Management and Civic Leadership B.S.P.A.

About the management and civic leadership BSPA major

This major gives you a background on how nonprofit organizations provide for citizens, improve communities, and strengthen the quality of life. You'll study and analyze government policies and learn the management of government and nonprofit organizations. This major also incorporates basic business foundation courses, giving you some background and flexibility for working in the for-profit world if you are interested in making that transition at some point in your career.

Skills and abilities this major develops: strategic planning, project management, and leadership.

Engaged learning experiences

Regardless of your major or future career, engaged learning is vital to your present and future. It makes you more marketable for jobs and professional schools upon graduation, it enables you to build deeper connections with faculty and staff in your field of study, and it makes your learning personal by connecting your interests and values with the curriculum from your classes. Check out the three ideas below for places to get started, or learn more at IU Indianapolis’s Institute for Engaged Learning website.

Career services

O’Neill’s career services office is designed to help you build your job-search skills and find full-time employment or an internship. They can also help you connect with alumni!

Study abroad

Enrich your academic experience by studying important public policy and criminal justice issues at a global level.

Opportunities after graduation

Employment of social and community service managers is projected to grow 9% from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 16,000 openings for social and community service managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as retirement (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2023).

According to the IUPUI (now called IU Indianapolis) First Destination Survey in 2021, the average starting salary reported for management B.S.P.A. graduates was $52,109, and the median salary was $48,000.

The national median annual salary for social and community service managers was $77,030 in 2023 (Occupational Outlook Handbook).

(This section is intended for informational purposes, not prediction of actual salary.)

O’Neill management graduates often pursue advanced degrees in the following areas:

Business administration (M.B.A.)
Health administration (M.H.A.)
Law
Public administration (M.P.A.)

Quick facts

Sample coursework

Government finance and budgets
Managing behavior in public organizations
Managing workforce diversity
Nonprofit management and leadership
Nonprofit and voluntary sector
Urban structure and policy

Possible careers

City manager
Community developer
Economic development analyst
Human resources specialist
State and federal agency manager

Where could I work?

Easter Seals Crossroads
Government agencies
Hendricks Regional Health
Nonprofit organizations
Small for-profit businesses

Complementing interests

EEnterprising

SSocial

IInvestigative

Get your interest code

Where to get more information

O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs

Indiana Philanthropy Alliance

O'Neill Career Services

Enterprise, Policy, and Planning Cluster

This major is part of the Enterprise, Policy, and Planning (EPP) cluster. The EPP cluster is the academic home of University College students pursuing or interested in business; economics; labor studies; organizational leadership; public and environmental affairs; sport management; and tourism, conventions, and event management.

Learn about the EPP cluster

Learn about other clusters

Meet with an advisor or career consultant

Schedule an appointment