Online Master of Public Administration

• Ranked the 9th best Online MPA program in the country by U.S. News and World Report
• Students have convenient online access to the MPA program at FIU
• Courses are offered online on an annual rotation
• Students can take one, two, three or four graduate classes at a time
• Fall Admission Only
• Fall Priority Deadline: March 1st; Final Deadline: June 1st; International F-1 students February 15th
• 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.

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. The Online MPA is ranked #1 in the nation by PublicServiceDegrees.org; #9 in the Nation by BestColleges.com; #12 in the nation by TheBestSchools.org; and #16 in the nation by BestMastersPrograms.org.
• 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.

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.

Degree Program Hours: 42 Credit Hours

Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public 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 experience in the public 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 GRE scores if required;
• 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 specialize in Human Resources Management, Public Management, Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Nonprofit and Community Development, 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. 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