Apply to the MPA

The graduate school offers an application fee waiver for those who qualify. The application for graduate non-matriculated applicants is $75.00.

Your resume provides an overview of your academic, professional, volunteer, and leadership experiences. We use it to better understand your background, accomplishments, and the experiences that have prepared you for graduate study.

What we’re looking for:

• Professional, leadership, and/or military experience
• Academic and/or professional honors, prizes, or scholarships
• Community or volunteer involvement
• Career progression and accomplishments
• Skills and experiences that complement the rest of your application
• Relevant societies and clubs

Tip: Rather than listing responsibilities alone, highlight your contributions, leadership, and impact whenever possible.

Your statement helps us understand your goals, experiences, and why Evans is the right place for your next step.
Describe in 1,0000 words or fewer:

• Your academic background, extracurricular activities, professional experiences, community and/or volunteer work, and any other factors relevant to your interest in public policy.
• Why the MPA program fits your educational, professional, and/or personal goals, in the context of your decision to pursue a career in public service.
• In what ways do you hope the MPA program will further your growth and understanding in equity, diversity, and inclusion?

Please provide an unofficial transcript from each college or university you have attended (this does not include coursework taken during study abroad). Your transcripts help us evaluate your academic preparation and readiness for graduate-level coursework.

What we’re looking for

• Academic performance over time
• Evidence of quantitative preparation
• Course rigor and progression
• Overall readiness for graduate study

We review transcripts as one part of a holistic application. There is no required undergraduate major, and applicants come to Evans from a wide range of academic disciplines.

Official transcripts should not be sent unless/until you accept an offer of admission.

Letters of recommendation help us understand your experiences, strengths, and potential from the perspective of people who know your work well. Strong recommendations provide additional context about your academic preparation, leadership, collaboration, and ability to succeed in graduate study.

What we’re looking for

• Specific examples of your skills, accomplishments, and contributions
• Insight into your preparation for graduate-level work
• Perspectives from people who can speak to your potential and goals

How it works
Recommendations are submitted electronically through the online application system. When you add your recommenders’ names and email addresses to your application, they will receive an invitation via Slate to complete a brief online form and submit their letters.

Please let your recommenders know to expect the email invitation and check their junk or spam folders if needed. Your application is considered complete with at least one submitted letter, though you may submit up to three.

The Evans MPA includes coursework that relies on quantitative reasoning and data analysis. This statement gives you an opportunity to describe how your academic, professional, or personal experiences have prepared you for that work.

What We’re Looking For:

• 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.

All students are expected to have an adequate command of written and spoken English. Graduate coursework at Evans requires students to actively participate in discussions, collaborate with classmates, take detailed notes, and engage with complex readings. If your primary language is not English, you must demonstrate English language proficiency as part of your application. The Evans School does not accept the Duolingo English Test (DET). Competitive applicants typically meet or exceed the following scores:

• Competitive Score TOEFL (taken before January 2026): 92 total score, with a minimum speaking and listening subscore of 23
• Competitive Score TOEFL (taken January 2026 or later): 4.5 total score, with a minimum speaking and listening score of 4.5
• IELTS 6.5 overall score, with a minimum speaking and listening score of 6.5