Public administration education in Italy: a statistical analysis

Abstract

The paper presents a statistical analysis exploring public administration (PA) education in Italian universities. It aims at verifying if the administrative law approach to university-based PA teaching is still prevalent in Italy - as stated by the literature, as well as the extent of development of other disciplinary orientations. The research also highlights the main specificities of PA education in Italy with reference to the disciplinary character, the geographical distribution, the type and level of PA programs, etc. It aims at describing how universities are adjusting curricula in relation to public sector modernization, by comparing the main faculties (economics and management sciences, law, political sciences, sociology, engineering, sciences of communication, social sciences) of all Italian universities.

Information from 204 faculties of 72 universities was gathered. 2.198 education programs at different levels were registered and classified.

Overall evidence suggests that the legal cluster, including but not limited to administrative law, is not the prevalent approach in teaching PA in Italy. The public cluster - mainly political sciences and public economy approach - is instead widespread in Italian universities. Furthermore, there is a strong, yet more recent, development of the managerial approach.