THE MPP PROGRAM APPLICATION PROCESS
Admissions Deadlines:
The Department of Economics and the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University will admit students into the Master of Public Policy Program for Fall semester only.
Applications will be accepted until June 15 of the year prior to program entry.
Application Requirements:
Applying to the Masters of Public Policy Program in at MSU is a two-part process. First, you must apply for admission to graduate study with the Graduate School of Michigan State University. Second, you must submit a complete application for admission to the Master of Public Policy Program. Here is how the process works.
(1) Complete an Application for Admission to Graduate Study through the Graduate School
There are two options available for submitting an application for graduate study at MSU. You can apply electronically or by sending in a hard copy of your application.
Apply online
The online Graduate School application is faster, easier, and more efficient than the traditional process. It provides for the prompt receipt and distribution of application information, and it enables you to track the status of your application on-line. The Graduate School application requires a $50 fee, payable by credit card when you submit your application online. Domestic applicants should use the Graduate School's domestic online application; International students should use the international online application.
Submit a hard copy of the application
You can print a copy of the Graduate School application, complete it, and mail it into the Department of Political Science. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download the form. You can download a free copy of Adobe and install it on your computer. Please indicate your intended field of study (MPP in Political Science/Economics; Major Code = 7624) on this form Be sure to send a check or money order made payable to Michigan State University in the amount of $50 along with your application to:
Graduate Program Secretary
Master of Public Policy Program
Department of Political Science
303 S. Kedzie Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
(2) Complete an Application for Admission to the Masters of Public Policy with the Department of Political Science/Department of Economics
Your application to the Department should consist of:
A Department Application Form which includes your personal statement of policy interests and your professional career goals.
Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can assess your capabilities for graduate study. You can print hard copies of the required recommendation forms using Adobe Acrobat.
Graduate Record Examination "General Test" scores. All applications must submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), in particular the 3-part "General Test." We do not ask for scores from subject tests. You can obtain more information about this examination at: http://www.gre.org/
Your GRE scores should be sent directly to MSU to the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University (at the address listed below). The institutional code for Michigan State University is 1465 and the Department of Political Science code is 1999.
Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) for non-native English speakers.
Applicants whose native language is not English will be expected to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). More information about this test can be found at: http://www.toefl.org/
The Graduate School has set minimum score requirements of 550 on the paper-based test and 213 on the computer-based test. Although the Political Science Department also uses 550/213 as its minimum score requirements, the Department looks much more favorably on applicants whose TOEFL score is 600 or above on the paper-based test or 250 or above on the computer-based test.
Your TOEFL scores, like GRE scores, should be submitted directly to the Department of Political Science (again at the address listed below).
Two official transcripts from each college or university you have attended (both undergraduate and graduate schools).
Please note: You must submit all of the items listed above, as well as the Graduate School Application, before your application is complete.
Mail your Departmental forms and materials to:
Masters of Public Policy
Department of Political Science
303 S. Kedzie
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Karen Battin (battink@msu.edu; 517-353-3290), the Graduate Program Assistant or Professor Saundra K. Schneider (sks@msu.edu; 517-355-7682), the Director of Graduate Studies, in the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University.