|
Admission & Prerequisites to the MPA Program
There are several categories of admission to ECU's graduate programs. These are discussed in the following order. The prerequisites for admission to the MPA Program are few. They are discussed in the last section.
Regular Admission
Admission by exception
Provisional admission
Professional admission
Non-degree admission
MPA Prerequisites
Regular Admission:
For regular admission to the MPA Program applicants must have a satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.7 on all undergraduate work (a higher GRE score can offset a lower GPA), or a graduate degree from an accredited institution and a satisfactory score on the GRE.
Applications may be obtained from the Graduate School. A completed application consists of:
Completed graduate study application form
Official copies of all college transcripts
Three letters of recommendation
A statement of purpose
Official copy of GRE scores
A personal data sheet from the Department of Political Science
Admission by exception:
Students not meeting regular admission requirements may be considered for admission by exception with the support of the MPA Program, plus review and approval by the Graduate School.
The program will assume the responsibility for assessing and documenting the admissibility of any applicant that does not meet the regular admission standards of the Graduate School.
The program's admission recommendation with a brief justification will be forwarded to the Graduate School for review using the Graduate School's Accept / Reject form.
If the Graduate School is not in agreement with the program's recommendation, the program may appeal the admission decision to the Graduate School Administrative Board.
Applicants not meeting regular admission requirements will be required to earn a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on the first 9 semester hours attempted. If the student fails to earn an overall GPA of 3.0 by the end of that period, he/she will not be permitted to continue in the program of study.
Units may establish higher or additional academic standards for continuation for students that do not meet regular admission standards.
Provisional admission (awaiting transcripts):
An applicant may be granted provisional admission pending receipt of official transcripts from all schools attended provided the applicant has all other required admission documents on file and at least one official transcript from a regionally accredited university showing a) an earned degree in a relevant field of study or b) the applicant is currently enrolled and has completed the equivalent of at least three years of undergraduate coursework. International students are not eligible for provisional admission.
The credentials that have been received must be strong enough to warrant an early provisional admission decision pending receipt of all required transcripts.
The provisional admission letter will list all pending transcripts and final transcripts required for regular admission.
An administrative hold will be placed on provisionally admitted student's records preventing them from registering until all required transcripts are received. Their graduate student status may be revoked if they fail to submit all required transcripts or if the transcripts, when received, do not meet admission criteria.
Provisionally admitted students awaiting transcripts are not eligible for financial aid.
The student will acknowledge the conditions of his/her provisional admission by signing and returning a copy of the admission letter to the Graduate School.
It will be the sole responsibility of the student to take actions necessary to submit all required transcripts.
As soon as all official transcripts have been received, the graduate program will review the student's completed file. The faculty will then confirm the student's admission or request that the student withdraw from the program at the end of the first term.
Professional admission:
Individuals whose baccalaureate degree is more than ten years old and who have extensive professional experience related to the intended program of study may be eligible to seek admission through the professional admissions policy upon recommendation of the MPA Director.
Non-degree admission:
Non-degree admissions is an enrollment category in which the student is not accepted into a specific degree or certificate program but is approved to take courses that have no catalog restrictions. This is intended for applicants interested in taking one or more courses at ECU, but not necessarily interested in obtaining an ECU degree or certificate at the time of application. It may be used by students matriculated at another institution who wish to enroll as visiting students, individuals wanting to take courses for personal/professional enrichment, and individuals wanting to take prerequisite course work for later application to a degree program. See http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/grcat/admission.cfm#nondegree for further information. Non-degree students are not eligible for assistantships or federal financial aid.
MPA Prerequisites:
A firm understanding of American political institutions and policy processes is required. Students in need of a review may be required to enroll in POLS 5000, an introductory survey course of readings in American government and politics that does not count toward the 45-semester-hour requirement. An understanding of statistics is strongly recommended.
| 
