Turn Your Passion into Action with an MPA

Building on your unique background and past experiences, the Evans School MPA can serve as a powerful catalyst on your career path. Evans MPA students come from across the country and the globe having completed majors in economics, finance, engineering, political science, sociology, biology, economics, public health, and environmental studies just to name a few.

Application Deadlines:
Early Action – December 15, 2024; Priority – January 15, 2025; Final – April 15, 2025

Preparing Your Application

We welcome and encourage applicants from all areas of the world and actively promote a diverse student body comprised of different ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural, academic and personal backgrounds.

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Deadline Type Deadline Date Supporting Materials Due Date Estimated Decision Released Student Convey Decision Deadline
Early Action December 15, 2024 December 22, 2024 Mid-January 2025 April 15, 2025
Priority January 15, 2025 January 22, 2025 Mid-February 2025 April 15, 2025
Final April 15, 2025 April 15, 2025 Mid-May 2025 June 15, 2025

The MPA program has three application deadlines with important dates and requirements.

Early Action provides you an opportunity to receive your decision early, allowing time to plan for visa processing, moving to Seattle, and financing your future. To be considered for Early Action, your application and all supporting materials, including letters of recommendation, must be submitted by 11:59 PM PST on December 15, 2024.

If your application is incomplete by the Early Action deadline, your application will be moved to the Priority deadline for admission consideration.

If your application is incomplete by the Priority deadline, or if your application is submitted by the Priority deadline and all supporting documents are not received by January 22, your application will be moved to the Final deadline for admission consideration.

To be considered for Evans fellowship awards, you must submit your completed application by the Priority deadline—January 15, 2025.

We recommend you apply early, there will be fewer spots available in the program after each deadline.

All applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and a minimum 3.0 GPA during their last 90 undergraduate credit hours on quarterly schedule or 60 credit hours on a semester schedule.

The MPA Admissions committee evaluates applications based on previous academic or professional exposure to government and policymaking, undergraduate work in mathematics, microeconomics, or statistics, and exceptional writing skills. There are no formal course prerequisites for the MPA program. However, applicants with prior coursework in introductory microeconomics or statistics may be more competitive.  If you have not previously taken a college-level course in microeconomics or statistics, you may be interested in doing so at a local community college or university.

Full-Time and Part-Time MPA applicants should plan to gather the following required Evans School application materials:

  • Application fee of $90 (U.S.). The graduate admissions application fee has increased by $5.00 to $90.00 for all programs beginning on or after autumn 2025. The application for graduate non-matriculated applicants will remain the same at $75.00. An application fee waiver is available for those who qualify.
  • Resume, including:
    • Relevant academic, professional, volunteer, and/or military experience
    • Academic and/or professional honors, prizes, or scholarships
    • Leadership positions
    • Societies and clubs to which you belong
  • Statement of purpose, describing in 750 words or fewer:
    • Yourself and your experience in the context of your decision to pursue the MPA degree and a public service career
    • Your expectations of the program in furthering your career objectives
    • Your academic background, extracurricular activities, professional experiences, community and/or volunteer work, and any other factors relevant to your interest in public policy
  • Unofficial transcripts from each college or university you have attended (this does not include coursework taken during study abroad). Official transcripts should not be sent unless/until you accept an offer of admission.
  • One to three letters of recommendation, to be submitted electronically by your recommenders through the online application system. You must start the online application and submit the names and email addresses of your recommenders for them to complete the recommendation. An application is considered complete with at least one letter, although up to three letters may be submitted.
  • Statement of Quantitative Purpose
    • The Statement of Quantitative Purpose form should describe how you believe you are, or will be, prepared for the quantitative coursework in the MPA program, specifically PUBPOL 516, 517, 527, and 528. Applicants are encouraged to describe one or more of the following:
      • Past quantitatively intensive coursework taken at the undergraduate, or graduate level in areas such as Economics, Statistics, Quantitative Research Methods, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Linear Algebra, Chemistry, or Physics. This coursework must be demonstrated on the transcript(s) uploaded into the online application. Unofficial transcripts of any coursework described should be included in the Schools Attended section of the online application.
      • Present and/or future quantitatively intensive coursework taken at the undergraduate, or graduate level in areas such as Economics, Statistics, Quantitative Research Methods, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Linear Algebra, Chemistry, or Physics. This could include community college or other accessible coursework, such as the Kahn Academy’s Microeconomics, Statistics and Probability, and/or Algebra 1.
      • Current and/or past professional work requiring significant quantitative and/or analytically intensive knowledge and skill (such as a finance role, or a position in which you are conducting program evaluations or making policy recommendations). Please describe the skills you have applied to this analytic work and how they might prepare you for your MPA studies.
      • Or, if you completed an undergraduate major or minor in a quantitative field, please state what major or minor you earned. This may include fields such as Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Engineering, Math, Physics, Statistics, etc.
  • English language proficiency needs to be demonstrated if you are not a native speaker of English. The University of Washington Graduate School outlines how applicants can demonstrate English proficiency.

Writing an Effective Statement of Purpose

Planning your Application

Frequently Asked Questions

Applying for graduate school can seem like a daunting task. Where do you start? What can you expect? How does the process work? We’ve put together a list of frequently asked questions to help you understand the basics of applying for the Evans School’s MPA program.

GRE and GMAT scores are not required and there is no minimum test score. All applications will be reviewed holistically and applicants who choose not to submit test scores as part of their application will not be at a disadvantage. Applicants who apt to submit scores should self-report scores into the application and need to have official scores sent electronically. For GRE scores, request that ETS send the official scores electronically to the the University of Washington using institution code 4854, and department code 4801 (Public Administration).

For TOEFL scores, request that ETS send the official scores electronically to the University of Washington, using institution code 4854. 

Please use your statement to reflect upon any hardships or circumstances that may have informed your grade(s) and why you believe you are better positioned for academic success in the quantitative coursework of the MPA program. 

We recommend asking faculty members from your undergraduate studies, and/or supervisors from a professional job. We require one letter of recommendation for your application to be processed. However, additional letters of recommendation typically increase the strength of an application. You can designate a maximum of three recommenders in your application.

Reach out to them directly and give them a friendly reminder. When logged into your application, you can have the system re-send them the email that has the link to where they can complete the recommendation. You can also track whether a recommendation has been completed or not. Most importantly, you should still submit your materials by the deadline even if your recommendations are not complete.

Yes, you may include written examples in the Statement of Quantitative Preparation, although applicants should describe the work performed in academic or professional research and/or projects in the context of its relevance to the quantitative coursework in the MPA curriculum. The online application will not accommodate additional documents or other files, but applicants can embed links into their essays and/or resumes to highlight additional materials that are posted online. 

Yes. Application fee waivers are need-based and open to U.S. citizens. Application fee waivers are managed by the UW Graduate School. Requesting a fee waiver is the last step in the application and must be submitted at least seven days prior to the application deadline. If you do not qualify for the UW Graduate School fee waiver, you may qualify for a merit-based Evans School Fee Waiver (limited availability). Please email evansadm@uw.edu to learn more.

Admission to the MPA program is competitive. To reapply, you are required to complete and submit a new application, upload all required materials, and pay the non-refundable application fee. We cannot guarantee that reapplicants will be admitted to the MPA program. When re-applying, you are encouraged to provide insights into your personal and professional growth since your previous application. You may highlight a deeper self-reflection on fit, the importance of studying at the Evans School, additional quantitative coursework taken, or new recommendation letters. While having access to your previous application, the Admission committee takes a holistic review of your new application.

Many MPA students work or intern at least part-time while attending graduate school. Students may choose to work during the academic year, but most students seek a graduate-level internship or work experience during the summer between their first and second year in the MPA program. International students may work but must be aware of the U.S. laws for F1/J1 visas to work off-campus. Due to the connection of their visas to their academic status, it is strongly recommended for international students not to work full-time during the academic year.

Yes. The Evans School offers several formal and informal concurrent degree programs with other University of Washington departments, such as the School of Law, Foster School of Business, School of Social Work, and School of Public Health.  

No. We only accept applicants for autumn entry in our MPA program. 

Contact Us

For questions and more information about the application process, contact us at evansadm@uw.edu or set up a meeting with our Admissions team using the scheduling tool on this page.