Prospective Masters Students
   
MPA Admissions

Thank you for your interest in the Reubin O’D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy. We look forward to working with you throughout the admission process. The Florida State University Graduate Online Application can be found at http://admissions.fsu.edu. The newly implemented application process incorporates both the University’s and Askew School’s application materials. The first step in the online application process is to create an account.

Please contact the Reubin O’D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy at 850 644-3525 if you should have questions or need assistance.

MPA – Public Administration

Official copies of the GRE and TOEFL scores should be sent to the University Graduate Admissions Office.  Please note that failure to submit all required documents will delay processing of your application.

Requirements

Our objective is to select a diverse group of students with academic ability and potential for career growth who are committed to public service. MPA candidates seeking regular admission must meet the University's quantitative standards (a grade point average of at least 3.0 on all upper division work or a combined total of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE), offer letters of recommendation (including two from professors), and prepare a career goal statement. The Graduate Record Examination is required.

If students meet the minimum university admission requirements but their records indicate some weakness in preparation for graduate work, a provisional admission may be granted. The provisions may include special requirements for additional diagnostic work to enhance students' chances of success or particular performance requirements for the first semester or two.

A very limited number of exceptions to the minimal university requirements are available on a competitive basis with attention given to affirmative action. Some students who do not meet the minimum qualifications attempt to prove their ability to do graduate work by enrolling as "special students" (consult University Bulletin). Students who choose to try this route to admission should enroll in PAD 5050, 5700, and one other core course, and have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 for all graduate work undertaken at the University. Students are forewarned, however, that the number of exceptions is very limited (less than 6 in a calendar year) and successful performance as a special student in no way assures admission to the MPA program. A number of special students who have maintained a 3.0 have not been admitted due to the strong competition for the exceptions.

If a student does not gain admission into the MPA program, they may pursue one of the 15- or 18-hour certificate programs in public administration. A limit of twelve graduate credit hours taken as a special student can be transferred into the MPA program if and when the student is admitted, so special students should take no more than 12 hours of (or four) graduate courses.

Transfer Credit


Transfer of course credits from another graduate school is normally limited to nine semester hours of fairly recent courses. Where special circumstances exist, such as a cooperative degree program, more transfer credits (up to 15 credit hours) may be accepted. Students should submit appropriate information, such as a course syllabus, to the MPA program director for approval of all transfer courses. Students must seek prior approval if they plan to take a course elsewhere and apply it to the degree.

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