Public Administration Accelerated Masters Program

Accelerated Master of Public Administration (MPA-AMP)

The MPA-AMP allows undergraduate-level students to begin work in the MPA program while completing their undergraduate degree at GWU. Students must be registered for at least 60 credit hours (junior year status) to apply to the program. Credit hours may include both transfer credit hours accepted by GWU and institutional credit hours.

Students enrolled in this program can take up to two graduate courses (6 hours) towards the MPA while completing their undergraduate degree at GWU, if they earn a B (3.0) or better in each graduate course. Up to 6 hours of graduate courses will count in both the undergraduate and the graduate programs.

Application and Admission

Qualified Gardner-Webb University undergraduate students may apply for admission to the Accelerated Master’s Program in Public Administration. Program-specific admission requirements for full acceptance into the MPA-AMP program are the following:

1. Complete at least 60 undergraduate credits (junior year status);
2. Meet the regular full admission requirements for the program by meeting one of the following:
   1. A graduate degree from a regionally accredited university, OR
   2. A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university with a minimum 3.0 overall GPA or minimum 3.0 GPA in the last 60 credit hours of courses, OR
   3. A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university with a minimum 2.5 overall GPA or minimum 2.5 GPA in the last 60 credit hours of courses, AND at least three years of professional work experience within a relevant industry sector as determined by the Admissions Committee and verified by a professional resume.
3. Apply for the MPA-AMP through the office of the Chair of the Department of Public Service; and
4. Obtain approval of your course plan from both your undergraduate advisor and the Chair of the Department of Public Service

Students admitted to the MPA-AMP program who achieve a 3.0 GPA or better in their graduate-level courses and maintain at least a 3.0 undergraduate GPA will be granted seamless admission to the MPA program upon receiving their baccalaureate degree.

Courses

Students who complete an undergraduate criminal justice, homeland security, or human services degree at GWU are eligible to pursue the 36-hour MPA degree. If the maximum of 6 credit hours is double-counted towards both the undergraduate and graduate degrees, the student must complete a minimum of 30 additional credit hours of graduate-level coursework to complete the MBA degree. For a course to apply toward both degrees, the student must earn a grade of B (3.0) or better in the course.

All degree requirements for the 36-hour MPA will remain the same. The following courses may be counted toward both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees:

PADM 601 (Public Administration Institutions & Values) will serve as credit for PADM 205 toward the 120-credit hour graduation requirement.  

PADM 608 (Leadership in Public Administration) will serve as credit for CJAD 420 or HSEC 420 or CJC 420 (Administrative Decision Making for Public Service) or  HUS 416 (Leadership in the Helping Profession) toward the 120-credit hour graduation requirement.