Admitted Student Information

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Congratulations on your admission to the Humphrey School of Public Affairs! We are delighted to welcome you to our community of scholars and activists. Please review the following important information regarding your admission to the Humphrey School.

Admitted Students Day

This year's Admitted Students Day will take place on April 1, 2024, allowing admitted students to learn about the School, meet our distinguished faculty, and network with current students as well as alumni. Click here for more information. 

Merit Scholarships

Admitted Humphrey School applicants who applied by the December 15 or January 15 deadlines are automatically considered for merit-based aid awards. Merit-based aid is competitive at the Humphrey School, and if awarded merit aid, you will be notified by the Office of Admissions in mid-March.

Advising Questions or Concerns

If you have questions or concerns about your specific program (MDP, MHR, MPP, MS-STEP, or MURP), please email the Humphrey School's Career and Student Success Office at [email protected].

Next Steps for Enrolled Students

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Faculty advisor assignments

Incoming fall students in the MDP, MHR, MPP, MS-STEP, and MURP programs will be notified of their faculty advisor assignments before the end of June. 

Mentor program

You will receive information on how to sign up for our Mentor Program in mid- to late August. This program links Humphrey School students with local alumni who share their professional interests. You will receive access to a short online training to complete prior to signing up.

Career development class

Please consider registering for PA5910: Developing Your Public Service Career, our one-credit class developed especially for you! Assistant Director Amber Bieneck Thom teaches this class, and it is a great way to learn about potential career paths and ensure that you focus on your job or internship search fall semester. It also helps you to develop the tools you need for your whole career. Students find it is a great way to keep themselves accountable to work on their networking or job/internship searches throughout the semester. Since Amber is arranging a number of alumni panels, you will also end the class with more than 12 alumni contacts and receive advice and information from each of them. This class is appropriate for both first-year and second-year students from all Humphrey School programs. Register while there is still room and let us know if you have questions.

Internships

Internships provide excellent opportunities for all students and are required for the MHR, MPP, and MURP degrees. This internship must be:

a) a minimum of 200 hours

b) primarily professional-level work, and

c) related to the student's academic focus and career goals

To get ideas for planning your internship or for more information on the requirement, visit our internship FAQ page. In addition, you will receive an email in mid- to late August about an  internship planning workshop where you can ask questions and learn more about the internship requirement.

Requesting a deferral

Our expectation is that students apply with the intention of enrolling in the fall semester. 

Admitted applicants may request a one-year deferral of their admission. Requests for deferrals are considered on a case-by-case basis. Deferral requests must be submitted using the online deferral form. If a one-year deferral is granted, the student must: 

  • Complete the online Enrollment Form by indicating "Yes"
  • Plan to resubmit an updated personal statement and resume directly to the Director of Admissions by merit-based aid consideration deadlines (either December 15 or January 15) in order to be considered for aid in the following year, and by April 1, for all other applicants.

Deferred applicants will receive a request to submit their updated materials during the next fall application season.

Questions about visas?

Registration and new student hold

All incoming Humphrey students have a new student hold on their accounts. This hold prevents students from being able to register. In May, you'll receive information on your first-semester registration and the hold will be removed on June 15, allowing you to register for Fall courses.

Orientation week

Fall 2024 Orientation will take place Monday, August 26-Friday, August 30. Check back for more information.

Important information and resources

Location and directions to the Humphrey School of Public Affairs: Not sure how to get here or where to park? We've got you covered!

Parking and transportation information: Learn about where to park, where you can lock your bike, public transportation, and more!

Getting your U Card: All Humphrey School community members are asked to carry their U Cards at all times to allow access to campus buildings. If you need a U Card, you can upload your photo and pick up your card at the U Card office.

Canvas courses: Some professors will send you email invitations to join their Canvas course; other times, you will just see the course when you click on "My Courses." Note that courses are not visible until the faculty member publishes them, and not all courses are published yet. 


Humphrey School Building Access

Public Hours: Some campus facilities are open to the public during Public Hours without the
need for a U Card. Not all University buildings have Public Hours. During Public Hours the
exterior doors to buildings are unlocked.

As with other UMNTC buildings, the Humphrey School of Public Affairs does not have regularly scheduled Public Hours. The exterior doors may be unlocked for Conference Center events that are planned for the public.

University Hours: All active faculty, staff, and students are granted U Card access during
University Hours to most UMTC buildings. During University Hours the exterior doors to the
building are locked and require an active U Card swipe for entry.

University Hours for the Humphrey School of Public Affairs building are:
M-F: 6 a.m.–10 p.m.
Sat: 8 a.m.–8 p.m.

During these times exterior doors to the building are locked but will open with a swipe of your active U Card.

Humphrey School Privileges: Areas requiring restrictive control for security reasons are not
always accessible during Public or University Hours. Restricted privileges to interior doors are
granted by the Humphrey School and must be requested. Interior doors to restricted areas are locked 24/7 on holidays, breaks, and after regular business hours.

The 130 office areas and the front desk at the Humphrey School are unlocked from
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on normal business days during the semester. You will not need a U Card
during these times.

For emergencies, or if you have a U Card and an immediate need for access to the Humphrey
School building and your U Card is not working, contact the Public Safety Emergency
Communications Center (PSECC) at 612-626-3680.

To apply for U Card Humphrey School Privileges to restricted interior doors please fill out the form at: z.umn.edu/hhhaccess


Small Group Meeting Spaces

For a list of study spaces and meeting rooms, see Find Study Space in the Technology Services page. The Humphrey School also manages four student learning spaces, which include lab devices, printers, and bring-your-own device stations. These spaces are located in Humphrey 40, 80, 85, and 290. For more information on these spaces, see Student Learning Spaces."


Other Important Information

Graduate Assistantships

At the Humphrey School, students are not placed into graduate assistantship (GA) positions. Instead, students are allowed to apply for GA positions. The application process for GA positions is very similar to a traditional job search (more information here). In the link provided there is information on GA position benefits and access to a job board with a number of postings, though please know that most positions are not posted until the Summer or even into the Fall semester. We say this to be clear that while it's possible to get a position before the start of the Fall semester, it's less likely to get one lined up immediately. In fact, we want to be clear that it can be difficult to earn a GA position in your first year. Instead, it is more common to earn a GA position in your second year of study once you've established a relationship with professors and demonstrated the quality of your work.

Want to see what our students have been up to? Visit our News Archive.