Prospective Students
Application Information
The MPA Program welcomes applicants who hold baccalaureate degrees from accredited institutions. Admission to the MPA Program is based on a holistic assessment of an applicant's ability, aptitude and potential.
Our program operates on a rolling admissions policy. Applications are accepted and reviewed at any time of year with fall and spring admission. In addition to meeting the general requirements for admission to a degree program at West Chester University, applicants must submit:
- Official Application Form
- No GRE or standardized test scores required
- Official academic transcript(s) from all colleges and universities attended at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, demonstrating the achievement of an undergraduate GPA of 3.0. Students who do not meet this requirement may be considered for provisional admission. Provisional students will be required to earn a grade of B+ or higher in their first two courses and enroll in PPA 512 Communications for Public Administrators in the student's first semester that it's offered.
- Goal statement of short-term and long-term career objectives.
- Recommendations from two current or former supervisors or professors who can attest to the applicant's management potential (applicants will provide email addresses for these recommenders within the application - no need to submit letters)
- Resumé
- International Student Application Procedure and Requirements
All application materials are to be submitted to the The Graduate School using the online application process. After all required information has been received, it will be reviewed by the PPA department and a recommendation regarding admission will be made to the Dean of the Graduate School. Students will be notified of admissions decisions by the Graduate Admissions office.
Graduate Student Financial Support Opportunities
Graduate school is a significant investment and we want to provide you with information about funding opportunities. Here you will find information on potential funding sources for your graduate education, such as financial aid, scholarships, graduate assistantships, and more. We hope that these resources will be helpful to you as a graduate student at West Chester University.
Graduate Assistantship Requirements and Eligibility
Graduate assistantships are awarded each year to highly qualified students. Availability varies yearly and the process is competitive; therefore applicants should not plan their academic program assuming they will receive an assistantship. You must be a fully matriculated, non-provisional student in order to be considered for a graduate assistantship.
A graduate assistantship is an opportunity to work on campus in a research or service-oriented capacity in order to gain valuable work experience in higher education or an academic field and earn a tuition waiver and stipend. Applicants should indicate their interest in an assistantship on the electronic application for admission. If you have any questions, please email gradassistantships@wcupa.edu.
Note that a graduate assistantship requires the student to demonstrate both satisfactory performance in meeting assigned hours, dates and responsibilities, as well as good academic standing (minimum GPA of 3.0). Students awarded graduate assistantships who fail to meet these requirements will have their assistantships revoked or will not have them renewed. This policy includes courses taken during summer sessions.
Frederick Douglass Graduate Assistantships
These graduate assistantships are named after Frederick Douglass, a great nineteenth-century American abolitionist and writer and a frequent visitor to West Chester. Douglass gave his last public lecture at West Chester Normal School on February 1, 1895.
Applicants with excellent academic credentials may apply for these assistantships. Efforts are made to appoint qualified candidates from historically underrepresented and underserved populations who have leadership experiences in their backgrounds or as part of their academic goals. This consideration is in keeping with the spirit of Douglass' life of public service and the University's mission to be a source of encouragement to the African American, Native American, Hispanic American and Asian American communities.
Students with Frederick Douglass graduate assistantships serve the Frederick Douglass Institute. These are full-time (20 hours per week) assistantships that provide a tuition waiver and a $5,000 stipend for the academic year. The awards are made on an annual basis and are renewable for a second year. Students may use these assistantships to pursue an advanced degree in one of the University's graduate programs. Interested individuals with excellent credentials should contact The Graduate School.
Institute for Women Graduate Grant
The Institute for Women at West Chester University offers an annual grant of $750 to a female graduate student who is accepted into a master's degree program at West Chester University. The award is based on high academic achievement; evidence of potential for contribution to the applicant's field of study; a record of leadership in school, community, church, or other setting; and evidence of service to others. Applications, including reference forms, are available from The Graduate School. Completed materials must be submitted by March 15th. Only students who have filed all required admission credentials and plan to enroll for a minimum of six graduate credits are eligible.