Frequently Asked Questions

All admission materials must be submitted by the established deadline date:

• February 1 f or summer admission
• M   ay 1 for fall admission
• October 1 for spring admission

Materials received after the established deadlines are not considered; therefore, make sure all application materials are in order before applying to the MPA program.

• Bachelors degree (does not have to be related to public administration)
• GPA: 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for your undergraduate degree and completion of an undergraduate statistics course
• Three letters of recommendation
• A personal essay
• Current resume

We are currently WAIVING THE GRE requirement in those circumstances.  Your application is considered on the totality of documents you submit, sans GRE test scores.

We allow students to schedule their own classes, so they choose whether to attend full- or part-time. 

MPA, 36 credit hours:

Typically, a part-time student taking two courses per semester in Fall, Spring and Summer can complete their MPA degree in just over two years (7 semesters).

A full-time student taking three courses per semester can complete their MPA degree in one and a half years (4 semesters).

The School of Public Administration has very competitive Assistantships available.  Once admitted, students can be considered for this part-time appointment.

Please visit FAU’s webpage – there are numerous resources to assist students financially plan for their education:   https://www.fau.edu/finaid/

For students in the MPA program, an internship is required if the student does not have relative experience in the public sector.

Taken as an elective, the internship requires the student to work 15 to 20 hours per week throughout the semester, applying what they learned in the program to routine agency operations or to special projects.

MPA   alumni are working in federal, state, and local government agencies, and in non-profit organizations.  Our graduates serve in such capacities as program managers, city officials, community and economic development specialists, directors of non-profit agencies, and government liaison specialists. For more information:

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics offers some important information:  https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/should-i-get-a-masters-degree.htm#Other.
• The ICMA also offers some good information to consider:  https://icma.org/articles/member-news/annual-update-cao-salary-and-compensation-survey-available-members