The mission of Jacksonville State University’s MPA Program is to provide a diverse student population with the knowledge and core competencies to become effective public administrators. Through the use of a standardized public administration curriculum and interdisciplinary cooperation, our program is able to prepare students for leadership roles in a variety of public and non-profit organizations. Utilizing traditional classroom and on-line formats, our program is able to provide quality graduate education that promotes the values and ideals of public service to all students.
Application Deadlines
Deadline dates for applications and receipt of all required application materials are:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 1 | Fall Admission |
| November 1 | Spring Admission |
| April 1 | Summer Admission |
Any exceptions to these deadlines must be granted by the graduate program chair.
Application Materials Required for the MPA with a Concentration in Political Science
Applicants for the MPA must submit all of the following documentation to Graduate Admissions:
Graduate Admissions
Jacksonville State University
700 Pelham Road North
Jacksonville, Alabama 36265-1602
- Completed JSU Graduate Application for Admission.
- Non-refundable $35.00 application processing fee.
- Official transcripts from the baccalaureate degree awarding institution and all transcripts from institutions where post-baccalaureate work has been completed. To be considered for admission, applicants must hold a degree from an institutionally accredited institution or its foreign equivalent. (Students who have previously attended JSU do not need to request a transcript from the university.)
- A statement of purpose/interest that shows why the MPA degree is important to the applicant, what the applicant will bring to the program, and how the degree will benefit the applicant’s career aspirations.
- A professional resume, including academic history, employment, and voluntary/community work. Applicants with at least one year of full-time (or two years of part-time) administrative experience working for a federal, state, or local government, or a nonprofit organization, must include this experience on their resumes. Applicants should also provide a letter of reference from the federal, state, or local government agency or nonprofit organization. This letter must be on agency letterhead stating the job title, dates of employment, and nature of administrative experience and responsibilities.
- International student applicants must see the International Student Applicants section of this catalog for other application and enrollment requirements.
Admission Requirements for the MPA with a Concentration in Political Science
A particular undergraduate major is not specified for admission to this program.
Unconditional Admission
To be considered for unconditional admission, applicants must meet one of the following:
- A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.00 or higher on a 4.00 scale or
- A cumulative graduate GPA of 3.00 or higher on a 4.00 scale for applicants holding a graduate degree from an accredited institution
Conditional Admission
- Applicants who do not meet the criteria for unconditional admission and have a cumulative undergraduate GPA between 2.75 and 2.99 may be considered for conditional admission based on the merit of the required application materials submitted.
Applicants who are granted conditional admission must achieve a GPA of at least 3.00 on the first 12 graduate hours attempted. Failure to meet these conditions will result in the student being dropped from graduate studies.
Minimum Requirements for the MPA with a Concentration in Political Science
An overall 3.00 GPA is required on all coursework attempted for the master’s degree. Transfer credit cannot be used to raise the GPA to the required 3.00.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Public Administration Courses | ||
| PA 500 | Foundations of Public Administration | 3 |
| PA 501 | Public Policy Process and Analysis | 3 |
| PA 502 | Research Methods and Program Evaluation | 3 |
| PA 504 | Leadership and Ethics in the Public Sector | 3 |
| PA 531 | HR Management in the Public Sector | 3 |
| PA 532 | Budgeting and Finance in the Public Sector | 3 |
| PA 540 | Public Organizational Theory | 3 |
| PA 546 | Diversity in the Workplace | 3 |
| PA 599 | Capstone Project in Public Administration | 3 |
| Political Science Concentration Courses | ||
| Select twelve semester hours of the following: | 12 | |
| The American Executive | ||
| Intergovernmental Relations | ||
| Administrative Law | ||
Political Science course by advisement 1 | ||
| Total Hours | 39 | |
39 Graduate Semester Hours are Required for this Degree
- 1
The remaining graduate course (as noted above) will be selected from any of the political science classes for which students have met all prerequisites. This will be determined for each student based on interaction with their Political Science concentration advisor or the MPA Director.
Graduation and Comprehensive Exam
A comprehensive exam is required for this degree; please see the graduate advisor for full details. All students must apply for graduation by the given deadline of the semester in which they plan to graduate. Please see the Graduation and Comprehensive Exam section of this catalog for more information.