Evening Master of Public Administration at MMC

• Consistently highest ranked MPA program in South Florida by the U.S. News and World Report. Ranked at #6 in the nation among Hispanic Serving Institutions
• In-person classes are offered on the Modesto Maidique Campus
• All in-person classes are offered Monday through Thursday from 6:25-9:25pm, to accommodate working professionals
• Students can take one, two, three or four graduate classes in a semester
• Students are required to take all nine (9) core courses on-campus at MMC, and are able to take a mix of on-campus and online classes for MPA electives
• Fall Priority Deadline: March 1st; Final Deadline: June 1st; International F-1 students February 15th
• Spring Priority Deadline: September 1st; Final Deadline: October 1st; International F-1 students August 1st
• Please note that the MPA program utilizes rolling admissions. Applications will be reviewed and admissions decisions will be made as applications are received. Please do not wait until the final deadline date to apply.

Review the MPA Student Handbook to learn more about the program curriculum and requirements, departmental and university policies, and the resources available to MPA students.

Program Highlights

• Top-Quality Faculty: The FIU MPA Faculty is the largest in South Florida. The majority of the program’s courses are taught by full-time FIU Public Administration professors who are also top scholars in the field of public administration as well as experienced and accomplished public officials. To view the CV's of our full-time faculty visit the PA Faculty Page, or to view the resumes of our MPA adjunct professors, please visit our MPA Adjunct Page.
• Top Quality NASPAA-Accredited Curriculum: FIU’s MPA program is accredited by The Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA).
• Top Quality Students: Our students are very well accomplished academically and professionally. The MPA program's admissions is very competitive and selective.
• Best Reputation in the Region: According to the U.S. News and World Report, FIU MPA is consistently the highest ranked in South Florida. It is also ranked at #3 in the State of Florida and #6 nationwide among Hispanic Serving Institutions.
• Networking: Best Public Administration and Non-Profit Alumni Network in the Region; over 3,500 MPA graduates.
• Quality Career Services: In addition to access to FIU's extensive Career Services Department the MPA program provides students with the tools, skills and knowledge to be successful in today’s competitive job market. The Program has its own dedicated Career Development Coordinator housed in the Department.
• Public Service Internship Option: All students without sufficient public service experience will have the opportunity to complete a 300-hour public service internship at a location and position level approved by the MPA Internship Supervisor.

Degree Program Hours: 42 Credit Hours

Accredited by The Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), the program requires a completion of 42 credit hours.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution;
• Three letters of recommendation from undergraduate faculty or work supervisors;
• Current resume;
• Three page essay; *Note: The essay should demonstrate graduate level writing competency and should address long term career goals associated with earning a Master of Public Administration. Students may also discuss passions for public issues or policies and may communicate potential for success in graduate school.
• GRE, GMAT, or LSAT score if undergraduate GPA is less than 3.25 in the last 60 credits of upper division coursework; *Note: The GRE score may be waived at the discretion of the MPA Director for students:
  • who have completed at least 18 credits of graduate level coursework, or
  • who have significant work experience (at administrative analyst or higher level) in the public or non-profit sector
• All documents must be submitted by the application deadline.

How to Apply

In order to be officially considered for admission to the FIU MPA program, students must complete the following steps:

• Submit an application online. Follow the link to start an application online via FIU Graduate Admissions;
• Submit an application fee. A $30.00, non-refundable, application fee payable by check, money order, or credit card is required;
• Submit official transcript/s. Transcripts of all degree granting institutions must be sent directly from each college or university either electronically or in a sealed envelope to the Graduate Admissions Office (Note: If your undergraduate degree was from FIU you don’t need to do this because your student records are accessible by computer from the Department);
• Submit three letters of recommendation, resume, and essay to the Graduate Admissions Office;
• Submit all above documents by the application deadline
• Please note that the MPA program utilizes rolling admissions. Applications will be reviewed and admissions decisions will be made as applications are received.

General Requirements

Students must maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA. A grade of ‘C’ or better is required for every course. A ‘C-’ is not acceptable. The program reserves the right to withhold the awarding of credit for course work taken out of sequence and without appropriate prerequisites. For planning purposes, you can review the MPA Course Schedule for the upcoming academic year.

MPA Core Requirements: 9 Courses (27 Credits).

• PAD 6053 Political, Social & Economic Context of Public Administration
  • (Note; This course must be taken in the first semester)
• PAD 6417 Human Resources Management & Policy
• PAD 6701 Quantitative Applications
• PAD 6227 Public Finance & the Budgetary Process
• PAD 6718 Smart Governance
• PAD 6306 Policy Analysis & Program Planning
• PAD 6726 Applied Research Methods for Accountability in Public and Non-Profit Organizations
  • (Prerequisite: PAD 6701)
• PAD 6434 Leadership & Decision Making
• PAD 6056 The Practice of Public Management
  • (Prerequisite: Completion of MPA Core or last semester of course work status)

Electives: 5 Courses (15 credits)

Students may strategically select MPA electives and specialize in: Human Resources Policy and Management; Homeland Security and Emergency Management; Nonprofit and Community Development; Public Finance, Procurement, and Contract Management; Comparative and International Public Administration; Urban Policy Innovations or an Outside Field. To find out more about the specialization options visit the page on Graduate Certificates.

PAD 6946 Public Administration Internship, may be used as an elective. Students with less than 3 years of professional (public/non-profit service at “analyst” or higher level) may be required by the admission committee to complete a public service internship. You can find more information about the internship course on our dedicated Professional Development Page.

Advising

All MPA students are required to complete an advising session each semester before class registration. An advising hold will be placed automatically each semester. Failing to schedule and attend a required advising meeting may result in delays in class registration. For more information regarding advising requirements, please review the MPA Student Advising Checklist.

Tuition and Fees

Florida residents are eligible for in-state tuition and students employed by the State of Florida may qualify for a State Employee Tuition Waiver. The MPA program also accepts the FIU Employee Tuition Waiver. For more information regarding FIU's tuition and fees, please visit the Office of Student Financials to use the online Tuition Fee Calculator tool. Additionally, the MPA program offers several scholarship opportunities each year, to learn more visit our Scholarships Page

Contact Us

Master of Public Administration
Florida International University
Modesto A. Maidique PCA 257
11200 SW 8th Street
Miami, FL 33199
Tel: 305-348-8409
Fax: 305-348-5848
E-mail: sali@fiu.edu