Master of Public Administration

MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

PURPOSE

The Master of Public Administration Degree (MPA) program at Flagler College prepares students to lead and manage public and nonprofit organizations and private enterprises with significant interaction with government agencies. The 37-credit-hour curriculum is designed to help students understand the scope and activity of governance within a diverse and dynamic environment. Students will develop critical thinking skills, enabling them to formulate policies and approaches to management that ensure effective and ethical administration and analysis of public policies and programs.

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

ADMISSION

Applications for admission are submitted online.  Acceptance into the MPA program requires candidates to hold a bachelor’s degree with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale from a regionally accredited college or university.  Official copies of all college transcripts must be received prior to acceptance. The Office of Admissions first reviews the applications and then the Division of Graduate and Education Programs.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

There is a $50 application fee for the MPA program. Admitted students must submit a $100 deposit within 30 days of their acceptance to officially enroll. This deposit is credited to students’ accounts in their second semester of attendance.

TO APPLY FOR THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM:

• Complete the online application for admission, which can be accessed at https://flagler.tfaforms.net/217747
• Undergraduate Transcripts
  • Applicants must submit an official transcript from every institution they have attended.
  • Candidates must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Candidates with a cumulative undergraduate GPA below 3.0 must articulate their professional experience/accomplishments in their Letter of Intent for consideration.
• Letter of Intent – A statement of purpose clearly describing the academic and (if relevant) professional background of the candidate, as well as articulating their interest in the field of public administration.  The Letter of Intent should be 300-500 words
• Resume – A curriculum vitae that indicates relevant professional experience.
• Two Letters of Recommendation – One letter must be from an instructor familiar with the applicant’s academic performance and potential. Candidates can also provide letters from professional references.  These should focus on the skills that are likely to translate to graduate school success.
• Submit the required deposit within 30 days of the acceptance letter date.
• $50 application fee

CHARGES

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES AND CALENDAR

Classes for the MPA Program are offered online with a minimal residency requirement. Students will be required to attend an eight-hour on-campus orientation at the beginning of the program and an on-campus Capstone presentation at the end of the program. Four classes are scheduled per 16-week semester (two 8-week terms with two classes per term) for 12 semester hours.  Students must take a minimum of one class per term to remain enrolled at the College. Students must enroll for 9 hours per semester to be considered full-time. If a student takes four classes per semester, he or she may complete the program within 12 months.  The 2025-2026 MPA Calendar can be found on the College Calendar.

2025-2026 MPAD School Calendar

PAD and MPAD Graduate Programs Calendar

2025 – 2026

FALL 2025 SEMESTER

SPRING 2026 SEMESTER

SUMMER 2026 SEMESTER*

* DHH Summer Residency Dates TBD

* MPA Summer Capstone Residency Dates TBD

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The Master of Public Administration degree is awarded to students who meet the following conditions:

1. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 for all classes. 
2. Students who fail to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 may be subject to dismissal from the program.
3. Completion of the 37-credit-hour program.
4. Completion of the program within 4 years or matriculation.

MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION COURSES

Below is the list of courses that must be successfully completed in the MPA program. Any course substitution must be approved by the Program Director. 

FALL SEMESTER 2025/26

Fall Semester – A Term

PAD 501 Orientation to MPA – 1 credit (August or January residency)

PAD 506 Public Planning & Growth Management

PAD 507 Human Resource Management & Policy

Fall Semester – B Term

PAD 508 Quantitative Analysis for Effective Decision-Making

PAD 509 Organization Theory & Behavior (for Fall starts)

PAD 513 Capstone (for Spring starts)

SPRING SEMESTER 2025/26

Spring Semester – A Term

PAD 501 Orientation to MPA – 1 credit (August or January residency)

PAD 502 Public Administration in Theory & Application

PAD 503 Research Methodologies

Spring Semester – B Term

PAD 504 Administrative Law and Ethics in the Public Sector

PAD 505 Public Budgeting & Finance

PAD 513 Capstone (Summer 2024 starts)

SUMMER SEMESTER 2025/26

Summer Semester – A Term

PAD 510 Leadership & Conflict Resolution

PAD 511 Policy Analysis & Evaluation

Summer Semester – B Term

PAD 512 Managing Information & Technology in the Public Sector

PAD 509 Organization Theory & Behavior (for Spring starts)

PAD 513 Capstone (for Fall starts)

TEXTBOOKS

The Barnes & Noble Flagler College Campus Bookstore is your source for textbooks (used & new), textbook rentals, and e-books.  Information regarding the college bookstore can be accessed at https://flagler.bncollege.com/

STUDENT IDENTIFICATION CARDS

Student Identification Cards will be required for access to campus buildings, including Kenan Hall, Pollard Hall, the Proctor Library, and the Ringhaver Student Center.  Information on how to obtain Student Identification Cards will be presented at the Orientation for New Students.

PAYMENT OF TUITION AND FEES

Failure to meet financial obligations in a reasonable manner may result in the cancellation of a student’s enrollment.  Students with balances on their financial account will NOT be awarded a diploma or issued transcripts.  No charge adjustment will be made for any student whose enrollment is involuntarily terminated from the College.

REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION

Prospective graduates must complete an Application for Graduation within the first month of the student’s final semester of enrollment.  Information on the application is used to establish the student’s anticipated degree date and to confirm how the student wishes his or her name to appear on the diploma.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Flagler College affirms the value of academic honesty and requires all students to adhere to the highest standards of integrity in their academic work.  Students are entrusted to be honest in every phase of their academic life and to present as their own work only that which is genuinely theirs.  Cheating, plagiarism, violation of test conditions, complicity in dishonest behavior, unauthorized use of AI, or other falsification of academic work is a serious breach of college expectations and is subject to immediate disciplinary action.

Plagiarism is defined as any attempt to represent the work of another as one’s own original work.  More specifically, plagiarism is the direct appropriation of the language thoughts or ideas of another, or use of AI in completing assignments, either literally or in paraphrase, without appropriate notification of the source and in such fashion as to imply that the work is one’s own original work.  To this end, Flagler College subscribes to Turnitin.com, a web-based plagiarism detection service, which enables professors to determine if a paper has been documented properly.  This service is also available for use by students.

Instructors are responsible for explaining to students what constitutes academic dishonesty in relation to particular course requirements.  Instructors are also responsible for ensuring that examinations and quizzes are administered in a fashion that discourages dishonesty.

Depending upon the nature of the case, a student guilty of academic dishonesty may receive a penalty ranging from a grade of “F” for the work in question to expulsion from the College. The official actions of the College may be solely academic in nature or both academic and disciplinary.

Suspension or Dismissal during the Semester:  Students who are dismissed during the semester for academic reasons will receive a grade of withdraw (W) or withdraw failing (WF) for the courses in which they were enrolled.  The grades assigned by the instructors will be based on the student’s performance in achieving the objectives of the courses at the time of separation from the college.  Students who are suspended or dismissed during the semester for disciplinary reasons will be assigned a grade of W or WF, depending upon the time in the semester of their suspension or dismissal.

Administrative Withdrawal during the Semester:  Students who miss more than 20% of any course (two class sessions) for any reason will be administratively withdrawn from the class.  The transcript will reflect a grade of W or WF, depending upon the time in the semester at which the 20% limit is exceeded.  The course will need to be repeated at a future date.

CLASS ATTENDANCE

Flagler College holds all members of our community to the highest academic standards in its pursuit of academic excellence. Regular attendance and participation in classes and examinations are fundamental to this commitment. Students are, therefore, expected to attend and participate as part of their personal responsibility as members of this community.  Students who do not complete weekly assignments in their online courses may be considered absent for that week.

It is recognized, however, that students enrolled in the MPA may have professional commitments that may interrupt their course of study.  Such commitments may include, but are not limited to, mandatory training, military deployment, professional conferences, and emergency summons.  Students who exceed the allowable absences because of such commitments may be eligible, at the discretion of the instructor, to complete a special assignment that will compensate for the missed class.

“COHORT” SCHEDULING

The MPA program schedules classes in a “cohort” manner, moving students through sequences of classes in a block or cohort.  Class sections and faculty members are scheduled by the institution, eliminating the need to cancel sections with insufficient enrollment, deny students a seat when classes have been filled, or delay a graduation date because of schedule conflicts.  This type of scheduling removes many of the frustrations inherent in registering for classes. 

All MPA courses are offered in fully online formats, except for the previously stated residency requirements. Fully online courses will be synchronous and/or asynchronous, depending on the instructor’s preference.  Teaching methods will be clearly specified in the course syllabi.

GRADING OF ACADEMIC WORK

Final grades are available to students, via MyFlagler, at the conclusion of each semester and are recorded on the student’s permanent record.  The grading system is as follows:

For the purpose of computing a student’s grade point average, 4 quality points are given for each semester hour of A, 3.7 for each hour of A-, 3.3 for each hour of B+, 3 for each hour of B, 2.7 for each hour of B-, 2.3 for each hour of C+, 2 for each hour of C, 1.7 for each hour of C-, 1.3 for each hour of D+, and 1 for each hour of D.  A grade of F, WF, or I is counted as zero.  The grade point average is calculated by dividing the total hours attempted into the total quality points.

GRADE CORRECTION

Any errors in grades, including omissions, must be reported by the student to the Program Director.  A “Grade Correction Authorization” form may be obtained from the Program Director’s office and must be completed and signed by the appropriate faculty member. No corrections, additions, or changes will be made unless grade appeals are made within the first two weeks of the semester following the course’s term.  Failure to file a grade appeal within the time specified above will result in the original grade being filed on a permanent basis.

INCOMPLETE GRADE

A grade of I (Incomplete) is assigned by the instructor when a student is unable to complete a course due to extenuating circumstances and when all requirements can be completed in a short time following the end of a term. In the absence of justifiable cause, an incomplete grade will not be assigned.

To receive an incomplete grade, a student must initiate the process by completing a “Request for Incomplete Grade” form. The form is available in the Program Director’s Office, and it must be signed by the student and the instructor.

The student is responsible for making arrangements with the instructor to complete the requirements for the course and to remove the incomplete grade within eight weeks following the term in which the incomplete grade was received. The eight-week period is the maximum time allowed, and the instructor should establish an earlier date if possible. Students who fail to complete the course requirements within the prescribed period will automatically receive an F grade for the course.

Incomplete grades are included as a grade of F in the calculation of a student’s grade point average until the course is completed.  Upon completion of the course requirements, the incomplete grade will be removed, and the final course grade will be used to compute the student’s grade point average.

APPEAL OF GRADE

Generally, faculty decisions regarding academic matters within their purview are not subject to appeal unless the student can present evidence indicating mitigating circumstances of a substantial nature.  To minimize such occasions, it is anticipated that members of the faculty will provide students with an adequate explanation of course requirements and grading standards.  It is expected that attendance requirements and other standards pertaining to classroom deportment will be explicit.  Also, grading procedures should be designed to inform students of their relative standing.

A student has the right to appeal a course grade, provided there is evidence that the grade is an inaccurate assessment of the student’s work or that it is inconsistent with stated grading criteria.  The student must first consult with the instructor to clarify the grading method used and the rationale for the grade issued.  If the matter cannot be resolved between the student and the instructor, then the student should consult with the Program Director, who will inform the student of his or her decision.

If a student wishes to appeal the decision of the Program Director, he or she must submit a formal written appeal to the Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences.  Such an appeal must be submitted within two weeks of the beginning of the next semester and should contain information pertinent to the appeal.  The Dean or his/her designee may dismiss a grade appeal for lack of merit, render a final decision on the matter, or appoint a faculty committee to review the appeal and consider all related evidence.  If a committee is appointed, the committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, who may accept or reject the recommendation with the advice of the Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences.  In either case, the decision of the Vice President of Academic Affairs is final. 

If an instructor is no longer employed by the College, the student grade documentation will be used in the event of a grade appeal.  The grade documentation will be maintained in the Registrar’s Office for one year and then destroyed.

When a student wishes to appeal some other disciplinary action (e.g., expulsion from class) taken by a faculty member, the student must first contact the faculty member and obtain a thorough explanation of the reasons for the faculty member’s action.  If, in the student’s opinion, the reasons provided are inadequate or the action taken is too severe, the student should then contact the Program Director.  The Program Director may counsel the faculty member and the student to resolve the matter.  The Program Director, however, is not authorized to require that a student be reinstated in a class; the Program Director should submit a recommendation to the Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, who may rule on the matter or schedule a hearing with the faculty member and the student. If a hearing is scheduled, the Dean will consider all information and evidence presented and forward a recommendation for final disposition to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The decision of the Vice President of Academic Affairs is final.

TRANSFER CREDITS FROM ANOTHER INSTITUTION

Applicants may transfer up to 9 credit hours of graduate courses from another regionally accredited institution. Transfer credits must be comparable to courses listed in the Flagler College MPA course catalog. However, credits earned to complete a previous Master’s degree elsewhere may not be applied to the Flagler graduate degree.  All hours must be completed prior to enrolling in the Flagler Master’s program. 

Approval to apply any transferred credits toward a degree program must be granted by the student’s academic advisor, the program director, and the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Transfer credits must meet the following criteria:

·       Earned at a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an officially recognized degree-granting international institution

·       Be of “A” or “B” grade value (“B-” grades are not acceptable; pass-fail grades are not transferable unless substantiated by the former institution as having at least “B” quality)

·       Appear on an official graduate transcript

·       Earned within five years prior to the date of registration to the degree program at Flagler.

If transferring credits from a university/college that is on quarter hours, quarter hours are converted to semester hours by multiplying the number of quarter hours by two-thirds.

WITHDRAWALS

It is recognized that students enrolled in the Master of Public Administration Degree program may find it necessary to withdraw for a semester or for a longer period to fulfill professional and/or family responsibilities.  If a student finds it necessary to withdraw, he or she must provide written notification to the Office of the Registrar (registrar@flagler.edu). 

FALSIFICATION OF RECORDS

A student withheld or given false information on his or her application for admission or readmission is subject to suspension or expulsion.

MPA COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

PAD - 501 Orientation to MPA – 1 credit (August or January residency) 

This course serves as part of the mandatory residency requirement and an introduction to the MPA program at Flagler College. Program expectations, requirements, and resources will be discussed.

PAD 502 - Public Administration in Theory & Application 

A basic introduction to public administration for graduate students. Topics include the role of bureaucracy in the political process, theories of public organization, bureaucratic discretion and accountability, policy implementation, and the changing nature of public administration.

PAD 503 - Research Methodologies 

 This course is designed to educate students on advanced research design, data collection, data analysis, and ethics in research.  Completion of a college-level quantitative reasoning course is recommended.

PAD 504 - Administrative Law and Ethics in the Public Sector 

This course examines fundamental concepts of law as commonly applied to and by government agencies.  Key concepts discussed include legislative delegation, agency discretion, judicial review, and constitutional principles such as procedural and substantive due process.

PAD 505 - Public Budgeting & Finance  

An introduction to the theory and practice of public budgeting and financial management.  Topics include basic management of public funds, preparation and processing of public budgets, revenue projections, expenditure controls, and fiscal policy.

PAD 506 - Public Planning & Growth Management 

This course explores the fundamental techniques, processes, and skills required to understand and effectively develop land use and growth management plans.

PAD 507 - Human Resource Management & Policy 

An introduction to the guiding principles of human resources management. Emphasis is placed on the effective implementation of a comprehensive human resources program, including recruitment, development, evaluation, and motivation of employees.

PAD 508 - Quantitative Analysis for Effective Decision Making

This course is designed to help students develop a real-world understanding of business analytics, quantitative methods, and management science.  Representative topics include organizing work, managing workers, measuring performance, and overcoming resistance to performance-enhancing innovations.

PAD 509 - Organization Theory & Behavior

This course provides a comprehensive overview of organization theory and behavior regarding public management. Students will examine how various schools of thought on how to structure and manage complex organizations.

PAD 510 - Leadership & Conflict Resolution 

This course focuses on the study of leadership in public organizations through an exploration of concepts in leadership, management, professionalism, ethical behavior, administration, organization theory, networking, collaboration, and personal development.

PAD 511 - Policy Analysis and Evaluation

A review of policy analysis and evaluation theory and practice within a dynamic democratic environment.  Completion of a college-level quantitative reasoning course is recommended.

PAD 512 - Managing Information & Technology in the Public Sector 

This course is designed to introduce public administrators to the world of information management. It concerns the use of information and communication technologies in delivering public services management and enhancing effective and efficient government operations.

PAD 513 - Capstone (Residency for Presentation) 

Students demonstrate mastery of the theory and practice of public administration in their final capstone presentation. The Capstone presentation will be held on campus and serve as the final part of the student’s residency requirement.  This course is intended only for those students completing the MPA program.