The following information should be helpful to you as you plan your move to Athens and the ž. The “to-do list” is divided into two sections— the Fall Departmental Orientation and MPA Socialization Seminar and the Spring Departmental Orientation.
Fall Departmental Orientation & MPA Socialization Seminar
Fall 2026 Socialization will be held Wednesday, August 12 & Thursday, August 13, with Saturday, August 15 being the Socialization Service Day. A precise schedule will be made available closer to Socialization.
MPA students are required to attend all sessions, and will receive 1 hour of academic credit in Fall semester, required for graduation. Attendance will be taken at all scheduled events. The MPA Socialization Seminar is a three-day event structured to orient new students to the MPA program, Department, University, and Athens community.
To prepare, please read Political Automation: An Introduction to AI in Governance and its Impact on Citizens Dr. Eduardo Albrecht. One of our seminar sessions will feature a small group discussion about the book. We encourage you to access and begin reading this book soon. This book is available for purchase online at . Please watch future emails for instructions about completing the pre-assessment survey and submitting questions.
All incoming students will be advised for Fall classes before socialization, appointments will be scheduled via an appointment with MPA Advisor, Mattison Strom.
Building Location
- Socialization will be held in the Special Collections Library, room 285. This building is located at 300 South Hull St. Athens, GA 30602.
Parking for Socialization
- For parking near the Special Collections Library, please use the Hull Deck (W05). You will be sent a parking validation code via email closer to the event.
- You can find it on google maps
- Here is a link to the campus
- You will be given a code before Socialization that will allow you to park free of charge
Free Professional headshots for website biography
- A photographer will be available to take free professional headshots 7:45am – 8:30am both mornings of Socialization. If you do not have a professional headshot to submit with your UGA Public Administration and Policy website biography (see in the Socialization Handouts section below) please arrive a little early to take advantage of this opportunity.
Spring Departmental Orientation
MPA Students beginning the program in the spring should plan to attend a brief orientation session. For more information please email [email protected].
