Official transcripts from ALL institutions attended
Applicants with a grade point average below 3.0 are required to submit a valid GRE score.
Applicants wishing to be considered for a Graduate Assistantship or Fellowship are required to submit a valid GRE score.
If submitted, GRE scores may weigh favorably in the ranking of applicants with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher.
550 on the paper-based TOEFL
80 on the internet-based TOEFL
6.5 on the IELTS
Students must be admitted to the SIU Graduate School as well as the M.P.A. program. This process begins with the submission of the Application Materials (see below). Once admitted, students will be provided with an advisor to guide them through the program.

Applications to the M.P.A. program are accepted year-round for each of the three main semesters officially recognized by the University. In addition, applications for admission to enroll starting in the second half of a given term will also be accepted but may be subject to deferral to the following term if appropriate courses will not be available to the applicant.
Transcripts. Graduate School requires transcripts from all post-secondary institutions previously attended other than SIU Carbondale. If official transcripts have already been submitted in the process of applying for another program (such as previously applying for a baccalaureate degree program), please contact our office to determine if those transcripts would need to be sent again.
Resume or CV. At a minimum, applicants should include all full-time professional experience they earned after being awarded a bachelor's degree.
Two references. Contact information for two references should be included on the resume. At the discretion of the admissions committee, letters of recommendation may be also requested, but are typically not necessary.
Personal Statement. A personal statement must be provided which demonstrates the applicant's fit with the program, and vice versa.
The M.P.A. in Public Administration program gives preference to students with undergraduate grade point averages of at least 2.7. Applicants with strong professional experience may be admitted with grade point averages below 2.7 in some cases. Admission decisions are made by the M.P.A. in Public Administration Director with the advice of the M.P.A. faculty for students who submit complete applications by the submission deadlines.
2.7 (on a grading scale with 4.0=A, approximately a B- average) on the last two years of Bachelor's coursework
3.0 on all previous graduate work (approximately a B average)