REQUIRED COMPETENCIES IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION STUDY PROGRAMS

In the evaluation of undergraduate and graduate study programs, there is an important issue about which competencies must be acquired by graduates. This study tested the importance of competencies in public administration study programs in the light of expectations of employers in Slovenian public administration. The aim of the research was to find out how various competencies acquired in higher education (undergraduate and graduate study in public administration) are evaluated by employers in public administration. On the basis of analysis of findings of similar research projects, the competencies contained in programs by renowned universities and competencies defined for the work positions, a set of discipline-specific competencies (61) were designed. Research was conducted in 2015 and involved 343 respondents. A qualitative research method (survey) was used to collect the data which were then analyzed with the SPSS statistical program and Microsoft Excel. The results show that the competencies related to ethics and ethical behavior were evaluated as the most important; generic competencies are better assessed than specific ones and on average the competencies received a higher assessment for graduates (compare to undergraduates) positions.