Admission Criteria
A competitive applicant of the MPPA program must have completed the last two years of undergraduate work with a grade point average of 3.00. Applicants with previous graduate work must have a grade point average of 3.00 on such coursework. Moreover, the applicant must submit three letters of recommendation, official transcripts, and a Statement of Purpose. The GRE is not required. An international applicant whose native language is not English must have a score of 600 PBT (250 CBT or 100 iBT) or better on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or 7.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). A student who has not been enrolled for one regular semester (fall or spring) is required to submit a readmission form and a new Statement of Purpose. The readmission must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator. If a student has not been enrolled for one calendar year, the applicant must submit a new application and statement of purpose to be considered for readmission.
Provisional Admission
An applicant who fails to meet admission requirements may be admitted on a provisional basis. Students admitted on a provisional basis must receive no grade lower than B during the initial 9 hours of graduate work.
Required Application Materials
Applicants whose native language is not English must submit the results of either the TOEFL or IELTS exam.
Application Deadlines
The MPPA program application deadlines are the same as those of the MSU Graduate School.
Program of Study/Completion Requirements
The Master of Public Policy and Administration 42-hour program consists of three facets:
1. Core Courses — 27 hours
These are courses that provide broad training in public policy and administration. These courses cover the fundamental competencies essential for professional practice in the field of public policy and administration.
2. Elective Courses — 12 hours
Each student must complete a 12-hour elective concentration to augment knowledge, skills and abilities acquired in required courses. These courses are tailored to the student’s career objective.
3. Internship
Each student completes an internship in a public or nonprofit agency. The internship maybe waived for students possessing at least one year of relevant work experience.
Unsatisfactory Performance
A student in the MPPA program will be dismissed if he or she receives grades of C or lower in six or more credits of graduate work.
