Accelerated Bachelors to Masters (ABM) Program
Students majoring in Human Development and Family Science may apply to the Accelerated Bachelors to Masters (ABM) program. The ABM program provides students with the opportunity to apply up to 12-credit hours of Master of Public Administration (MPA) coursework towards both their undergraduate and graduate degree requirements.
The MPA is a professional graduate degree designed for management and administration within the public sector and nonprofit organizations. The MPA degree provides you with focused training to work in a leadership role, helping you master a broad set of skills including budgeting and finance, economic analysis, human resource management, policy analysis, information technology, resource development and grant writing, program evaluation and board governance.
Students interested in pursuing the ABM program should speak to their undergraduate advisor and/or HDFS faculty member, as well as the MPA program director prior to submitting an application.
MPA-ABM with Human Development and Family Science B.S.
Degree Requirements: 39 Credit Hours
The MPA-ABM with Human Development and Family Science B.S. is designed to allow students to enter the Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree program after completing 75 credit hours. Students admitted into the MPA-ABM program may take up to 12 graduate credit hours within the undergraduate Human Development and Family Science degree program that will count toward the MPA. There must be a minimum of 150 unique credit hours between the two programs.
Admission Requirements
Students may be accepted into the MPA-ABM program if all of the criteria are met:
- Student must have earned a minimum of 75 credit hours and have completed an application for admission to the MPA-ABM program.
- Student must be a declared major in the Human Development and Family Science B.S.
- Student must have a minimum GPA of 3.25.
- Student must meet all of the other criteria for Regular Admission into the MPA program. Provisional Admission will not be allowed.
Program of Study
Students in the MPA-ABM should take the following courses, preferably beginning with six credit hours during the spring semester of their junior year. A total of nine credit hours will fall within the “Guided Major Electives” block of the Human Development and Family Science degree program. Additionally, students will utilize either a free elective slot or elect to complete a nine (instead of 12) credit hour internship to account for the remaining three graduate credit hours. Students should work with their academic advisor to determine the most appropriate pathway.
| Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| PBAD 7130 Ethics for Public Service Organizations | 3 |
| PBAD 7230 Budgeting in Public Service Organizations | 3 |
| PBAD 7530 Research Methods for Public Service Organizations | 3 |
| PBAD 7631 Foundations of Public Administration | 3 |
| 12 Hours |
Students may declare a Minor in Public Administration and fulfill the minor requirements by completing an additional PBAD/NMLI course in the minor program. The MPA-ABM courses substitute for courses in the minor program as follows: PBAD 7130 for PBAD 4232, PBAD 7230 for PBAD 3431, PBAD 7530 for PBAD 4235, and PBAD 7631 for PBAD 2231.
Are you an HDFS student interested in pursuing the MPA-ABM?
Email our faculty directly:
Dr. Jennifer Zorovotich jzorotovich@georgiasouthern.edu
Last updated: 8/11/2023
