MPA Admissions

Deadlines and General Information

Fall Application Deadlines:
  • March 15th - priority deadline for all applicants seeking departmental financial aid consideration
  • June 1st - final deadline for regular MPA admission for all domestic and international applicants
  • June 15th - final deadline for AMP candidates
Fall applications for regular admission will open mid-November of each year.  Complete applications will be reviewed starting mid-January for admissions consideration.
 
Fall applications for AMP candidates will open mid-March of each year.  Complete applications will be reviewed starting mid-June for admissions consideration.
 
Spring Application Deadlines:
  • October 15th - international applicant deadline
  • December 1st - domestic applicant deadline
Spring applications will open mid-March of each year.  Complete applications will be reviewed starting early September for admissions consideration.
 
Deadlines that fall on a non-standard business day or holiday, applications will be due no later than 5pm (MST/AZ time) on the next available business day following the deadline.  Applications received passed the posted deadline may be subject to review for the next available term. Please contact our department at SBS-sgppmasters@email.arizona.edu if you have further questions on these deadlines.
 
Early submission of applications is advisable, particularly for individuals seeking departmental financial aid in the form of teaching assistantships or partial tuition waivers.  Only complete applications will be reviewed for the consideration of admission.  For tuition information, please refer to the Bursar’s Office.
 
Since admission standards are high, applicants to the MPA program must display impressive credentials. Minimum requirements include a 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) in undergraduate coursework or recent graduate coursework, with particular emphasis placed on upper-level undergraduate and prior graduate-level academic performance.
 
As ethnic, national, and gender diversity enriches the program of study for all students, the School of Government and Public Policy encourages minority group members to apply for professional graduate study. The School has had the opportunity to award minority fellowships in the past and will continue to compete for these fellowships in the years to come. Financial aid packages in the form of scholarships, assistantships, and a pre-graduate school summer program are available for qualified minority students.
 

Application Materials

The following materials are required to apply to the MPA program:

  • A Graduate College online application submitted via GradApp.
    • The Graduate College requires an application fee of $90. Please note this fee is non-refundable and cannot be waived unless there is an affiliation with an approved sponsored program. More information can be found at https://grad.arizona.edu/diversityprograms/preparation.
  • Unofficial transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work. Unofficial transcripts are necessary as part of the admission process, however if admission is offered, official transcripts are then required. Do not mail official transcripts until offered admission. Please note that if you are admitted, all official transcripts must be received by the Graduate College within 30 days after the first day of classes.
  • Statement of Purpose is required, including information about experiences and career objectives. For more information, please see the online application. 
  • Resume describing relevant experience, responsibilities and achievements.
  • Two letters of recommendation from persons able to provide verification and a specific assessment of your professional and/or academic performance and capabilities; if possible, one of these letters should be an academic letter of recommendation. You will input your recommenders' information into the online application, and the application will reach out to them directly with instructions on how to submit the letters.
    • Note for AMP applicants: At least 1 letter of recommendation from an instructor or professor is preferred.
  • Please note: the MPA program does not require the GRE for consideration for admission to our program. If you have already taken the test, please feel free to submit your scores, but these are by no means required. We do not recommend taking the GRE for the sole purpose of entrance to our program. 

International Applicants and Non-U.S. Citizens

In addition to admissions materials listed above, international applicants must demonstrate English proficiency as a condition for admission. Acceptable English proficiency credentials may be provided with the following exams:

There are a few exemptions from submitting English proficiency scores.  More information can be found here.

The MPA Program does not accept students for conditional admission.

After admission, information regarding financial guarantee is also required with evidence that sufficient funds ($59,305 minimum) are available for financing the student's academic program. For further information on International admissions see:  https://grad.arizona.edu/international-students

 

If admitted, official transcripts should be sent to:

Graduate College
The University of Arizona
Administration Building, Room 322
PO Box 210066
Tucson, Arizona 85721-0066

Official electronic transcripts may be sent to transcripts@grad.arizona.edu.

 

Information regarding financial support can be found on the following pages:

 

For more specific MPA admissions information, contact: SBS-sgppmasters@email.arizona.edu