Department of Political Science and Public Administration
Location: Building 51, Room 2407
Phone: (904) 620-2997
Web Address: www.unf.edu/coas/pspa
Dr. Nicholas Seabrook, Chair
The Program
The Department of Political Science and Public Administration offers a bachelor's degree program in political science, a graduate certificate in nonprofit management, and masters degrees in Public Administration (MPA), and International Affairs (MAIA).
The department offers minors in political science, public administration, public service leadership, and political campaigns (in conjunction with the School of Communication). These minors may be taken with a student's major program; students should consult with their advisor on procedures for declaring a minor. The public administration minor is a fast-track minor that allows an undergraduate to gain admission to our Master of Public Administration upon successful completion of the minor and graduation. The political science to international affairs (MAIA) and political science to public administration (MPA) accelerated pathways allows students to complete the requirements for both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees by taking graduate courses during their junior and senior undergraduate years. Students should consult with the relevant graduate program director on procedures for entering an accelerated pathway or fast track.
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
Political Science, the study of politics, is concerned with understanding political phenomena and developing citizens who are aware of their political rights and responsibilities. The political science major at UNF has three broad objectives. The first is to convey to students knowledge about the subfields within the discipline, with an emphasis on American government and politics, comparative politics, international relations, public law, public policy, and public administration. The second is to provide students with the skills needed for active and effective participation in the democratic process.
The final objective is to prepare students for careers associated with politics. The political science major provides an excellent background for admission to law school and is a solid foundation for graduate work in political science or public and nonprofit management and leadership. Majors also find exciting work in campaign and legislative politics. In addition to preparing students for graduate work, the conceptual and methodological skills developed in the major equip students for employment by local, state and national organizations, corporations and nonprofit groups located in the U.S. and foreign countries, international organizations such as the United Nations, the print and electronic media, and secondary education.
UNF offers an undergraduate major in political science culminating in the Bachelor of Arts degree. Three minors, political science, public administration, and public service leadership, are available within the department. Our fourth minor, political campaigns is offered in conjunction with the School of Communication. Majors must have a grade of "C" or better in each core course, and a minimum GPA of 2.0 in major elective courses.
Fast -Track Options
Students in the UNF undergraduate Political Science Major, as well as other UNF majors, may apply for admission to the undergraduate Public Administration fast-track minor. Admitted students take 12 credits of MPA classes, which count both toward the undergraduate Political Science major and toward the 42 credit MPA program.
Undergraduate fast-track requirements are that a student: (1) must declare a Public Administration fast-track minor prior to their senior year; (2) must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher in the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work; (3) must earn a grade of at least B or higher in PAD 4003 (taken as part of the fast-track minor core requirements); (4) must have a B average or above for the four courses required in the fast -track minor. All sections of these conditions must be met in full. If the undergraduate requirements stated above are met, fast-track students may continue into the MPA program provided they apply for the program and meet the minimum Graduate Record Exam (GRE) requirements of the program for unconditional admission. Please see the MPA Director for further information on the fast-track option.
Accelerated Pathways
Students in the UNF undergraduate Political Science Major may apply for admission to the Political Science (BA) to Public Administration (MPA) and Political Science (BA) to International Affairs (MAIA) accelerated bachelor’s to master’s pathways. These provide exceptional undergraduate students with the opportunity to complete the requirements for both the bachelor's and master’s degrees at an accelerated pace. Accelerated Pathways allow students to get a head start on their graduate education by taking graduate courses during their junior and senior undergraduate years.
Qualified students may count a maximum of 12 (MPA) or 18 (MAIA) graduate credit hours towards both degrees. Students complete the undergraduate degree first, taking 12-18 credit hours of graduate coursework during their junior and senior years, which will then be used to satisfy both degrees. Please see the MPA or MAIA Director for further information on the accelerated pathway options.
Graduate Programs
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program
The MPA program at the University of North Florida is committed to providing graduate professional education in northeast Florida, in the administration and management of public and nonprofit agencies. In the fulfillment of this mission, the program focuses on five key competencies: the ability
- to lead and manage in the public interest;
- to participate in, and contribute to, the policy process;
- to analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems and make evidence-informed decisions in a complex and dynamic environment;
- to articulate, apply, and advance a public service perspective;
- to communicate and interact productively and in culturally responsive ways with a diverse and changing workforce and society at large.
The MPA curriculum is intended to enrich student understanding of the complex arrangements that constitute modern governance, and to enable students to develop the skills and attitudes that contribute to effective program administration. For the student who already possesses significant government or nonprofit experience, the program provides opportunities to gain new skills and to develop an enlarged perspective on public sector management. The department now has three in-house concentrations: Local Government Policy and Administration, Nonprofit Management, and Public Policy. A Health Administration concentration can also be taken through the Brooks College of Health. The program has a combination of evening classes and online/hybrid classes.
Accreditation
The MPA program has been accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration since 1999. The program has completed the process for accreditation through 2027.
The Master of Arts in International Affairs (MAIA) Program
The mission of the MAIA program is to educate students about our world today, our country's interactions with other countries, and individual awareness of the many ways we interact with other countries, cultures, and peoples at home or abroad. More specifically, the program concentrates on educating our students about: the global context for US domestic and foreign policy making; contemporary global issues; the US role in the world and other countries' reactions to that role; globalization and the global economy; and the cultures and societies of other countries. Each of these goals fits with expectations of potential employers. A report by the Association of American Colleges and Universities noted the following knowledge and skills were desired by employers: the ability to understand the global context of situations and decisions, knowledge of global issues and development and their implications for the future, understanding of the role of the United States in the world, understandings of cultural diversity in America and other countries, and proficiency in a foreign language.
The Master of Arts in International Affairs (MAIA) is an interdisciplinary degree offered jointly by ten departments across three colleges. The Departments of Political Science and Public Administration; Economics and Geography; History; Philosophy and Religious Studies; and Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work offer the common core courses; the Departments of Economics and Geography; Criminology and Criminal Justice; English; History; Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; Philosophy and Religious Studies; Political Science and Public Administration; and Public Health will contribute elective courses.
The MAIA program consists of a minimum of 36 credit hours, 18 of which are earned through an interdisciplinary common core of required courses: International Relations Theory, International Economics, US in World Affairs, any 3-credit 5000 or 6000 level course with a PHI or REL prefix, any 3-credit 5000 or 6000 level course with an ANG or ANT prefix, and one methods course selected from among the following options: Advanced Methods of Criminological Research, Qualitative Research Methods, Making Decisions with Data, Qualitative Research Methods in Mass Communication, Public Administration Research Methods, or any 3 credit 6000 level course with a GEO or GIS prefix. Fifteen (15) credit hours are major electives. The final 3 credit hours are earned through a thesis or non-thesis option, the latter of which would involve an internship or study abroad component. Students will have to demonstrate intermediate-level foreign language proficiency either upon admission or graduation. The MAIA is meant to prepare our graduates for a variety of careers that demand knowledge of and engagement with the wider world. Examples include: the US government (Foreign Service, and other State Department positions, Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs, etc.), intergovernmental organizations such as the UN and international nongovernmental organizations such as Human Rights Watch or International Crisis Group; international and development consulting; international business; and education. Locally, employment opportunities exist with banks, educational institutions, international moving and logistics companies, law enforcement, non-profit organizations, refugee assistance programs, and other internationally-focused entities in the Northeast Florida region.