Four Year Public Administration Minor

My name is Robert DiGiovanni and I am a fourth-year student majoring in Political Science and minoring in Public Administration.

I knew from a very young age that Politics and how government operates was an interest of mine. It was not until my eleventh-grade law class that I was inspired to further investigate the policy aspects of governance. When I was applying to university, I wanted to keep my options open as I was not sure what the best route would be for me to take. Not yet fully grasping what the field of public administration was, I chose to pursue a degree in Political Science at York University because at the time I believed that this was the program that best suited my interests. It was not until after I had accepted my offer to attend York that I learned of the Bachelor of Public Administration program. In order to gain some exposure to the program I decided to take AP/PPAS 1110 3.0 Introduction to Public Administration as an elective in my first term. From the very first week of class in September 2017, I knew that this was a field I wanted to pursue further and I have never looked back.

I decided to pursue a minor in Public Administration at the beginning of my second year. Going through the interdisciplinary curriculum that the minor in Public Administration provides has allowed me to be a more well-rounded student who is better prepared for life after university. Joining this program gave me exposure to all of my greatest interests at the same time, and it was the best academic decision I could have made for myself. The courses that are offered provide students with not just theoretical knowledge, but also practical skills that they have the opportunity to apply as they progress into upper year courses. My experiences with the professors in this program have been nothing short of amazing. Every professor I have had the opportunity to learn from has provided me with an engaging and wholesome learning experience inside the classroom and outside of it as well. I say outside the classroom as well because the experience in this program does not just stop when class ends. The School of Public Policy and Administration hosts events and programming throughout the year in conjunction with the affiliated student and alumni associations. These events give students the opportunity to continue learning and network with professors as well as professionals working in the field. I had the opportunity to attend several of these events during my first two years at York, including an Ontario Public Service Summer Employment Information Session in my first year which helped me to secure my first professional employment opportunity.

I loved attending these engaging events throughout the first few years of my degree and I really enjoyed the courses I was taking for my minor. This is when I knew that I wanted to become more involved. I decided to join the Public Policy and Administration Students Association (PPASA) because I wanted to be a part of what I saw was a tight-knit community of dynamic individuals; and I knew this club was the right one for me. In 2020-21 I served as the PPASA Director of Internal Affairs and it was a tremendous opportunity for me to make new friends and further explore what future opportunities are available to me. As a result, I decided to run for PPASA President for 2021-22 and look forward to serving in this role in the upcoming academic year.

My advice to future students is this: make the most of the time you have here at York. Push yourself beyond your comfort zone, get involved when you see an opportunity that interests you, and ask your professors a lot of questions. I promise you it will be well worth the journey. – Robert DiGiovanni