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DPA Admission Process

We appreciate your interest in our DPA doctoral program. Please see the application guidelines below and the links at the left. Feel free to contact us with any questions.

Applications for fall of 2011 (our next entry class) will be accepted starting November, 2010. We will begin consideration of applications on March 15th and will continue review until the cohort is filled.

Students must apply either by regular post or online to the UIS Office of Admissions for entrance to graduate studies to be eligible for consideration in the DPA Program. All transcripts should be sent to the Admissions Office along with a fee of $60.00 for domestic submissions and $75.00 for international students. There is an additional application for acceptance to the DPA, proferred directly to the program.

A two-step process

The prospective student must submit a portfolio to the DPA Office, PAC 420, containing the following:

  1. An educational and professional goals statement of at least 600 words written by the applicant, Please include possible research areas of interest to you.
  2. Three letters of recommendation,
  3. At least one sample of the applicant’s professional writing that was written solely by the applicant, and
  4. Evidence of significant work experience in a public affairs field.
  5. Vita 

Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to submit GRE scores as a part of their portfolios.  GRE scores may provide useful information about an applicant’s readiness for program coursework, and the preliminary application process involves the Director and Associate Director of the DPA Program screening applications to select those who will be given further consideration.

Portfolios are complete and the student eligible for further consideration when the requirements listed below are met and submitted:

  1. Transcripts for all graduate work.
  2. A completed master’s degree.
  3. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 for all graduate work.
  4. Evidence of excellent oral and written communications skills.
  5. Three letters of recommendation with at least one letter from an individual at an academic institution from whom the applicant took courses.
  6. A current resume.

The second step in the process involves all members of the DPA Program Committee reviewing qualifying applications from the preliminary portion.  Eligible applicants wishing consideration for a cohort seat must be available for an oral interview with the Program Committee.  Fifteen students per cohort will be selected based on:

  • The fit between the applicant’s educational aspirations, the curricular offerings of the program, including the expertise of the faculty,
  • The quality of the applicants previous graduate performance,
  • Evidence of the applicant’s ability to complete doctoral level work, and
  • Evidence of significant professional achievement in a public affairs field.

Students must submit application materials by March 15 for admission to the cohort that will start in the fall semester.

Appeal

Applicants who are denied admission may seek a second review only if there has been a factual mistake in the process of considering their files. This would include such events as

  • an application that was complete but was somehow was not reviewed in program consideration
  • through the university's action or inaction, the university did not include an item that should have been in the applicant's file

The Program Committee will review the application and determine if the student requesting an appeal should be admitted.

Applicants who are denied may apply in the next admission cycle if they desire.