Public Administration (MPA)

University Requirements

Application and Fee

Prospective students are required to use our online system to create an account and submit an application. The application opens approximately one year in advance and is only good for the term and program in which it is submitted. Applicants who have submitted their application and wish to change their admission term or major/concentration may submit a new application and associated application fee. If you would like to cancel an open application, please contact us.

A $30 (USD) application fee is required regardless of previous enrollment. The application fee is non-refundable and cannot be waived. Undergraduate application fees cannot be used for a graduate application, and vise versa. The application fee must be submitted prior to the review of an application.

Current students who would like to add or change a major, concentration or certificate should submit the Change of Concentration or Major form.

College Transcripts

All applicants must provide transcripts from a U.S. institution accredited by an accepted institutional accreditor or its equivalent from a non-US institution that awarded the bachelor’s degree and master’s degree, if applicable, and transcripts from institutions where any post-baccalaureate and/or graduate credits were earned.

All admits must provide official transcripts.

All international transcripts will require a course-by-course evaluation by an approved third-party credential evaluation agency unless a graduate program has established an alternative credential evaluation procedure that is approved by the graduate school. To be accepted, the evaluation must be:

1. Translated to English and be the U.S. equivalent
2. Evaluated course-by-course
3. Include the overall academic GPA
4. Be from an approved third-party accredited evaluation service. Recommended evaluation agencies: 
   • SpanTran. They have created a custom application for UNF that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. You can access their application through the SpanTran Application - UNF Graduate School portal.
   • Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
   • World Education Services

• The UNF Graduate School cannot request transcripts on an applicants behalf.
• Unofficial transcript copies are accepted for admissions but must clearly state the institution name, student name, course information, terms, grades, and credits. Degree audits are not accepted. Admitted students will be prompted to provide official transcripts. 
• If currently enrolled in courses, an incomplete transcript must be submitted before the posted deadline. 
• Applicants who also have to apply through systems such as ATCAS or PTCAS, must submit separate transcripts to UNF. 
• Official transcripts must:
  • Must be less than one year old from the date of printing
  • Must be submitted in a sealed envelope from your institution, or emailed through official electronic means.
• When requesting college transcripts, please verify with your institution(s) whether or not they are able to submit electronic transcripts in the proper EDI format. Institutions can submit transcripts via e-mail to graduateschool@unf.edu from an approved vendor such as ScriptSafe, Credentials, or Parchment. 
• Former or current UNF students should not request UNF transcripts. After application submission, the UNF requirement will be updated to a "waived" status.

Where do I send transcripts and test scores?

UNF Graduate School
1 UNF Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32224

graduateschool@unf.edu

GRE: institutional code 5490
GMAT: institutional code CF3QB51

Program Requirements

Specific Requirements

• Resume
• Letter of intent
• Two recommendations
  • Should be from persons familiar with the academic or work performance of the applicant
  • Recommenders must submit a letter of recommendation, and/or a rating form
• GRE test scores
  • Taken within the last 5 years
  • 153 verbal and 145 quantitative
  • GMAT is acceptable with minimum scores of 30 verbal and 29 quantitative
  • The GRE requirement is waived for applicants with at least a 3.25 GPA calculation from the last 60 undergraduate credits. Applicants are encouraged to contact the Graduate Program Director for more information on the GRE waiver
  • Applicants with an earned advanced degree (defined as a Master Degree at the minimum) from a regionally accredited institution, may request to have the GRE waived; applicants must contact the Graduate Program Director to request a waiver
• Each applicant must complete at least one undergraduate course in American government or the American political system, and one undergraduate course in statistics

Lower GRE or GMAT scores, or a lower GPA, may be considered acceptable for admission if review of an applicant's overall academic record and work experience suggests that the applicant has the potential for success in the MPA program. Students with a GPA below the minimum or with GRE or GMAT scores below the minimum may be admitted fully or conditionally upon review of their application by the MPA Graduate Program Director, in consultation with the MPA Steering Committee. Conditional admission means that a student is allowed to take up to three MPA courses on a trial basis. If each of these courses are completed with a grade of “B” or better, the student's conditional status will be changed to that of a fully-admitted graduate student. Applicants are also encouraged to arrange an admission interview with the MPA Graduate Program Director. This interview should be scheduled prior to the semester in which the applicant intends to begin the program.