Admission Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited or internationally recognized college or university. Official transcripts of all previous college or university studies must be submitted.
• Submission of a completed application form with a $30.00 non-refundable fee. The fee is waived for Barry University alumni.
• A current professional resume, to include work history/experience.
• Two original and verifiable letters of recommendation from professional and/or academic sources.
• A "statement of purpose" essay of at least 750 words, which explains why the applicant wishes to pursue their chosen degree and how it will help to fulfill their personal and professional goals. Applicants should also describe in detail their accomplishments, experiences, values, potential for professional excellence, and commitment to completing their chosen degree program.
• International applicants whose previous college or university studies were not in English must earn a minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or 79 on the internet-based versions of this test. Applicants must also satisfy all of criteria which are outlined in the section of the University Graduate Catalog on International Applicants.
• Students may also submit the IELTS results. Barry University requires a band score of 6.5 or higher. For more information, please visit www.ielts.org or www.toefl.org.

In order to receive full admission, all of the above items should be submitted before applicants register for their first courses. If any item is missing or incomplete, applicants may be granted provisional acceptance and may be allowed to register for a limited number of credit hours while stipulated admission or academic requirements are being satisfied.In this situation, full admissions to the program is neither implied nor guaranteed.

All MPA applicants will be considered within two major categories--those that have attained an undergraduate cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 and above, or those who have attained a GPA below 3.00. The two major categories will be further divided into two sub-categories--those applicants with a Bachelor of Public Administration or similar undergraduate degree and those who have completed undergraduate degrees in another field or discipline (i.e. Business, Computer Science, etc.). If necessary, an applicant's undergraduate degree will be considered on a case by case basis.

The following table depicts how the admissions criteria categories and sub-categories function:

Students requiring either or both the “Graduate” workshop (PUB 511 W) or “Introduction” course (PUB 501) will be admitted provisionally, must take them in their first term, and successfully complete them to be fully admitted to the program. Additionally, students are permitted to register for a three (3) credit, 500 level Public Administration course (PUB 503, PUB 535, or PUB 545) in their first semester while seeking full admission to the program. A failure to pass the “Graduate” workshop or obtain a “B” or better in the first six (6) graduate level credits will result in dismissal from the program.

Students provisionally admitted to the MPA program are permitted to register for a maximum of six (6) credits in their first semester along with PUB 511W as prescribed above. Students will not be permitted to take any other graduate courses, provisionally or otherwise (i.e., upon application), before full acceptance.

Admitted to Class (Class Enrollment for Students Not Yet Admitted)
Applicants to the Masters of Public Administration program are not permitted to enroll in classes before the application process is complete and a decision is rendered for admission.

NOTE: Falsification of any information in this documentation will be considered a violation of the University’s Academic Dishonesty Policy and appropriate measures will be taken. Measures may include rejection of an application or dismissal from the degree program, if the applicant has begun course work.