Admission Requirements

Requirements + Prerequisites

• A four-year bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. university or foreign equivalent at time of enrollment.
• Competence in college-level algebra (including facility with functional notations; algebraic manipulation of polynomials, logs, and exponentials; and graphic representation of equations) is required for MPP, MDP, and MURP students and strongly recommended for MPA students.
• A grade of B or better in an introductory course in microeconomics is required for MPP and MS students and strongly recommended for MURP students. A macroeconomics or single-semester general economics course will not satisfy this requirement.
• At least one course in political science (that analyzes political institutions) is strongly recommended for all incoming students.
• Sufficient prior academic preparation. The University of Minnesota Graduate School prefers a 3.0 or better undergraduate GPA. The average Humphrey School GPA is 3.5 (3.3 in MPA).
• Competence in MS Excel and Word is strongly recommended for students in all programs.
• English language competence is required for students in all programs.  Minimum TOEFL scores are:  250 computer-based; 600 paper-based; 100 internet-based (with a minimum of 22 on each individual section).

Special Requirements for MURP, MS, and MPA students:

• A grade of B or better in an introductory microeconomics or general economics course that includes introductory microeconomics is required for MDP students. A macroeconomic course will not satisfy this requirement.
• MURP students must demonstrate competence with GIS through coursework or work experience (if you are not competent in GIS, you must take a GIS course as part of your 48 credits)
• MS students must have completed at least one semester of calculus
• MS applicants are expected to have completed a degree or taken advanced level coursework in the natural or engineering sciences.
• MS students must have completed an introductory statistics course (if you have not taken statistics prior to admission, you must take PA 5031, above and beyond the 40 credits required for your degree)
• MPA students are required to have 10 or more years of post-baccalaureate professional experience. Pre-baccalaureate experience may be considered for applicants with a significant gap (15 years or more) between completion of high school and college.
  

We consider many factors when choosing applicants for admission. We evaluate such attributes as:

• Your prior academic achievement
• Your professional experience
• Leadership and community/public service experience
• Your commitment to a career in public affairs or planning
• The fit between your interests and goals, and the programs at the Humphrey School
• Your letters of recommendation
• GRE scores (for all but MPA applicants)
• Your potential contribution to the diversity of views and experiences represented at the Humphrey School
• TOEFL score (if required)