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Entrance Requirements

Those applying to the Masters in Public Administration (MPA) Program should provide the following to:
University of South Florida
Office of Graduate Admissions, FAO 100-N
4202 East Fowler Avenue
Tampa, FL 33620

1. Application (may also be submitted electronically)
2. Application fee (may be paid on-line)
3. Official sealed transcripts reflecting Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
4. Official sealed transcripts reflecting any graduate level work completed.
5. GRE test scores
6. International students should provide TOEFL scores.
   
   The following should be sent simultaneously to:
   University of South Florida
   Public Administration Program, SOC107
   4202 East Fowler Avenue
   Tampa, FL 33620-8100
7. A one-page career statement detailing your goals and aspirations, and how you believe a Masters in Public Administration will help to facilitate your goals.
8. Two letters of recommendation, one, if possible, from an academic.

Please Note:
If a letter from an academic cannot be obtained, two letters from supervisors, former supervisors, or other sources are acceptable.

Exit Requirements

Graduation Checks

Graduation checks are designed to coordinate completion of graduation requirements between the MPA Program and the student. Students are responsible for requesting graduation checks two full semesters prior to the anticipated semester of graduation.

Students planning to graduate in Spring (May), should request a graduation check prior to the beginning of Fall of the previous year.

Students planning to graduate in Summer (August), should request a graduation check prior to the beginning of Spring of the same year.

Students planning to graduate in Fall (December), should request a graduation check prior to the beginning of Summer of the same year.

Capstone Course

The Practice of Public Management, PAD 6056, is a capstone course designed as a final step before graduation. To be eligible to enroll in The Practice of Public Management, this must be the student’s 14th or 15th course in the program including the completion of PAD 6060, Public Administration: Theory and Practice, and PAD 5700, Research Methods in Public Administration. 

The Practice of Public Management is designed to provide the student with an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during studies in the MPA Program.  In addition, the course seeks to challenge the student’s managerial proficiency, and to develop skills in synthesizing and integrating conceptual frameworks, including the ability to relate these skills to real managerial situations. 

Students with GPAs below 3.0 may not register for the capstone. 

or Problem Report

The Problem Report focuses on a significant administrative/policy problem confronting a public or nonprofit manager or agency. Upon completion, the student should have demonstrated the ability to identify a problem and a set of solutions, collect and analyze relevant data, and present and defend a recommended course of action intended to solve the problem. The student is expected to present, and be prepared to defend these findings, both verbally and written, to a committee. This option is available only after the student has obtained faculty advisors and submitted a written proposal that complies with the problem Report requirements. Copies of the proposal guidelines and the Problem Report expectations may be obtained from M.P.A. faculty members, the M.P.A. program assistant, M.P.A. director, or downloaded from the Public Administration Web Site. Students selecting this exit option must complete four elective courses. This requirement is to be completed near the end of the student’s course of study. For in-service students, the problem selected for study should be outside the student's immediate work-related responsibilities. The Problem Report committee shall consist of at least two M.P.A. faculty and, when appropriate, a qualified person outside the M.P.A. Program. A minimum grade of "B" must be achieved on the Problem Report.

Students must register for PAD 6909, Problem Report, for three (3) credit hours.

A maximum of six (6) credit hours of Directed Research (PAD 6915) and/or Independent Study (PAD 6907) may be earned toward the M.P.A. degree. Enrollment in these courses is limited to students who want to do work in an area in which no formal course is available or in which they have already completed one or more formal courses. Students who enroll in Directed Research or Independent Study must describe their study/research plan on a contract furnished by the M.P.A. Program, on which, prior to registration, the student must obtain signatures of both the faculty supervisor and M.P.A. director.

Problem Report Guidelines