4th year Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) Honours

My name is Ernie and I am currently in my last year of the Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) program. Upon entering the program, I was given advice by the academic advisor on unique opportunities provided by the School, such as AP/PPAS 4995 6.0 - the practicum in a government work setting. I highly encourage everyone in the program, especially those entering their final year, to apply for this opportunity. In my practicum at the Conflict of Interest Commissioner of Ontario office, I had the opportunity to observe and even participate in policy analysis conducted by the Senior Policy Advisor and Executive Director, in the fulfilment of the office’s mandate. It is a unique learning experience, a resume builder, and offers a glimpse at the everyday workings within the OPS. Skills learnt in other courses such as AP/PPAS 3300 6.0 - Statistics for Social Sciences, for example, can be used in producing government reports. So, pay attention in the class! Additionally, other unique courses offered are AP/PPAS 4200 6.0 - Applied Public Policy Analysis with Professor Sirvan Karimi and AP/PPAS 4310 3.0 and AP/PPAS 4320 3.0 - Program Evaluation I and II with Professor Peter Constantinou. For AP/PPAS 4200 6.0, we are expected to take theoretical frameworks, apply them to a real-life policy problem, and ultimately, make recommendations on how to improve or solve the policy problem. This allows us to have the rare opportunity to use what we have learned in class and apply it to a real-life scenario. The recommendations from this report may even be used in future policy making. Furthermore, for any course that Professor Peter Constantinou teaches, it is a must take. You do not want to miss out on his classes. For AP/PPAS 4310 3.0 and AP/PPAS 4320 3.0, the unique opportunity to be a program evaluator is unparalleled. Faced with hard deadlines, and working with clients from the public sector/broader public sector, the expectation is for groups to produce a high-quality evaluation report on how well or poorly a program is being run. The courses teach you teamwork, develop your skill to adapt to timelines, and allow you to once again, apply the theoretical teachings in class to a real-life scenario. These experiences will enrich your undergraduate education and provide a solid foundation for entry into the work force, or further education at Master’s level. Moreover, there is another opportunity for students who want to pursue research on a unique topic. If you are able to ask a professor to supervise you, a directed reading course will fulfil this goal. Lastly, this program also provides for numerous networking opportunities. The Public Policy and Administration Student Association (PPASA) is a well-run organization and is one of the few on campus who take the time to engage with fellow students. They spend time to put together events which offer tips on how to get into the Ontario Public Service (OPS) and offer opportunities to network with managers. All in all, the BPA program is truly unique and the opportunities it provides are numerous. I would highly encourage students to consider this program and to take advantage of all of the opportunities it provides. – Ernie Tam