Social Equity in Public Budgeting and Finance Curricula: A Survey of NASPAA Accredited Master’s Programs in Public Administration in the U.S.

Academic programs in public administration are increasingly expected to ensure that students are exposed to and competent in topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Despite the growing prevalence of social equity in public administration, public budgeting and finance remains under-examined in the context of social equity. Through a survey of Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration accredited graduate programs in public affairs in the United States and a content analysis of their course syllabi and assignments, this research finds that while social equity is rarely made explicit in public budgeting and finance curricula, the coverage of social equity topics falls in line with the literature review where many aspects of public budgeting and finance education touched on social equity issues. This research helps fill the void of literature and contribute to the pedagogical research on social equity in public budgeting and finance.