Requirements and Details

Admission Requirements

Students may be granted admission if the following requirements are met:

• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. Minimum grade point average of 2.75. 
• International students are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
• An essay is required with an application that describes educational and career goals that shows how the applicant fits the mission and goals of the St. Cloud State MPA Program.
• A resume of educational and professional experiences.
• Students must submit three letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources that describe and evaluate probabilities of graduate education success and sincerity of commitment to an interest in a career in public service and public administration.

In-Service or Pre-Service

Potential students who have not held a managerial or analytic position in the public, nonprofit or private sectors are considered pre-service students.

Potential students who have held a managerial or analytic position in the private, public or nonprofit sectors for a minimum of two years are considered in-service students.

Advising

Each new student is assigned an advisor from their specialization, e.g., city and county leadership and management, nonprofit leadership and management, and international development leadership and management. 

Comprehensive Examinations

You will take a comprehensive examination your final semester of the program. The examination is intended to tie together everything you’ve learned in the courses you’ve taken. The examination is conducted on an individual basis. You should consult your adviser for more information.

Internship

The program abides by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) statement on Internships and considers:

Internships an integral part of the public service (pre-career) student's professional education and are conducted in such a way that it is indeed a true learning experience:

1. work experience to give him/her a realistic exposure to an organizational-bureaucratic environment;
2. develop the student's awareness of the internal dynamics of an organization and of the value and attitudes of public employees to both their citizenry and their administrative-political superior.”

Pre-service students may seek an internship experience.

Internships may be taken one semester or over two semesters. Students should see their MPA concentration advisers for details. Some internship placements are paid but most are not.