Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) minor, major in Sociology

My name is Ghazal Haidary and I am in my fourth year of an Honours BA Major/Minor in Sociology and Public Administration. My university experience so far has been quite the ride. I knew that I loved sociology and that I excelled in academia, but it wasn’t until I joined the Sociology Undergraduate Student Association that I realized I had passion for policy and administration. This led to me to think about going into a career that would allow me to apply not only my academic skills, but my problem solving, management and communication skills as well. One fateful day, I was walking by the Founders assembly hall and I noticed there was a panel discussion going on about how to get a job in the public service and what is was all about. It was then and there that I had my “ah hah” moment. I met Professor Constantinou and Professor Kimakova and learned how perfectly the public administration program would complement my education. I hadn’t heard of the program before this, so I looked at the courses offered by the program and it seemed right up my ally. I immediately got in touch with Professor Kimakova and started the process of minoring in public administration..

This was one of the best decisions I made. I started right away during summer school of my second year and was not disappointed. After taking AP/PPAS 1110 3.0 Introduction to Public Administration I knew I had made the right choice. Now in my fourth year at York, I can say without a doubt that the public administration program has enhanced my education both academically and professionally. The combination of Sociology and Public Administration has allowed me to gain both academic and practical skills. I am able to effectively conduct research, analyze policies and critically examine government decisions. It combines my interests in society, governance and politics and allows me to really enjoy the classes that I am taking.

One perfect real life example of how this combination of programs has helped me is the Internship I had last summer with the International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) in Stockholm, Sweden. This was an incredible experience that was organized by York International. My main duties revolved around the management and promotion of the ACE - Electoral Knowledge Network, where I summarized expert forum posts, wrote case studies, and uploaded these and other content to the website. I worked collaboratively with IDEA’s partner organizations around the world – United Nations Development Program, Elections Canada and the International Foundation for Electoral systems (IFES) to name a few. It was the organizational skills, writing skills (specifically policy) and research skills I garnered through my two programs that allowed me to succeed at such a prestigious organization. It was also the unique combination of my education and experiential learning involvement that enhanced the confidence in my skills and lead me to take more initiative and do tasks beyond my role. For instance, writing the proposal and first draft of a policy paper that will soon be published by IDEA.

The experiential learning I am referring to is my involvement at York. I am highly involved within the sociology department as the President of the Sociology Undergraduate Student Association. I am also one of the student representatives for the LA&PS Committee on Teaching, Learning and Student Success. In the past I have been a YU start mentor, a Leadershape Institute graduate, and Student Success Leader. All of these experiences have allowed me to truly grow as an individual and have taught me invaluable professional and leadership skills. I have also been an avid supporter of the Public Policy and Administration Student Association (PPASA) by attending their many events. These events provided excellent networking experiences and insider knowledge on working in government, which have been extremely helpful. I am looking forward to getting more involved with PPASA next year. I know how important it is for students to complement their education with the practical skills that being involved on campus can provide. I highly encourage all students who are looking to give themselves a competitive edge upon graduation, to look into the Public Administration program, and to get involved with their student association. These two parts of my education have truly changed my experience at York for the better and I am so excited to see where it takes me in the next year. - Ghazal Haidary