“It’s a degree that aids you in managing and leading public organizations regardless of what field it’s in,” Director of the Public Administration Program, Joel Bolante said.
Flagler’s MPA Program is designed to equip students for leadership roles within public, non-profit, and private sectors. It provides a comprehensive understanding of government operations and private sector regulations, setting professionals up for success in their respective fields.
The Program requires minimal campus presence, making it particularly accessible for working adults and parents seeking to continue their education.
“With our fixed schedule, all classes are offered at least once per year – allowing you to complete your degree in a year or at a pace that best suits your lifestyle,” Bolante said. “Entering students will always know when a course will be offered, unlike peer institutions throughout Florida that offer a menu of classes with no fixed schedule.”
Flagler stands out with a 37-credit-hour program curriculum following a fixed schedule, ensuring all classes are offered at least once per year during the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters - allowing students to complete their degree in as little as one year or at a pace that suits their lifestyle. More details about the course schedule can be found on the MPA Programs and Courses webpage.
The application deadline for admission into the Fall 2024 MPA Cohort is Aug. 1, 2024.
Although newly launched, Bolante said there has been consistent enthusiasm for the launch of Flagler’s MPA Program. This is partially thanks to the highly respected reputation of the Public Administration Degree (PAD) Program that precedes it.
“With nearly 700 alumni, the undergraduate PAD Program enjoys a stellar reputation amongst civil servants and public sector agencies throughout northeast Florida,” Bolante said.
Some notable PAD alumni in the region include St. Johns County Sheriff Robert Hardwick, St. Johns County Director of Public Works Greg Caldwell, and St. Augustine Fire Marshal Abby Pedigo.
“To this day I still get calls from alumni who graduated as early as 2005 telling me how they still use their toolbox of knowledge in public administration to help in making decisions for their organizations,” Bolante said.
He said these are the same alumni reaching out with interest for this graduate program. Even though there are other public administration master's programs on the market, Bolante said they want to get theirs with Flagler, in their own community.
“We’ve had a big demand from PAD alumni who all acknowledge the many public administration master’s degrees available out there but say that they want theirs from Flagler College,” he said.
St. Johns County Sheriff Robert Hardwick, 2008 alumnus of Flagler’s PAD program said the degree was an especially relevant undertaking for career in law enforcement. He’s been eager to continue his public administration studies, especially if it could be “right here in St. John’s County.”
“You hate to stop the momentum,” Sheriff Hardwick said on a recent Flagler College podcast episode about the MPA launch.
“That same crew is hungry for graduate level studies,” referring to his peers in law enforcement who went through Flagler’s PAD Program, confirming Bolante’s observation of a hunger for such a program in St. Augustine.
Sheriff Hardwick noted that a graduate degree is “kind of the minimum” for advancement within law enforcement “this day in age.” He said, “when [they] promote someone,” in the Sheriff’s Office they look for higher level degree completion.
He valued the PAD experience for the chance to “share experiences,” with fellow public administration public and service professionals. The MPA Program will continue to create that open and collaborative environment.
After reviewing the admissions requirements and completing and application for the MPA Program, qualified students will be admitted through a cohort model. This model allows classmates of diverse professional backgrounds to learn in collaboration with each other and fully leverage the resources that are available to them through Flagler’s MPA Program.
“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,” Bolante said.
With the MPA Program’s promising trajectory, Flagler anticipates attracting students from across the state and, eventually, nationwide. Bolante also revealed long-term plans to expand the curriculum to include concentrations in areas such as hospital administration, homeland security, environmental policies & sustainability, and not-for-profit work.
He said some of these proposed concentrations would have natural ties to the program’s locale in St. Augustine, opening doors to continued community partnerships with industry experts.
“St. Augustine is a perfect locality for, as an example, environmental policy and coastal sustainability,” Bolante said.
Whatever the program expands to be, Bolante is confident its mission to educate the public servants and leaders who shape our community is invaluable.
“If we are going to serve that highly educated public, the public servants should be- at the very least- just as educated as the folks that they’re serving,” Bolante said.
