Specialization for information about liberal studies courses that are specific to your major.  

 Additionally, please note that you may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement.

• You may use courses with prefixes in your Specialization area to fulfill liberal studies, but you may not use the same course(s) to satisfy your Specialization requirements and your liberal studies requirements.

• If you do use some courses to meet more than one requirement, you must still meet the total of at least 120 units to graduate. Contact your Interdisciplinary Studies advisor for details.

You must complete at least 30 upper-division units at Northern Arizona University for this major.

Please note that you must have a grade of "C" or better in all courses used in the major, which includes the Specialization and the Interdisciplinary Studies Requirements areas.

Further note that all course work in the Specialization Areas must be upper-division and from Northern Arizona University. Substitutions and use of credit from another institution are not allowed in the Specialization.

Specialization Requirements: Public Management

You must complete 30 units from Northern Arizona University, as described below:

Complete 6 units:

• Writing requirement: PAS 311W or ENG 302W or ENG 305W (3 units)

• Capstone requirement: 421C (3 units)

Take the following four courses (12 units):

• PAS 301, 411, 450; and PAS/POS 326 (12 units)

Research requirement: (3 units)

• Choose PAS 355 or 356

• If you take PAS 355 to satisfy this research requirement, you may still take PAS 356 as a choice within the 9 units below.

Finally, select three courses from the following (9 units):

• PAS 356, 401, 415

• PAS/POS 325, PAS/POS 327

• CST 477

• ANT 306 (Ethnic Diversity), ANT 350 (Global Diversity)

▓ If you have not yet met NAU's Global and/or U.S. Ethnic Diversity requirements, you must either select:

• ANT 306, from the above, which meets the Ethnic Diversity requirement,

• ANT 350 from the above, which meets the Global Diversity requirement, or

• ANT 306 and 350, if you have completed neither of the Ethnic and Global requirements

Minor, Focus, or Certificate Requirements

A minor, focus, or certificate is not required in this program.

B.A. / B.S.  Interdisciplinary Studies Requirements

Included in the credit transferred as part of the completed community-college degree you must have:

• Computer Literacy: 3 units for the B.A.; 6 units for the B.S.

This course work must help you to understand, in general, the technical components of computers and information systems, how to solve problems using information systems technology, word processing, spreadsheet use, data base management, graphic information software, website development, graphic design, and use of statistical analysis software. This course(s) must have been taken within 10 years of admittance to Northern Arizona University.

• Communication Courses: (6 units)

• 3 units of theory-based courses; and

• 3 units of Performance-based course work

• performance-based courses are defined as having at least 51 percent of the evaluation of the student based on oral performance.

• Language or Science Requirement

• For the B.A., take a Language Requirement. You must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equivalent to four terms of university course work in the same language. You may satisfy this requirement by taking language courses or by testing out of all or part of it by taking CLEP, or other exams.

• For the B.S., take a Science Requirement. Take at least 12 units selected from:

General Electives  

Additional course work is required, if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.  

You may take these remaining courses from any academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you. (Please note that you may also use pre-requisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren’t used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.)