Student testimonials

My time at the University of Victoria as a graduate student at the UVic School of Public Administration (SPA) gifted me the skills and tools needed to make our communities a better place. The school's professoriate and administrative staff approached their work with such passion and care. Thank you for always answering my questions and going above and beyond to ensure the success of all students.

Many of my friends, when I told them of the degree I was working towards through UVic, had a similar reaction. "Oh, cool! What is that?" I try to simplify the field by saying that public administration entails the translation of politics into the reality that Canadians see every day. As such, the marriage between my studies with the SPA and my work in the Senate of Canada have been extraordinarily complimentary.

The work done by public administrators can simply never be overstated. Their intention, spirit, effort, energy and diligence can literally have life or death consequences. We have seen it in our work with First Nations people across the country. The way public administrators interpret laws passed in the political forum, and their approach in actioning them, has a higher degree of subjectivity than many people would care to believe or think is true. Again, we have seen this firsthand in our work.

Public administration, in practice, touches on every member of Canadian society in big and small ways. It is incumbent on us all to ensure that we always consider those who most need our help and support, and that we go about our work in a way that honours and upholds those individuals. In doing so, we will honour and uphold all citizens; as the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all ships.

The MACD program is introducing me to the skills and competencies I need to be successful as a community developer. It is also helping me make connections in Canada in this field, which is very important as a recent permanent resident whose previous career and goals were not in community development.

Being Anishinaabe, my culture has always been something I hold close to my chest. Alongside my [Humanities] degree, I also completed a Diploma in Indigenous Community Development & Governance (ICDG). Since I also plan to pursue law school, I chose to Minor in Public Administration to strengthen my understanding of policy, jurisdictional, and economic issues. Combining an IS [Indigenous Studies] major, PA minor, with an ICDG Diploma allowed me to bring together both my personal passions and long-term career goals. The First People’s House at UVic provides Indigenous students with opportunities such as Research Apprenticeships through LE,NOṈET. With this, I was able to develop a research opportunity in collaboration with LE,NOṈET and the School of Public Administration, under the supervision of Dr. Susanne Thiessen. My research focused on the integration of Indigenous governance principles within institutional policy development.

I completed the professional specialization certificate in public sector management. It was a great complement to my BSC as it gave me some practical knowledge I could apply in government. I was able to obtain a management position in the Ministry of Finance with this certificate.

I enjoyed online discussion and flexibility of the program. I completed it while working in government and with a young family.