Master of Public Administration

The University of North Georgia (UNG) offers a 36 credit hour Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree in order to serve qualified, professionally oriented college graduates who aspire employment in the public sector, in a nonprofit organization, or in a corporate setting having extensive interaction with governmental agencies. The MPA program is designed to serve students who are currently employed in a public-service organization or are contemplating a new career in public and human services. The MPA program is intended to be challenging in order to make a student’s investment of time worthwhile, but also flexible to accommodate the schedules of both full-time and part-time students and to allow students with a variety of interests to profit from the program’s curricular options. Applications from prospective graduate students are welcome year ‘round. A student accepted into the program may begin to pursue graduate study in any semester, provided that work begins within three semesters of the student’s offer of admission to the MPA program.

For additional information, call the Master of Public Administration Program, Department of Political Science & International Affairs, 706-864-1628, or write to Master of Public Administration Program, Department of Political Science & International Affairs, Hansford Hall, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA 30597-1001.

Graduate Admissions Procedures

Application materials may be obtained from Graduate Admissions or from the MPA website. Applicants must pay a non-refundable application fee. Admission requirements are listed below. When all application materials have been received by Graduate Admissions, the applicant will be notified and a copy of all materials will be forwarded to the program. Upon review, a letter from Graduate Admissions will be mailed to the applicant verifying acceptance or denial.

Students who are admitted but do not enroll within three semesters of acceptance must reapply to the program by submitting to Graduate Admissions a new application for readmission. Students who were previously enrolled but have not been in attendance within three semesters must also reapply to the program by submitting to Graduate Admissions a new application for readmission. All documents and materials submitted to fulfill the application requirements for entry to a program at UNG become the property of the university and will not be returned. Materials are kept for one year for incomplete application files and for three years for complete application files.

MPA Admission Requirements

The following documents must be received prior to admission:

1. Graduate Admissions application.
2. Non-refundable application fee.
3. Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education previously attended. International transcripts must have a course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES). Official evaluations must include certification that the applicant’s course work and degrees earned are equivalent to course work and degrees earned from a regionally accredited institution of higher education in the United States and include a cumulative grade point average.
4. Official scores on the Graduate Record Exam General Test (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) - only if the GRE is to be used as a basis for admission and only those scores that are less than five years old will be considered.
5. Two UNG recommendation forms.
6. Proof of lawful presence in the United States, if applying for in-state tuition.
7. Six-hundred word personal statement describing the specific interest in the MPA degree and any background in the field of public administration.

Regular Admission

To qualify for regular admission, an individual must meet all program admission requirements and:

1. Hold an earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited, four-year institution with at least a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 (4.0 scale) calculated in accordance with Graduate Admissions procedures.
2. Meet all other admission requirements.

Meeting all admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the program. Final admission is a competitive process that takes all aspects of a student’s record into account.

Provisional Admission

To qualify for provisional admission, an individual must:

1. Hold an earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited, four-year institution with at least a cumulative grade point average of 2.50 (4.0 scale) calculated in accordance with Graduate Admissions procedures.
2. Have received an acceptable score on one of the appropriate entrance tests for the MPA program of at least 280 (verbal and quantitative combined) on the GRE or 340 on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
3. Meet all other program admission requirements.

Students admitted provisionally may register for no more than a maximum of nine semester hours of graduate credit while enrolled with this status. Number of semester hours in which a provisional student may enroll will be determined in consultation with the MPA program coordinator. Provisionally admitted students who earn a grade of C or lower in any course taken during the provisional period will not be allowed to continue in the MPA program. A student who has been removed because of a deficient grade may reapply after a period of three semesters from the date the student was removed by submitting to Graduate Admissions a letter of appeal addressed to the MPA program coordinator and a new application for readmission.

Provisionally admitted students are not eligible for financial aid.

Non-Degree Admission

An individual who is interested in taking graduate public-administration courses, but who does not want to pursue a graduate degree, may apply for admission as a non-degree graduate student. Individuals must receive pre-approval from the MPA program coordinator before enrolling in courses and may register for no more than a total of nine hours of graduate credit.

The following documents must be received prior to admission:

1. Graduate Admissions application.
2. Non-refundable application fee.
3. Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education previously attended with at least a 2.75 overall cumulative grade point average in accordance with Graduate Admissions procedures. International transcripts must have a course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES). Official evaluations must include certification that the applicant’s course work and degrees earned are equivalent to course work and degrees earned from a regionally accredited institution of higher education in the United States and include a cumulative grade point average.
4. Two UNG recommendation forms.
5. Official scores on the Graduate Record Exam General Test (GRE) of at least 285 (verbal and quantitative combined) or at least 420 on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
6. Proof of lawful presence in the United States, if applying for in-state tuition.
7. Meet all other admission requirements.

Non-degree admitted students who earn a grade of C or lower in any graduate public-administration course taken while holding a non-degree status will not be allowed to continue in the MPA program. A student who has been removed because of a deficient grade may reapply to the program after a period of three semesters from the date the student was removed by submitting to Graduate Admissions a letter addressed to the MPA program coordinator and a new application for readmission.

A non-degree student wishing to apply for degree-seeking admission to the MPA program must notify the MPA program coordinator, submit a new application to Graduate Admissions, and meet all program admission requirements. All elective credit to be applied toward a degree must be approved by the MPA program coordinator.

Non-degree students are not eligible for financial aid.

Transient Student Admission

An individual currently enrolled at a regionally accredited college or university as a graduate student in good standing may apply to UNG as a transient student. Individuals must receive pre-approval from the program coordinator before enrolling in courses. Requests will be considered on a space-available basis.

The following documents must be received prior to admission:

1. Graduate Admissions application.
2. Non-refundable application fee.
3. Letter of good standing or transient permission form documenting that the student is not on academic probation or suspension or on disciplinary suspension at the student’s home institution. The letter or form should state that the student is in good standing and should indicate the course(s) the student is being allowed to take at UNG.
4. Proof of lawful presence in the United States, if applying for in-state tuition.
5. Meet all other admission requirements.

Transient admission is for one semester only. An individual who wishes to return to UNG as a transient student for a subsequent semester must apply to Graduate Admissions for readmission.

Appeal of Graduate Admission

A candidate whose application is denied because the graduate admission cumulative grade point average is below the minimum requirement for the program or because an acceptable test score for an appropriate entrance exam was not earned has the right to appeal the decision. An appeal must be made in written form to the Master of Public Administration Program, Department of Political Science & International Affairs, Hansford Hall, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA 30597-1001. The letter should clearly state the grounds for appeal. A student whose appeal is accepted will be admitted provisionally and is not eligible for financial aid while enrolled with this status. Students may not appeal for regular admission.

MPA Transfer Residency Requirement

To be awarded a Master of Public Administration degree, students must earn a minimum of 27 semester hours of graduate degree requirements in residence. In addition, no more than 9 semester hours of transfer credit may be applied toward meeting the MPA degree requirements. The MPA program coordinator and the Dean of the College of Arts & Letters must approve all transfer credit. Transfer credit will not be given for any course in which a grade of C or lower was earned.  To apply for transfer credit, a student must complete the transfer of graduate credit form (myUNG password required) and submit the form to the MPA program coordinator for approval.

MPA Academic Policies

Incomplete Grades

The MPA program adheres to the uniform grading system in the Academic Information  section of the Graduate Catalog. No student carrying two incomplete (“I”) marks, either of which has been extended over one semester, may enroll in additional course work without the written consent of the MPA program coordinator. No degree will be conferred on a student who has an unresolved “I” mark remaining on his/her transcript.

Repeated Courses

No student enrolled in the MPA program and no non-degree student taking MPA courses may repeat courses for credit in an attempt to improve a grade.

Academic Standing Policy

MPA students who have been regularly admitted and whose academic performance is unsatisfactory will be subject to the following:

1. Probation – Student will be placed on probation for any of the following reasons:
   a. Student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0.
   b. Student earns a U or any other grade of C or lower.
   c. Student earns any third grade below a B (including U).
   
   No student may be a candidate for the degree while on probation due to a grade point average below a 3.0. Probation will be removed when the student’s grade point average reaches 3.0 or higher. Students who are on probation may not register until advised.

2. Suspension – Student will be placed on suspension for any of the following reasons:
   a. Student earns more than two grades of C (including U’s).
   b. Student has already served three consecutive semesters on academic probation.
   
   The period of suspension will consist of one semester (fall, spring, or summer). No student may enroll in graduate courses at UNG while on suspension. Courses taken at another institution during the period of suspension will not be recognized for transfer credit. If suspended, a student must reapply to the program by submitting to Graduate Admissions a new application for readmission. A student seeking reinstatement in the MPA program must petition the MPA program coordinator in writing presenting a rationale for reinstatement. The student will be readmitted only upon approval of the Dean of the College of Arts & Letters and the MPA program coordinator.

Academic and Professional Integrity Policy

Students are expected to perform in accordance with the regulations stated in the Academic Information  section of the Graduate Catalog. All of the rules, regulations, and standards published in the “Regulations of the MPA Program” are incorporated by reference in this catalog. Each student is responsible for obtaining a copy of this document and for adhering to its contents.

At the end of each semester, the program faculty or MPA program coordinator may intervene to establish a plan of action for any student in the program whose competency is in question for reasons including unprofessional, disruptive, or unethical behavior in the classroom or applied setting. The plan should be signed by the student and the MPA program coordinator with copies forwarded to the Dean of the College of Arts & Letters.

Academic Integrity

The University of North Georgia recognizes honesty and integrity as being necessary to the academic functioning of the university. UNG graduate students are expected to uphold the university regulations addressed in the Student Code of Conduct, Article 3, Rule 2.

Professional Integrity

The MPA program adheres to the university’s definition of professional integrity as described in the Academic Information  section of the Graduate Catalog.

MPA Degree Requirements

Graduation requirements for the Master of Public Administration student include:

1. Completion of 27 designated semester hours of core courses.
2. Completion of nine semester hours of courses in one of the designated concentration areas.
3. Cumulative grade point average of 3.0, with no more than two courses with a grade of C.
4. Successful completion of the research practicum requirement.
5. Completion of at least 27 semester hours of graduate degree requirements in residence with no more than nine semester hours of transfer credit.
6. Completion of all degree-related course requirements, including any transfer credit, within a six-year period.