Academic Policies, Procedures & Forms
Student and Academic Services (SAS) serves as the primary contact for academic information and assistance for SPAA students, including academic advising. (Please refer to the BA Academic Advising or MPA Academic Advising sections below for advisement information specific to each degree program.)
- The SAS office is located on the 1st floor of the SPAA building (111 Washington Street). Enter the SAS office from the first floor lobby of the building, using the door down the hallway to the left of the elevator. For in-person visits, you must ring the doorbell. General questions and concerns can be handled through the SAS office's front desk and do not require an appointment. The front desk is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 4:30pm.
- Questions can also be answered via the Virtual Counter, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm.
- If you need additional support, please contact the SAS team at spaa.sas@newark.rutgers.edu.
Rutgers University / General
- Register for courses online using Rutgers WebReg. This service is available to all students at the university during registration unless they have a hold on their account.
- For the most up-to-date information regarding upcoming registration, please check out the general registration guidelines.
SPAA Students
- For undergraduate registration questions, please contact the assistant dean for undergraduate programs, Alyssa LaPatriello, at alapat@newark.rutgers.edu.
- For MPA registration questions, please contact the assistant dean for graduate programs, Reena Patel, at reepatel@newark.rutgers.edu.
- Students should familiarize themselves with Rutgers University's Policy on – and disciplinary process associated with – plagiarism and review Rutgers University Academic Integrity Policy.
- To ensure academic integrity, professors may rely on plagiarism detection programs that all Rutgers faculty have at their disposal.
For academic advising, SPAA students can 1) make ADVISING APPOINTMENTS or 2) utilize VIRTUAL DROP-IN HOURS.
Please refer to the BA Academic Advising or MPA Academic Advising sections below for advisement information specific to each degree program.
BA (undergraduate) Program
For academic advising, SPAA undergraduate students can 1) make ADVISING APPOINTMENTS or 2) utilize VIRTUAL DROP-IN HOURS.
Undergraduate Advisors
Last Name: A-Mo
- Melissa Mora
mm2107@newark.rutgers.edu
Zoom Room
Last Name: Mn-Z
- Alyssa Sofman
alapat@newark.rutgers.edu
Zoom Room
1) ADVISING APPOINTMENTS
Undergraduate students can make and manage their academic advisement appointments through the Navigate Portal or with the Navigate App.
To Schedule an Appointment
1. Log into the Navigate Portal with your NetID and password
2. Click the “schedule an appointment” button
3. It will prompt you to enter the following information before allowing you to select your appointment:
– Care Unit: Advising
– Location: Virtual Meeting
– Service: Academic Advising – SPAA
4. Please check the availability of either Assistant Dean LaPatriello or Ms. Mora
5. Once you save the appointment, you will automatically receive an appointment notification in your email that includes instructions on how to virtually join the scheduled appointment
To Cancel an Appointment
Canceling your appointment if you cannot attend opens your spot up to other students who need one. You will be marked as a no-show if you do not cancel.
1. Log into the Navigate Portal with your NetID and password
2. Locate your appointment
3. Select cancel (It may prompt you to select the reason for cancellation)
4. Mark as canceled/save
2) VIRTUAL DROP-IN HOURS
All virtual advising is done through the advisor's personal Zoom room. Visit the Navigate Portal to view their virtual drop-in hours. You do not need to notify the advisor that you plan to attend. When you sign on for a drop-in advising session you will first enter the waiting room. You will be let into the session in the order you signed on. There may be other students ahead of you.
Cap and Gown Pre-Order
Once you have completed the order you will receive an email confirmation. Students who are uncertain if they will attend should still place an order. Gowns that are not picked up will be returned. There is no fee to pre-order. Pre-orders are only accepted online until mid-March. If you do not pre-order your gown, you will be able to purchase a gown from the Rutgers University–Newark Bookstore starting in late April.
Regalia
SPAA undergraduates should order the Bachelor of Public Service regalia, which has a teal hood.
Latin Honors
- Summa Cum Laude: Highest Honor – 3.850 or better GPA (receives a gold medallion)
- Magna Cum Laude: 3.700 to 3.849 GPA (receives a double gold knotted honor cord)
- Cum Laude: 3.500 to 3.699 GPA (receives a single gold honor cord)
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the Rutgers University–Newark Bookstore.
Rutgers University–Newark Commencement Ceremony Information
BA Program Core Curriculum and Major Requirement Worksheet
Declaration of Major/Minor Form
Credit Overload Request
BA Service Learning Internship Questionnaire
MINOR in Public and Nonprofit Administration Requirements Worksheet
Newark Withdrawal Form
Host Enrollment Form
Independent Study Form
Incomplete Form
Graduation Requirements
To graduate, students must do the following:
- Complete at least 120 degree credits
- Successfully complete the core curriculum
- Successfully complete all major requirements
- Successfully complete a second concentration
- Successfully complete the writing intensive requirement
- Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.000 or better
Graduation Application
Students must apply for graduation by the deadlines below. It is recommended that you apply when the application becomes available for your intended graduation date:
- January graduates - Application for graduation is open from July 31st - October 15th
- May graduates - Application for graduation is open from October 16th - February 15th
- August graduates - Application for graduation is open from February 16th - July 30th
You must apply for graduation to receive your diploma. Diplomas will be mailed to the address used on your graduation application. They are typically mailed three months following your graduation date.
Graduation Application Link
Gradtracker: https://nwkstudents.rutgers.edu/gradtracker/
You are required to apply for graduation, even if you do not intend to participate in Commencement.
Re-enrollment Information
Please review the re-enrollment document, which details the requirements.
The BA Handbook is used as a guidance for BA students.
School to School Transfer Information
Please review the school to school transfer into SPAA document, which details the requirements.
MPA / EMPA Program (on-campus | online | executive)
For academic advising, SPAA MPA students can 1) make ADVISING APPOINTMENTS or 2) utilize VIRTUAL DROP-IN HOURS.
On-Campus MPA Program
- Melissa Mora
mm2107@newark.rutgers.edu
Zoom Room
Online MPA Program
Last Name: A-M
- Melissa Mora
mm2107@newark.rutgers.edu
Zoom Room
Last Name: N-Z
- Reena Patel
reepatel@newark.rutgers.edu
EMPA Program
- Reena Patel
reepatel@newark.rutgers.edu
1) ADVISING APPOINTMENTS
MPA students can email the appropriate advisor to schedule an advising appointment.
2) VIRTUAL DROP-IN HOURS
Melissa Mora offers virtual drop-in hours on Wednesdays from 4:30pm to 5:30pm through her personal Zoom room. You do not need to notify her that you plan to attend. When you sign on for a drop-in advising session you will first enter the waiting room. You will be let into the session in the order you signed on. There may be other students ahead of you.
Pre-order your cap and gown:
Once you have completed the order you will receive an email confirmation. Students who are uncertain if they will attend should still place an order. Gowns that are not picked up will be returned. There is no fee to pre-order. Pre-orders are only accepted online until mid-March. If you do not pre-order your gown, you will be able to purchase a gown from the Rutgers University–Newark Bookstore starting in late April.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the Rutgers University–Newark Bookstore.
Commencement Ceremony Information
Students who have completed the required credits and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher are eligible for graduation. Students are able to graduate at one of three times during the year, October, January and May. There is only one graduation ceremony held in May to which all graduates are invited.
In order to graduate the student must apply for graduation at: https://grad.admissions.rutgers.edu/diploma
The deadlines for applying are:
- August 1 for October degrees
- November 1 for January degrees
- March 1 for May degrees
Students with outstanding financial obligations after May 1 will NOT receive their diplomas on commencement day.
Download file for fillable form.
Advisement Worksheets
The MPA and EMPA programs note student progress on advisement worksheets which provide a plan of study to guide semester by semester registration.
• MPA Nonprofit Management Track Advisement Worksheet [pdf]
• MPA Public Management Track Advisement Worksheet [pdf]
• EMPA Advisement Worksheet [pdf]
Prior to Fall 2023 Advisement Forms
• MPA On-Campus Advisement Form [pdf]
• MPA Online Advisement Form [pdf]
• EMPA Advisement Form [pdf]
Internship Guidelines & Contract
• MPA Internship Guidelines and Contract [pdf]
Transfer Credit Application
• MPA Transfer Credit Application [pdf]
Readmission Application
• MPA Readmission Application [pdf]
Incomplete Form
• MPA Incomplete Form [pdf]
Independent Study Form
• MPA Independent Study Form [pdf]
Non-Degree (Non-matriculated) Registration Form
• Non-Degree Registration Form [pdf]
Withdrawal From School Form
• Withdrawal Form [pdf]
BS/MPA or BA/MPA Dual Degree Program Application Form
• BA/MPA Internal Application Form [pdf]
The mission of the MPA program is to promote and maintain an inclusive pedagogical environment that is conducive to the advancement of public values in the pursuit of the study and practice of public affairs, as they apply to public and nonprofit administration. The program supports the mission of the School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) and SPAA’s commitment to public values by nurturing in students the ability to lead and manage in public affairs with competence; respect for diversity, equity, inclusion, and ethics; and a desire to advance academic knowledge while serving the public interest.
Our guiding values and means of achieving them are as follows:
- Competence: The MPA program curriculum was designed to produce competent MPA graduates who have the broad knowledge and foundational set of competencies necessary to begin or continue their work in public affairs.
- Diversity: The MPA program incorporates a diverse range of perspectives in the content of our courses and expands the racial, ethnic, gender, religious, sexual orientation, political, and national backgrounds of our faculty, staff, and students. We will expose students to a broad range of theoretical concepts, case studies, and other skillsets that highlight the importance of diversity, inclusion, and equity in all categories, to public sector leadership, public affairs, and public and nonprofit management.
- Knowledge: The program enriches academic knowledge of the field and the practice of public affairs by empowering our students to identify relevant theories, collaborate with their communities, and participate in applied research projects with government and nonprofit organizations.
- Service: The MPA program teaches students the importance of public service through applied learning in coursework, independent research projects and internships, and the publicly engaged scholarship of our faculty. Through this applied learning and public engagement with local, state, federal, and international public and nonprofit organizations, our students and faculty seek to articulate and advance a public service perspective.
- Ethics: Promoting public values serves as the theoretical and practical foundation for our pedagogical approach to MPA theory and practice.
The MPA program educates students to understand public service values, contexts, organizations, decisions, and performance. Faculty work with students to develop their skills for effective leadership, management, policy assessment, critical thinking, and culturally competent communication. The success of SPAA's MPA program will lead to our graduates seeing themselves, and being perceived by their professional peers, as competent contributors to successful organizations in ways that serve to advance and sustain public values and public affairs institutions.
For courses in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program, special permission numbers are required in the following circumstances:
- Capstone
The final class students will take in their MPA program is Capstone. To be eligible for capstone, students must be in their final semester, having completed all necessary pre-requisites.
- You are an on-campus student seeking an online course
The MPA program is offered in two forms, on-campus and online. To ensure that student enrolled in the online program are able to take the classes they need, students in the on-campus program are limited in how many online courses they can enroll. Students enrolled in the on-campus program are able to register for up to 3 online courses throughout the pursuit of their degree, no more than 1 per semester. On-campus student must use an SPN to register for an online class. Only online students are able to register for online courses for the first two weeks of the registration period.
- BA/MPA Students
Those students completing 5-year program/accelerated program are eligible to take masters level courses as an undergraduate student with permission from their academic advisor.
- The course is closed
This means the original number of students approved to take this course has been reached. In some limited situations, students may be able to be added to a close course using an SPN.
To obtain a Special Permission Number, contact your academic advisor. Please note, SPN’s are given out each Thursday during the registration period. In cases where the student requests a different section after an SPN has been issued, if approved, the student will receive the new SPN the following Thursday.
The MPA Student Handbook [pdf] is used as a guidance for Master of Public Administration students. It outlines the components of the MPA curriculum, and details degree requirements and academic standards. This program handbook is designed to help you—with the guidance of your faculty advisor—create a program of study that is appropriate to your interests and career aspirations. It is the student's responsibility to make themselves aware of the policies outlined in this handbook.
Please see the Rutgers SPAA Policy on Student Travel Support [pdf] for information on available conference travel funds for SPAA PhD and MPA students.
PhD Program
For PhD program academic policies, procedures, and forms, please see PhD in Public Administration.