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High School Seniors/First-Year Students
All applications are completed online. See Rutgers Undergraduate Admissions. Select “School of Public Affairs and Administration – Public and Nonprofit Administration Undergraduate Program – Newark” as your college of choice on the application.

Undergraduate students enrolled at other colleges and universities wishing to transfer to Rutgers University School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) to earn their Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Public and Nonprofit Administration can find more information via Undergraduate Transfer Students Outside of Rutgers.

Students from Rutgers (New Brunswick, Camden, and other Newark undergraduate divisions such as SCJ, RBS, NCAS, UC, and Nursing) should use the online Rutgers School-to-School Transfer application.

If you have been away from the university for a semester or more, you need to complete a re-enrollment application to reactivate your status via the Application for Re-Enrollment.

Criteria for Re-Enrollment to the Joint Program:

• Students must have completed a minimum of one (1) academic term as a matriculated student at Rutgers University.
• Any student previously enrolled in any of the Rutgers University undergraduate divisions may apply for re-enrollment after a leave of absence of at least one (1) semester.
• Students enrolling in the School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) undergraduate program cannot have earned more than 90 college-level credits, except in the case of second-degree candidates (for whom the credit limit is not applicable).

To be considered for admission to the MPA program, applicants must:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution of higher education

To apply to the MPA program, applicants must complete or submit the following:

• Online Application – all applications are completed online, via Rutgers University Graduate Admissions
   
• Resume or CV
   
• Official Transcripts – showing all undergraduate and graduate work from each post-high school institution attended
   
• Three Letters of Recommendation
   
• Personal Statement – two to three pages explaining “Why You are Pursuing an MPA Degree”
   
• $70 Application Fee – payable to Rutgers University
   
• English Proficiency Examination Score(s) (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo) – if applicable
  English language proficiency is required if your undergraduate education was completed in a non-English speaking country. International and non-U.S. applicants are required to take an English proficiency examination.
  • TOEFL: The minimum IBT-internet based TOEFL is Writing 22, Speaking 23, Reading 21, Listening 17 (i.e. a TOEFL score of 83). The minimum paper-based TOEFL score is 550. The minimum computer-based TOEFL score is 213.
  • IELTS: An acceptable IELTS score is bandwidth 7.
  • Duolingo: The minimum Duolingo score is 115.

**GRE scores are no longer required for admission

Priority application deadlines:

• Fall semester is July 1
• Spring semester is December 1

Applications received after the semester deadlines will be considered on a rolling basis.

To be considered for admission to the EMPA program, applicants must:

• Have 5+ years of relevant professional experience or 2+ years of relevant supervisory experience in the field of public service
   
• Hold a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution of higher education

To apply to the EMPA program, applicants must complete or submit the following:

• Online Application – all applications are completed online via Rutgers University Graduate Admissions
   
• Detailed Resume or CV – demonstrating relevant experience in the field of public service
   
• Official Transcripts – showing all undergraduate and graduate work from each post-secondary institution attended
   
• Three Letters of Recommendation
   
• Personal Statement – two to three pages (approximately 750 words) explaining “Why You are Pursuing an EMPA Degree”
   
• $70 Application Fee – payable to Rutgers University
   
• English Proficiency Examination Score(s) (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo) – if applicable
  English language proficiency is required if your undergraduate education was completed in a non-English speaking country. International and non-U.S. applicants are required to take an English proficiency examination.
  • TOEFL: The minimum IBT-internet based TOEFL is Writing 22, Speaking 23, Reading 21, Listening 17 (i.e. a TOEFL score of 83). The minimum paper-based TOEFL score is 550. The minimum computer-based TOEFL score is 213.
  • IELTS: An acceptable IELTS score is bandwidth 7.
  • Duolingo: The minimum Duolingo score is 115.

**GRE scores are no longer required for admission ​​​​​​

Priority application deadline:

• Fall semester is July 1

Applications are still encouraged after July 1 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Applicants for the BA/MPA or BS/MPA degree need to meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Must have completed 75 credits by the end of junior year
• Must be a matriculating undergraduate student at a school on the Rutgers-Newark campus, (School of Public Affairs and Administration, School of Arts and Sciences–Newark, School of Criminal Justice, Rutgers Business School–Newark)
• Must have a cumulative GPA of a 3.00 or higher
• Must complete the MPA admissions application during junior year

GRE Scores are no longer required for MPA admission.

Before enrolling, applicants must have received an MPA or other relevant master's degree. (Degree relevance is evaluated by the PhD Program Director.)

To apply to the PhD program, applicants must complete or submit the following:

• Application – completed online via Rutgers University Graduate Admissions
• Resume
• Application Fee – ($70) payable to Rutgers University
• Official Transcripts – from colleges and universities attended
• Three Letters of Recommendation
• Personal Statement
• Writing Sample
• GRE Scores
• TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo Scores – if applicable
  (International and Non-U.S. applicants have to submit TOEFL test scores with a minimum of 90, IELTS scores with a minimum of 6.5, or Duolingo scores with a minimum of 115.)

Consideration of applications begins on January 10 for admission to the fall semester. Admissions decisions are not made for the spring semester.

Materials Required for Readmission
To reapply to the PhD program, applicants must complete or submit the following:

• Application – completed online via Rutgers University Graduate Admissions
• Resume
• Three Letters of Recommendation (at least two letters from current or past faculty members of SPAA; at least one of the faculty members must commit to working with the student)
• Personal Statement (why you are seeking readmission)

Rutgers SPAA

• Application to the MPA program at Rutgers SPAA (School 20) via Rutgers University Graduate Admissions
• GRE score (if undergraduate GPA is less than 3.0)
• Personal Statement
• Three Letters of Recommendation*
• Official Transcript*
• Application Fee
• Admission in Fall, Spring, and Summer (priority application deadline 7/1 for Fall; 12/1 for Spring)

Rutgers School of Law-Newark

• Application to Rutgers Law School (School 23) via www.lsac.org**
• LSAT score earned within the last three years
• Personal Statement and Resume
• Two Letters of Recommendation*
• Official Transcript*
• Application Fee
• Admission only in Fall (deadline 3/15)
• Completion of an Undergraduate Degree

*Students can use the same letters of recommendation and transcript for each school.
**The law school application must be completed through the Law School Admissions Council (www.lsac.org), which acts as a clearinghouse for all law school applicants. Please follow their instructions for creating an account, registering for the LSAT, submitting transcripts and letters of recommendation for processing, and submitting an application.

• JD: Admission only in Fall (deadline 3/15)
• MPA: Admission in Fall (priority deadline 7/1), Spring (priority deadline 12/1), and Summer

• Completed online Graduate Application specifying desired certificate:
  20834Q, Public Administration – Budgeting and Financial Management Certificate
  20834R, Public Administration – Healthcare Certificate
  20834S, Public Administration – Leadership of Public Organizations Certificate
  20834P, Public Administration – Nonprofit Management Certificate
• Application Fee
• Official Transcripts
• Personal Statement (approximately 500 words addressing why you want to pursue the certificate)

Priority application deadlines:

• Fall semester is July 1
• Spring semester is December 1

Applications received after the semester deadlines will be considered on a rolling basis.