Public Administration, Diploma

Program outline

For more details, including courses, please see the program outline in the Academic Calendar.

Program outline

What to expect

This well-rounded program includes relevant and applied content. Some of the courses are also available in an online or blended learning format.  The program consists of 20 courses starting in the Fall, Winter, Summer term.  Program courses are delivered in a combination of online and face-to-face instruction. Evening and daytime classes are held predominantly at the Interurban campus and the program is taken on a part-time basis.

Co-operative Education Option 

Apply your classroom skills in the workplace and bring your workplace skills back to the classroom! A Co-op work term is a great opportunity to gain work experience in your field while enrolled in your academic program. 

When you engage in co-operative education, you get an early start on preparing for your career after graduation! You will be joining a growing number of students who choose the opportunity to alternate between full-time studies and full-time paid work where you can bring your applied classroom learning to life.

Co-operative education is a learner-centered model that empowers you, the student, to direct your own learning and to make a valuable contribution in the workplace. Your learning will be guided and supported by both your employer and the School with a faculty member from your program assigned to coach, monitor, and evaluate your work term development.

To participate in Co-operative Education, prior to your first work term you will need to successfully complete

• Eight (8) first year courses, with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (C+), and
• the workshop series CDEV-WPS

Talk to your Co-op & Internship Coordinator, or login to the Co-op and Career Portal to book a Co-op Information Appointment with an Employment Facilitator to get more information. Connect with your Academic Advisor to plan your program and how co-operative education can fit. 

Together you determine what timeline is most appropriate for you to take the mandatory Career Development-Workplace Preparation Skills (CDEV-WPS) course before your first work term.

A rewarding career

Public sector managers in BC earn a median annual salary* of $100,000 depending on employer and seniority.

*2018 Job Bank Wage data

Estimated tuition fees

Effective from September 1, 2022, to August 31, 2023

Public Administration, Diploma

$6,576* (domestic)
$31,080** (international)

Public Administration, Diploma, Internship designation 

$7,364* (domestic)
$32,680** (international)

Public Administration, Diploma, Co-op designation

$8,028* (domestic)
$34,280** (international)

*Figures are approximate. Tuition estimates are for the entire program. Tuition fees vary depending on the individual course fees for the classes you select.

**International tuition estimates are for the entire program.

Financial assistance

You may need to find more than one source of funding to help pay for your education and living costs while attending college. Check out sources of money you don't need to pay back as well as those that need to be repaid.

Financial Aid & Awards