HELP 2009-2010 University Catalog Public Policy, MPP Print-Friendly Page

Banner Code: PP-MPP-PUBP

Phone: 703-993-8200

The master’s program in public policy leads to a degree for aspiring or experienced professionals who seek career advancement through cutting-edge education and training in policy analysis and development in increasingly technical and global environments. The program prepares students to be reflective practitioners who develop, implement, manage, analyze, evaluate, and effect innovative change in the public and private sectors through a course of study that emphasizes the fundamentals of policy development; the role of technology, analytic assessment, and modeling for policy evaluation; and the implications of international and global perspectives on policy formation. Courses are offered primarily in late afternoon and evening to fit the schedules of busy professionals.

Admission Requirements

Completed applications for fall and spring semesters are reviewed on a rolling basis, with late applications considered on a space-available basis. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, with a preferred GPA of 3.00 or higher on a 4.00 scale.

The following items must be included when applying:

• Graduate application with fee (no fee waivers)
• Two- to three-page written statement of student’s goals and interest in the program
• Current résumé
• Two official transcripts of all university work completed. International students must also submit a translation of all international transcripts into English, if applicable.
• Two letters of recommendation, with at least one from an individual who is qualified to attest to the candidate’s academic potential.
• For international applicants, TOEFL scores with a minimum score of 575 on the paper-based exam; 230 on the computer- based exam; or 88 with a minimum of 20 on each of the subsections on the Internet-based exam. Students may also be required to be tested by the English Language Institute.
• Certificate of Financial Responsibility (for students requesting an F-1 or J-1 visa).

Submission of GRE or GMAT scores is required only for students requesting merit-based funding consideration.

Students may be admitted for nondegree study and apply a limited number of credits toward the master’s degree should they choose to apply to the degree program later, in accordance with university policy.

Academic Policies

Students admitted to an SPP program will be terminated from SPP upon receiving one grade of F and are no longer eligible to take courses in SPP. Per university regulation students are dismissed from the university after accumulating grades of F in two courses or 9 credits of unsatisfactory grades in graduate courses.