Bachelor of Public Administration and Management (BPAM)

Justification of the Programme

With the rapid expansion of the private and public sector in Uganda (especially with the recent increase in local governments, central government department department and non-governmental organizations), there is a need for well qualified administrators and corporate secretaries. These cadres need to be equipped with both theories and practical skills to enable them undertake their roles and responsibilities in higher competitive working environment. The Bachelor of Public Administration and Management (BPAM) has been designed to train specialized cadre of man power with up-to-date practical skills and knowledge in Public Administration and Management to meet with the growing demands of both the public and private sector, including the non-governmental organizations.

General Objectives of the Programme

Today the economy at national, regional and indeed at an international level, is changing rapidly and requires individuals with specific public administration knowledge and skills to deal with the major governance issues, how public-sector regimes, agencies, programs, and activities are organized and managed to achieve public purposes and competition in the job market. The BPAM has been designed with this in mind and the graduate of the programme will have broad knowledge and skills in Politics, Public Administration, Economics, Law and Sociology. Taken together, these subjects will teach you about ‘government in action’ – how the political system works, citizenship, and international policy making.

A degree in Public Administration will prepare you for work in a wide variety of careers in the public sector, non-profit organizations and private sector employment.
In the global world, the national, provincial and local government sphere, corporate world, needs employees who can administer situations using public administration concepts and organizational theories and principles of management from multiple disciplines. The BPAM programme will open such careers to its graduate as its overall objective is to contribute to the manpower pool with effective and critical thinking skills necessary for successful public administration professionals.

Activities in the public Sector need Office Administrators, project Planners, Sector Managers, and Information Technology specialists, system administrators, operations and management strategists, public relations specialists, procurement specialists, financial managers and accountants. It is the objective of BPAM to produce people with such competencies.

Specific objective

The Bachelor of Public Administration and Management aims to produce graduates who will:

  1. be critical and creative administrators who:produce innovative solutions to problems communicate effectively and perceptively
  2. be responsible and effective global citizens who:
    1. Have a comprehensive understanding of the role of public administration in developing sustainable competitive advantage especially in executing strategies and facilitating the process of change/ organizational transformation in the global context.
    2. Are equipped top and middle level managers with the required administrative and managerial skills.
    3. Have skills to effectively implement all administrative functions in organizational management and demonstrate ethical values.
    4. Have a comprehensive understanding of public administration discipline and are able to provide administrative discipline based solutions relevant to the profession and public policy in communities we serve.
  3. serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state, and federal government
  4. Graduates of this programme will have the opportunity for further study at Masters level by research only.

Programme Outcomes

By the end of the programme learners should be able to:

  1. Apply skills and knowledge of public administration to enhance competitiveness of organizations
  2. Apply in-depth knowledge of effective public administrative concepts, methods and techniques and participate in decision making.
  3. Apply research skills to public and social administrative challenges
  4. Apply entrepreneurship and innovations skills in creating jobs for self and others.

Target group

The Programme targets the persons processing:

  1. A-Level certificates
  2. Diploma and degree holders in any discipline

Duration of the programme

The duration of the programme will be three years academic years for direct entry, consisting of six semesters. Each semester lasts seventeen (17) weeks two of which are for examinations. Candidates with relevant diplomas of their equivalents may be exempted from year 1, thus may take two academic years consisting of four semesters.

Regulations

Admission Requirements

Admission to year 1 of the programme:

A-Level School Certificate with at least two principal passes in any subject, with at least five passes at O-Level

For admission purposes, the subjects at A-Level will be classified and weighted as follows:

Category Subjects Weight

Category

Subjects

Weight

Essential

Economics, Entrepreneurship,Literature,

3

Relevant

Geog, History, Maths

2

Desirable

CRE/IRE

1

Others

0.5

  1. Part completion (At least part 2) of a relevant professional course, e.g CISA.
  2. Diploma from a recognized Institution

Admission to Year 2 of the Programme

Candidates possessing relevant diplomas with at least lower-second class from recognized
Institution May be admitted into Year 2 of the programme

Assessments

– Each Course will be assessed on the basis of 100 total marks with proportions as follows:

Coursework: 40
Examination: 60

– A minimum of two course assignments/tests shall be required per course.

– Course work shall consist of tests, group assignments and presentations in each semester.

Pass mark

  1. The range of final average marks which shall be used to determine the bachelor’s degree progress at the end of each semester will be a grade of 2.0 on all courses examined.
  2. A candidate is deemed to have passed the semester if the candidate obtains at least 50% of the marks in each course individually.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

(All courses are core except where electives are indicated)

Year I

Semester I

Code

Course Description

L

T

P

CH

CU

BSM113

Management Theory and Practice

50

20

00

60

4

PAM115

Introduction to Public Administration
&Management

50

20

00

60

4

BAF111

Fundamentals of Accounting 1

50

20

00

60

4

BSM114

Economic Theory.

50

20

00

60

4

SM112

Legal Framework of Organization

50

20

00

75

5

Semester II

BAF 123

Financial Analysis

50

20

00

60

4

BSM 121

Quantitative Techniques for Managers II

50

20

00

60

4

BSM 122

Communication Skills and Public Relations

50

20

00

60

4

BSM 123

Managerial Economics

50

20

00

60

4

BAF122

Information Systems Management

50

20

00

60

4

Year II

Semester I

BAF 211

Financial Management

60

30

00

75

5

BSM 211

Business Law

30

30

00

45

3

BSM 212

Organisational Theory & Behaviour

50

20

00

60

4

BSM 213

Human Resource Management

30

30

00

45

3

BAF 212

Managerial Computing

60

30

00

75

5

Semester II

BAF122

Management Information Systems

50

20

00

75

5

PAM121

Decentralization & Local Government
Administration

50

20

00

60

4

PAM123

Introduction to Political Science and Sociology

50

20

00

60

4

BSM122

Communication and Public Relations

50

20

00

60

4

PAM124

Project Planning & Management

50

20

00

60

4

Year III

Semester I

PAM221

Public Sector Economics

50

20

00

60

4

PAM222

Public Budgeting

50

20

00

60

4

PAM223

Administrative Law

50

20

00

60

4

PAM225

Disaster Management

50

20

00

60

4

BSM224

Research Methods

50 20 00 60 4

BSM 313

Advanced Human Resource Management

50

20

00

60

4

BSM 314

International Business Management

50

20

00

60

4

Semester II

BSM311

Strategic Management

50

20

00

60

4

PAM324

Ethics & Public Management

50

20

00

60

4

PAM313

Gender and Development

50

20

00

60

4

Electives

(Any Two)

PAM314

Public Safety and Management

50 20 00 60 4

PAM316

Urban Politics &Policy

50

20

00

60

4

PAM325

Peace and Conflict Resolution

50

20

00 60

4

PAM326

International Relations

50

20

00

60

4

Total credit units ( CU) Year One 41
Total credit units ( CU) Year Two 39
Total credit units ( CU) Year three 40
Overall Total Credit Units 120