Accelerated BA to MPA
About Our Program
Virginia Tech undergraduates enrolled in a B.A. program are invited to fast-track their graduate education in Public Administration and Public Policy through the Accelerated BA-MPA program. This special program provides students the opportunity to study at a nationally ranked and accredited public administration graduate program, with the option to continue their study in Arlington (Washington, D.C. Metro), Blacksburg, Richmond, or online.
The Accelerated BA-MPA is designed for highly motivated students with the desire to build career options into their undergraduate curriculum. Upon completing the program, students are strategically positioned to jumpstart a career in impacting change — on a local, national or global level — through thoughtful scholarship and public service.
Benefits of the Accelerated BA-MPA
- Begin graduate coursework during your senior year
- BA courses count towards MPA
- Expedited timeline to obtain master’s degree
- No GRE or thesis requirement
- Nationally ranked and accredited MPA program
- Graduate courses in Arlington, Blacksburg, Richmond, or online
Students in the second semester of their junior year interested in pursuing careers in public service and policy, typically in federal, state, or local government or nonprofit organizations.
- Current enrollment as in a VT B.A. degree program
- Minimum 3.5 cumulative undergraduate GPA
- 75 credit hours of the undergraduate degree completed at time of application to the M.P.A. program
- Graduate School application form
- CV or resume
- Personal statement of motivation for graduate studies & career objectives
- Official undergraduate transcripts
- Three letters of recommendation (at least two academic references)
- Writing sample of 5-10 pages, optimally an academic paper from an upper division course in political science, sociology, PPE, or history, but papers from other fields may be submitted
Your MPA core classes can be used towards meeting elective requirements for your undergraduate credits. (Up to 12 credits may be double-counted.) Please consult about this plan with your undergraduate advisor to ensure that you will complete your B.A. in a timely fashion.
Senior Year (One Example Schedule—consult with advisor upon enrollment)
- Fall - PAPA 5315: Behavioral Skills for Managers (3 Credits)
- Fall - PAPA 6324: Public Personnel Processes and Their Policy Implications (3 Credits)
- Spring - PAPA 5316: Systems Skills for Managers (3 Credits)
- Spring - PAPA 6314: Public Budgeting Processes and Their Policy Implications (3 Credits)
- Summer - UAP 5184: Planning Administration (3 Credits)
- Summer - Internship (3 Credits)
Second Year of Graduate School
- Fall - PAPA 6214: Public Policy Processes* (3 Credits)
- Fall - PAPA 5014: Concepts and Approaches in Public Administration* (3 Credits)
- Fall - PAPA 6414: Normative Foundations of Public Administration (3 Credits)
- Fall - Elective (3 Credits)
- Spring - PAPA 5904: Project and Report (3 Credits)
- Spring - PAPA 6514: Public Administration and Policy Inquiry* (3 Credits)
- Spring - PAPA 6224: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Policy Programs* (3 Credits)
*These courses count towards 12 credit hours of undergraduate coursework.
Graduate with a Portfolio
Culminating the MPA program, students assemble, analyze, and present a portfolio of work that demonstrates knowledge and skills acquired through the program. The portfolio replaces the thesis as the final graduate project.
Center for Public Administration and Policy Graduate Contacts:
Tyler Wiltshire, Administrative Operations Coordinator
wilt15@vt.edu | 540-231-5133
Dr. Patrick Roberts, MPA Advisor
robertsp@vt.edu | 202-599-0562