The first step is admission to the Graduate College. Students must submit a graduate application to the Graduate Admissions Office. After submitting the graduate application, applicants receive a certificate of admission to enroll in courses at BSU. This certificate of admission is a PREREQUISITE to admission into the MPA program, but does not by itself guarantee admission into the MPA program. (Students are advised to consult the General Policies section of the BSU catalog for more detail on admission to the Graduate College.)

The second step is admission to the MPA program. All applicants to the MPA program must meet certain requirements prior to enrollment in MPA courses. Applicants who do not meet the MPA admission requirements may be recommended by the MPA admissions committee for admission with provisional graduate status. However, these students must satisfy all of the conditions of their provisional status before they will be recommended for regular graduate status. The deadline for fall admission is February 1, and the spring admission deadline is September 1.

MPA Admission Requirements

1. Meet with an advisor in the Department of Public Policy and Administration to discuss the admission process, the applicant’s career interests, and reasons for seeking admission to the MPA program.
2. Possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution and submit official transcripts from all previous academic institutions to the Graduate College Admissions office.
3. Demonstrate satisfactory academic competency by attaining an overall GPA of at least 3.0 and a minimum combined 1000 on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) verbal and quantitative sections. GRE scores must be sent to the Graduate College Admissions office.
4. Submit the following to the Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Public Policy and Administration, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, Idaho 83725-1935.
   1. Three letters of reference, in which the applicant’s academic potential is evaluated.
   2. An MPA Data Form.
   3. A formal statement of at least 500 words explaining the applicant’s educational and career objectives.

If you are interested in applying to the MPA program, you will want to talk to the department’s Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Les Alm. He can be reached by email, or you can call him at (208) 426-4094.

More about the MPA admission process (PDF document)
Financial aid information (PDF document)
Education Testing Service GRE information (PDF document)