Admission Requirements
Master of Public Administration students come from an array of backgrounds and experiences, including many different undergraduate disciplines - no specific background, major, or expertise is required. Admission is selective and decisions are based on a multifaceted evaluation of applicants' overall academic and professional records, including a letter of intent, resume, undergraduate transcripts (unoffical can precede official), and one letter of recommendation. See the application checklist below. For more information or assistance, contact Program Manager, JaTara Greenidge.
Access the SLATE Applications Portal
Application Deadlines
The MPA program accepts applicants for the Fall Semester only. All application materials must be completed by the priority deadline of January 15th at 11:59 pm to be eligible to apply separately for department fellowships and assistantships.
- March 31st is the deadline for international applicants and domestic applicants missing prerequisites.
- June 30th is the final deadline for domestic applicants who have already completed the prerequisites and received approval from the Program Manager.
Late submissions: contact the Program Manager to request approval of late documents. An additional fee of $30.00 will be charged by Admissions for late submissions starting on April 1st.
Requirements
Undergraduate GPA
Applicants should have an undergraduate grade point average of 3.2 or higher. Note: some exceptions will be made based on circumstances, career experience, and length of time between undergraduate degree and MPA application. Do not let the undergraduate GPA requirement prevent you from applying - instead, contact us for guidance on how to address in your application materials.
English Language Requirement
Applicants for whom English is a second language must submit a TOEFL score. The TOEFL requirement for the MPA Program is 580 paper-based or 92 internet-based. English proficiency is not required of permanent residents who have had the Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) for over five years. Applicants with a Permanent Resident Card issued less than five years ago must still submit proof of English proficiency.
Please visit the International Students website for more information.
American Government Pre-requisite
Applicants must demonstrate or complete a pre-requisite course in introductory American government before the first day of class. POLS 1100 at the University of Utah or an equivalent course from an accredited university (syllabus required), are accepteable. Must complete with a "C" or better, a "PASS" if taken pass-fail, or a 50 or above if taken as a CLEP exam (printed score required). Alternatively, the program offers a pass-fail short course for this pre-requisite at the end of July each year. Advanced Placement American Government satisfies the pre-requisite so long as a transcript verifies the receipt of academic for the AP course. Brigham Young University's American Heritage course is not accepted as a pre-requisite.
Prerequisites must be completed in the last 10 years with a grade of "C" or better from an accredited college or university
Application Checklist
Letter of Intent
The personal letter of intent is a crucial part of your application because it is the primary way that the admissions committee will get to know you as an applicant. We recommend applicants format their letter as they would a cover letter (with a salutation addressed to the admissions committee and a sign-off).
Applicants should consider the following questions when writing their letter:
- Who are you?
- What is your academic background?
- What is your professional background?
- Why are you interested in earning a Master of Public Administration?
- What unique professional and personal experiences would you bring to the program?
- What are your future goals, and how the MPA Program will help you achieve them?
The letter of intent should be a minimum of two pages in length, and no longer than 3 pages. Please include your name and contact information in the heading at the top of each page.
Resume
Your resume should include relevant work, internship and volunteer experiences, as well as academic or research highlights.
Transcripts
Upload an unofficial copy of all of your transcripts to your application. You will
be required to provide an official copy of your transcripts, sent directly from your
previous school to the Graduate Admissions office at:
Admissions Office
The University of Utah
201 S 1460 E
Room 250 S SSB
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Transcripts submitted for admission become the University of Utah property and cannot
be returned to the applicant. Failure to list all schools previously attended or making
false or misleading statements on the application may result in loss of credit and/or
cancellation of admission status.
Letter(s) of Recommendation
Please submit the name and contact information of at least one reference reference from familiar with your academic and/or professional abilities, following the instructions in SLATE. You will enter the e-mail addresses of the reference letter author. The SLATE system will then send an e-mail request asking authors to upload their letter (please let the letter authors know an e-mail will be comin). If you finished a degree (undergrad or grad) within the past two years, the letter should be from an undergraduate professor or instructor.
Graduate Entrance Exam Scores (Optional)
No graduate entrance exam is required for the MPA program. If you wish to include a score, it will be considered. It may be helpful to include a score if you have a low GPA or if you would like to bolster your application. We will consider scores from the GRE, MAT, LSAT, and GMAT.
Dual Degree Applications
If you are applying for a dual degree, please be sure to complete an application for each program. There is not a joint application option, so it is important to complete the application and upload all requirements for each program individually. You will be notified of acceptance or denial by each program.
