Admission Requirements

Requirements + Prerequisites

• A four-year bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. university or foreign equivalent at time of enrollment.
• A grade of B or better in an introductory course in microeconomics is required for MS-STEP students. A macroeconomics or single-semester general economics course will not satisfy this requirement.
• MS-STEP students must have completed at least one semester of calculus or college algebra course with a grade of B or better.
• MS-STEP applicants are expected to have completed a degree or taken advanced level coursework in the natural or engineering sciences.
• MS-STEP 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 36 credits required for your degree)
• 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.
• Competence in MS Excel and Word is strongly recommended for all students.
• English language competence. If English is not your native language, you must pass the TOEFL or IELTS exam with a minimum score of 600 (paper-based), 250 (computer-based), 100 (internet based, minimum 22 on each section), or 7 for the IELTS. TOEFL or IELTS scores must be less than two years old.

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)