Admissions Requirements

Your application for the MSU MPA Program must be submitted through MSU’s Graduate School (http://www.montana.edu/gradschool/admissions/apply.html) and must include:

  • An Application for Graduate Admission (with application fee; http://www.montana.edu/gradschool/forms.html)
  • Official transcripts from all undergraduate and post-baccalaureate studies (MSU alumni do not need to submit transcripts)
  • Three letters of reference from individuals who can attest to the applicant's ability to be successful as a graduate student
  • A personal statement that describes personal and professional objectives, research interests, applicable experience or any other information relevant to the admissions review
  • For international students, you will need a TOEFL or IELTS. Please see Graduate School for other documents needed for admission, such as a Financial Certificate: http://www.montana.edu/gradschool/policy/admissions_intl.html
  • Beginning in the admissions cycle for Fall 2021, submission of scores from the Graduate Record Exams will no longer be required. Applicants may, if they choose, voluntarily submit scores (GRE; use code 4488; information about the GRE can be found at MSU’s testing Service http://www.montana.edu/ehhd/testing/index.html)

Admission standards for full admission to MSU’s MPA Program are:

  • An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better
  • For International students who are not native English speakers, an English proficiency test such as the TOEFL or IELTS is required. For the TOEFL a score of 80; for the IELTS a score of 7.

Application Deadlines

Applications for the MPA program are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.  Applicants wanting to begin classes in the Fall semester should submit all materials by July 15th, and by November 15th for those who want to begin classes in the Spring semester. 

We will, in some circumstances, consider admitting students for the Summer semester. Prospective students interested in starting the summer, should contact the MPA Graduate Coordinator for additional information. 

Applicants interested in being considered for Graduate Teaching or Research positions should complete and submit the application cover sheet and other required materials by April 15th if applying for the Fall semester, and November 15th if applying for the Spring. The application and additional information can be found on the MPA program website: http://www.montana.edu/politicalscience/graduate/

Admissions Outcomes

Full graduate status: Full graduate admission is granted to students who have demonstrated a high quality of performance in prior academic preparation and have otherwise met university and departmental standards on the criteria listed above.

Provisional Admission: Provisional admission may be granted to a student whose application shows reasonable potential for effective graduate work even though the applicant's record may be deficient in some area. We encourage prospective students who believe they have the skills and competencies necessary to be a successful graduate student, to consider applying for admission, and to utilize the required Personal Statement or explain their objectives and abilities. A decision to recommend provisional admission to The Graduate School for an applicant may be based on prior work experience, success in another academic field, completion of supplemental course work, or other criteria pertinent to academic success. A provisionally admitted student will be informed of any special requirements that must be met in order to be granted full graduate status. Upon meeting the specified requirements, recommendations of the Political Science Department, and with approval of the Dean of Graduate Education, a student on provisional status may be advanced to full graduate standing. Full graduate standing is usually considered only after completion of nine or more credits of satisfactory graduate work.

Non-degree Status: Students who desire to take courses of interest but who do not wish to pursue a graduate degree, or those who have not yet been accepted into the program by the Graduate School, may enroll with non-degree graduate status. Graduate credits earned while in non-degree status will not automatically be applied toward graduate degree requirements if the student later applies for and is admitted into the MPA program. Montana State University will allow no more than nine credits of non-degree course work to apply toward a graduate degree. Furthermore, these credits may only be applied toward the degree if the student would have met all the criteria for admission into full graduate status at the time of entering as a non-degree student. 

Out of State Students

Prospective students who are not Montana residents should be aware that MSU's MPA program is a Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) through the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). This program allows students from select western states to pay 150% of resident tuition instead of full out of state tuition. To find out more about the program and to see if your state qualifies, please visit the WICHE website for more information.