Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How often are students admitted to the program?
  2. How do I apply to the MPA program?
  3. Can I apply before I finish my BA?
  4. Are there any prerequisite courses?
  5. What are the entry requirements?
  6. How has the current financial crisis affected admissions?
  7. Can I transfer from another Public Administration program?
  8. When are the closing dates for applying to the program?
  9. What if I am an international student?

ADMISSIONS
  1. 1. How often are students admitted to the program?
    Typically in both spring and fall semesters. The application filing period for admission for Spring will close on October 1; the filling period for Fall 2012 will open on Oct. 1, 2011. Because our admissions are dependent upon the state budget, it is best to check CSU Mentor for specific details. http://www.csumentor.edu

  2. How do I apply to the MPA program?

    3. The simplest way is to apply online at http://www.csumentor.edu/admissionapp/grad_apply.asp. You can also find information on graduate admissions at http://www.fullerton.edu/catalogprevious/catalog2003-2005/admissions_and_registration/gradadm.asp.

    In addition you should....

    Send to Admissions and Records: Required: Your transcripts from all universities and community colleges you have attended. These should be originals sent from the institution.

    Send to the Public Administration Coordinator: Required: A set of transcripts from all universities and community colleges you have attended.  A letter of interest, a current resume and two letters of recommendation (if possible one from an immediate supervisor and one from a professor). GRE scores are not required, but should be sent to the department if you have them.  These should be sent to: Public Administration Coordinator, Public Administration Program, California State University, Fullerton, PO Box 6848, Fullerton, CA 92834-6848.

  3. Can I apply before I finish my BA?

    4. Yes you can but the BA must be in hand by the time you start graduate studies.

  4. Are there any prerequisite courses?

    5. The prerequisite courses are American Government, Statistics and either Micro-economics or Macro-economics. If you do not have one or more when you enter we normally allow you to finish them during your first year in the program.

  5. What are the entry requirements?

    6. We divide applicants into three groups. If you have a grade point average in your last 60 semester units, (90 quarter units) under 2.75 (B-) we will not admit you. If your GPA in the last 60 semester units is above 2.75 you have met our minimum admission standards.

    For those above this level we look at your grades in your last 60 units and your major, your experience in the public sector (if any,) your GRE scores (if you supply them,) and the quality of your written statement of purpose. The higher your grades the less important the other criteria are.

    In the past we admitted almost all of those meeting our minimum qualifications but in the last five years the demand for entry into our program has increased greatly and this year we admitted about half of those who met the minimum qualification. The average grade point in the last 60 units of those admitted was around 3.5.

  6. How has the current financial crisis affected admissions?

    7. The current crisis has made it more difficult to get into the program. The number of people applying has increased and the financial resources allocated to the program have decreased. As we are not able to admit all qualified applicants. Further, we will not know for certain if we can admit students for Spring until budgetary allocations have been made.

  7. Can I transfer from another Public Administration program?

    8. Usually you can and often we will give credit for courses taken elsewhere. But 21 of the 39 units must be taken in our program.

  8. When are the closing dates for applying to the program?

    9. Admissions for the Fall semester start October 1 and usually end by March 31. We also admit for the Spring term beginning August 1 and usually ending October 1. In both Spring and Fall the closing date may be a little earlier or later. The best advice is to apply as early as possible and check CSU Mentor for more details.

  9. What if I am an international student?

    10. If you are an international student in addition to the other requirements you must have a score of 570 (paper) or 230 (computer based) on the TOEFL exam. The TOEFL code for CSUF is 4589. Students who feel their English is not yet up to this level often do a semester in our English as a Foreign Language Program before commencing classes.