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General Accelerated 4+1 MPA Degree Pathway

The General Accelerated 4+1 MPA Degree Pathway allows qualified undergraduate students to be admitted into the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program and to take up to four courses (12 credits) towards their respective bachelor's and MPA degrees. Enrolling in the accelerated pathway program will expedite students' progress towards completing both bachelor's and MPA degrees, saving both time and money.

The general Accelerated 4+1 MPA Degree Pathway is open to qualified FIU undergraduate students from all bachelor’s degree programs except the Bachelor of Public Policy and Service (BPPS). BPPS students can read more about the Combined BPPS/MPA Degree Pathway here.

Undergraduate students pursuing their BA in Psychology, BS in Criminal Justice, and BS in Crime Science should consult with their academic advisors on details of their program-specific Accelerated 4+1 MPA Degree Pathway programs. The program-specific pathways have the same admission and completion requirements, but offer streamlined admission, student service, advising, and program completion.

A student admitted to the General Accelerated (4+1) MPA Degree Pathway will be considered to have undergraduate status until the student applies for graduation from their bachelor's degree program. Upon conferral of the bachelor's degree, the student will be granted graduate status and be eligible for graduate assistantships. Please see the Suggested MPA Pathway Study Plan  here.

  • Admissions Requirements to the General Accelerated Degree Pathway
    • Overall GPA of 3.25 or better.
    • Letter of recommendation from a faculty member at FIU or from a supervisor.
    • Current resume.
    • Letter-of-intent not to exceed three double-spaced pages explaining how earning the Master’s of Public Administration is consistent with long-term career goals. Students may also use this letter to discuss their passion for public issues or policies and to communicate to the admission committee if they feel that their admission file does not properly reflect their potential to succeed in graduate school.
    • Application to the combined pathway after having completed at least 75 credit hours in the bachelor's degree program.
    • Students must apply prior to the semester in which graduate credits will be counted towards their undergraduate degree program.
  • Courses Counted Toward both Degree Programs

    Students admitted into the General Accelerated (4+1) MPA Degree Pathway should take up to four courses from the list below toward satisfying both their bachelor's and MPA degree requirements:

    • PAD 6053: Political, Social and Economic Context of Public Administration must be taken within the first two semesters after a student is accepted into the Accelerated Degree Pathway.

    Students may select at least two of the following courses to be double counted (students may select three courses)

    • PAD 6227: Public Finance and the Budgetary Process
    • PAD 6306: Policy Analysis and Planning
    • PAD 6417: Human Resource Policy and Management
    • PAD 6434: Leadership and Decision-making
    • PAD 6701: Quantitative Methods in Public Administration
    • PAD 6726: Applied Research Methods for Accountability in Public and Non-Profit Organizations (Prerequisite: PAD 6701)
    • PAD 6718: Smart Governance

    If only two courses are selected from the above list, students may select one additional graduate-level course to be double counted. The course must have a course number of 5000 or higher and have a prefix of PAD, PUP, URP or URS.

Students in the Accelerated (4+1) MPA Degree Pathway should consult their advisor regarding substitutions of the courses mentioned above for undergraduate courses in their program.

Students must pass graduate courses with a grade of "B" or higher to count them toward their MPA degree. Students accepting into the Accelerated Degree Pathway must fulfill all the MPA requirements to receive their MPA degree.

  • Apply Now
    • BEFORE Applying: You must schedule an appointment with your undergraduate advisor to verify your eligibility. For further information contact Sara M. Suárez, MPA Program Coordinator (sarsuare@fiu.edu), and Dr. Nicki Fraser, Faculty Advisor (nfraser@fiu.edu). 
    • Complete the MPA application here.