Apply to MPA
ALL concentrations of the MPA program are now accepting applications for Fall 2012!
The priority application deadline -- consideration guaranteed for complete applications -- is February 15, 2012.
For more information about...
- ...the Tribal Governance concentration, contact Erin Genia via email or at (360) 867-6202.
- ...the Public-Non Profit Administration and Public Policy concentrations, contact Randee Gibbons via email or at (360) 867-6554.
In the meantime, it's possible for an individual with a bachelor's degree to take our elective courses as a Graduate Special Student, and count up to 12 graduate credits toward their MPA degree if they are later admitted to the program. Get more information on Special Student requirements and registration procedures for the upcoming quarter.
Get more information now about
Application Checklist
Please mail or hand-deliver all application materials directly to the Evergreen Office of Admissions, at this address:
Office of Admissions
The Evergreen State College
2700 Evergreen Parkway NW
Olympia, WA 98505
Attn: MPA applications
For hand-delivery, the Office of Admissions is located in the Library building (the structure with the clock tower) on the first (lower) floor in Room 1201: hours are M-F, 8am-5pm. Mail or hand-deliver all documents; faxed or emailed materials are not official documents and cannot be accepted.
Application materials may be sent individually *or* delivered in one package; note that you do *not* have to wait until your application materials are complete in order to submit them. Only complete applications will be considered for admission: "complete" means that all application materials have been received by the Office of Admissions at the above address. Contact the Office of Admissions directly, at 360-867-6170, if you have any questions about the receipt of application materials (whether materials have been received, whether your application is complete, etc.)
Note that packages delivered by FedEx, UPS and Express Mail are often delayed as they are delivered to the Evergreen mailroom and NOT to the Admissions Office directly, so please do not count on an expedited delivery service to get your application to Admissions overnight.
As you prepare your application materials, when using someone else's ideas, information, language or writing please be sure to properly acknowledge the original source. Representing the work or ideas of others as one's own, even inadvertantly, is an act of plagiarism and may result in penalties as severe as revocation of admission or dismissal from the college. Plagiarism can be avoided by using a variety of strategies to review and edit your work and proper citation practices (for example, the APA style guide is commonly used in the MPA program).
Note that the GRE is *NOT* required for MPA admission.
- MPA Admission Application form
Print, fill out and submit the application form with a nonrefundable application fee of $50. - Resume
Please prepare a chronological resume listing all positions held in the past ten years. Include any significant volunteer public or community service activities. Emphasize how each position relates to your proposed graduate work. Applicants who have do not demonstrate that they have done full-time work, for one year or more, with significant responsibility in public or non-profit administration or in a public policy area will be required to complete an internship before completing the MPA program. For more information, see the "Applicants with limited professional experience" section on the MPA Admissions Requirements page. - Official Transcripts
In order to complete the application process we require official transcripts from every college or university attended - including Evergreen - regardless of credit earned, the nature of coursework, or whether you earned a degree. One transcript must verify the award of a bachelor's degree (if you have not yet received your bachelor's degree, see information about "Provisional admission" below). A transcript is considered official if it bears the official seal and signature of the issuing institution and is sent directly by that institution to Evergreen's Office of Admissions, or is enclosed in a sealed envelope from the issuing institution and delivered by the applicant to the Office of Admissions. If the envelope is opened prior to receipt by the Office of Admissions, the transcript is no longer official and cannot be accepted.
Note: "Provisional admission" can be granted on the basis of work in progress near the completion of a bachelor's degree. The applicant should submit an official transcript showing work completed to date at the time of application. Occasionally, we may need to request an updated transcript during the review process. A final transcript, showing completion of outstanding coursework and the conferring of the bachelor's degree, must be submitted to gain regular admission status. - A statement of purpose, no more than three typed, double-spaced pages
Given the sum total of your professional and life experiences, tell us what brings you to public service and to the Evergreen MPA program and why you want to pursue graduate study in public administration, particularly at Evergreen. Describe in some detail your experiences in education, employment and public or community work and how those experiences influenced you to seek a graduate degree in public administration. Speak particularly to the elements of the Evergreen MPA mission (for example, working collaboratively, embracing diversity, valuing fairness and equity, etc.) This statement helps the admissions committee assess your interest and motivation for graduate study and helps the committee gauge the fit between what our program offers and what you hope to receive from it. - A public policy essay of no more than five typed, double-spaced pages regarding an issue of interest to you
This essay should clearly explain the relevant issue(s), describe the major contending views, argue a position and defend it with relevant evidence. The essay will be evaluated on the quality of its analysis and writing, and the coherence of its argument. Include proper citations of all source material. The essay may follow any standard style format for a college paper. For students who apply to the Tribal Governance concentration, your essay should deal with issues specific to tribal communities and show a well developed understanding of policies that are relevant to tribal governments, or policy issues affecting American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or international indigenous groups. - Two letters of recommendation
Letters of recommendation must provide clear evidence that you are capable of doing graduate-level work: for example, evidence of writing, analytical and general communication skills of high quality and at a level appropriate for graduate study. Applicants who were awarded their bachelor's degree within the last two years must provide at least one letter from a faculty member. Letters less than a year old are preferable. Recommenders may address letters to the "MPA Admission Committee" and mail them directly to the "Office of Admissions, The Evergreen State College" at the address listed at the top of this page. Recommendation letters may also be submitted by applicants but recommendations must still be in their original sealed envelopes. Emailed or FAXed letters cannot be accepted. - Candidate interviews
Some candidates may be interviewed during the application review period. We will contact you if this will be necessary.
Be sure to make copies of your application materials for your files before submitting them. Applications materials become the property of The Evergreen State College and cannot be returned, forwarded, or copied after they are received.