Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Department of Political Science and Public Administration The University of North Florida Matthew Corrigan , Associate Professor and Chair (904-620-1926) J. Patrick Plumlee, Associate Professor and MPA Director (904-620-1928)

The mission of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration is to serve the State of Florida through excellent educational opportunities involving teaching, quality research, and effective civic engagement. The department focuses its resources to provide both undergraduate and graduate students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities for understanding, participating in, and managing institutions, process, and behaviors characteristic of national and international politics and public affairs. With excellent instruction as the highest priority, the department also supports extensive interaction with external constituencies through local, regional, state, and national professional service, and applied and theoretical research. The department is dedicated to maintaining program effectiveness for both students and community partners through continuous self-assessment and improvement.

The MPA is a nationally-accredited degree program intended to prepare students for successful careers as managers in the public and nonprofit sectors. The curriculum is designed to enable the student to understand the scope and activity of governance in modern society and to administer public programs effectively. For the student who already has significant governmental experience, the program provides opportunities to gain new skills and obtain an enlarged perspective on the responsibilities and obligations of public sector management. While public administration is generally associated with a political science background, students from any discipline who are interested in public or nonprofit careers, or who are currently employed in the public or nonprofit sectors, are encouraged to apply to the program.

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1. completion of a bachelor’s degree at an accredited institution and
2. an undergraduate GPA of 3.0  or higher on the last sixty hours of undergraduate  course work, and
3. sufficiently high scores on the required GRE to engender confidence that a student can meet the academic  requirements of a graduate program.  In general, a combined score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE are adequate for this requirement.  

Students not meeting this minimum standard may be admitted provisionally upon the approval of the MPA steering committee.

The MPA program requires that each candidate must have completed, with a grade of C or better, at least one undergraduate course in American government or the American political system prior to admission to the program.

As part of the admissions process each applicant is required to submit two letters of recommendation. These letters should be submitted to The Graduate School, University of North Florida, 1 UNF Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32224-2665. Applicants must also complete an admissions interview with the MPA Director. This interview should be scheduled prior to the semester in which the applicant intends to begin course work.

Please refer to the University of North Florida Graduate Catalog  for a complete description of MPA program requirements.  For further information on admission to the program, interested persons should contact the MPA director or the departmental chairperson in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration.

Program Requirements

Internship Requirement:  An internship may be required for pre-service students entering the program.  If an internship is required, four electives plus the internship will be required in addition to the core program courses.  If an internship is not required,  an additional elective will be required.  All students, except those who have met Fast Track or second Master's degree requirements, must take 42 hours to complete the program.  The need for an internship for any individual student is determined in consultation with the MPA Director.