Options with public administration and social policy
Public administration and social policy courses teach a range of skills that are essential for a career in public service, policy or government. They provide you with the opportunity to:
Studying public administration and social policy also allows you to develop a range of transferable skills that are sought after by employers in a variety of professions. These include:
Some students undertake sandwich courses that include a work placement. This experience helps to develop skills such as commercial awareness, which is becoming increasingly sought after by employers.
Work experience that involves supporting or helping members of the public will greatly improve your chances of finding employment after graduation. Many public sector organisations, volunteering organisations and charities offer employment positions or work experience opportunities so you can gain relevant experience and develop your skills.
It may prove useful to work shadow someone already doing your preferred role or arranging to do an information interview with a practitioner so you can find out more. This will also help you to start building a network of contacts. In addition, you may want to consider helping with voluntary projects or getting involved in local charity or community work. Try to look for opportunities linked to your field of interest.
Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it’s not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here. Look at your degree... what next? for informed advice on career planning and graduate employment, or login/register with My Prospects to find out what jobs would suit you, a helpful starting point for self-analysis.
Explore types of jobs to find out more about the above options and related jobs.
A 2012 HESA survey of 2011 graduates indicates that six months after graduation, 63% of public administration and social policy graduates had entered employment in the UK or overseas, with around 7% going on to undertake work and further study.
Of those entering work, around 11% went into social and welfare professions and 11% went into management in the commercial, industrial and public sectors. Around 6% went into jobs in business and finance, and just over half of public administration and social policy graduates initially went into non-graduate jobs, taking clerical and secretarial positions or working in retail or catering to gain experience and earn a living while deciding on their future career or applying for other jobs.
Graduates of social policy/administration degrees have a wide range of career choices to choose from, with the majority going on to work in:
For an insight into potential employment areas see:
For further information on possibilities in other employment areas, see job sectors.
Statistics are collected every year to show what HE students do immediately after graduation. These can be a useful guide but, in reality, because the data is collected within six months of graduation, many graduates are travelling, waiting to start a course, paying off debts, getting work experience or still deciding what they want to do. For further information about some of the areas of employment commonly entered by graduates of any degree discipline, check out What Do Graduates Do? and your degree...what next?
A 2011 HESA survey of 2010 graduates indicates that six months after graduation 11% of public administration and social policy graduates had taken up full-time postgraduate study, with a further 8% combining further study with work.
Graduates from this discipline have a wide range of postgraduate subjects to choose from. You might choose to specialise in an area that you were interested in during your undergraduate degree, like housing or urban regeneration. Other areas that you could go on to study include social diversity, criminal justice, social work, youth and community work and politics.
There are also many courses available that take graduates from any subject. These courses will help you to gain further skills in alternative career areas and include marketing, finance, business, law, IT, heritage and journalism. You are also eligible to train to be a secondary school teacher, particularly in the area of citizenship.
These trends show only what previous graduates in your subject did immediately upon graduating. Over the course of their career - the first few years in particular - many others will opt for some form of further study, either part time or full time. If further study interests you, start by thinking about postgraduate study in the UK and search courses and research to identify your options.
For details relating to finance and the application process, look at funding my further study.
