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Home>School of Public Policy & Management>Public Policy & Management (MSPPM)>Admissions Requirements>Application Process
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MSPPM Application Process
Before applying, please carefully review these requirements:
Application. Heinz College no longer accepts applications submitted on paper. Please apply online. The application fee is waived with our online application.
Transcripts. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, regardless of whether credit or a degree was obtained. Your official transcript should show the titles of all courses taken, grades or marks received, and the date and title of any degree(s) conferred. Transcripts must be enclosed in an envelope and signed across the seal by the registrar's office and mailed to:
Director of Admissions
H. John Heinz III College
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Avenue, Hamburg Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
USA
Either the GMAT or GRE. All test scores must be reported directly by the Education Testing Service (ETS). It is recommended for applicants to take the GMAT or GRE at least one month prior to the application deadline (please see "Deadline Information" for each program). If your test date is within one month of the application deadline, please be sure to email the scores to the office of admissions (hnzadmit@andrew.cmu.edu) before the application deadline (and have ETS send us your score report) in order to expedite the review process. If you took either of these tests more than five years ago, you MUST take it again. Please have your scores sent to the Heinz College using the following codes:
| GMAT: | 69H-V8-77 |
| GRE: | 2074 (institution code) NO department code needs to be listed. We have access to all GRE scores reported to Carnegie Mellon University (institution code 2074) If you did list a department code, we have access to any department you chose |
Language Proficiency. All applicants whose native language (mother tongue) is NOT English must submit a test score from the TOEFL (100 minimum overall score on iBT, 25 in each subsection) or IELTS (minimum score of 7). The only exception is for students who have worked or studied for 5 years or more in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the U.K., the U.S. or South Africa.
- TOEFL: scores must be submitted directly by Educational Testing Service (ETS). The Internet-based test is preferred. The minimum TOEFL score is 620 (260 computer-based test or 100 on the Internet-based test, with a minimum of 25 in each sub-section). If your score is below the minimum, you should consider retaking the TOEFL. For more information on the TOEFL, please contact ETS (Phone: 1-609-921-9000). When registering for the TOEFL, please use the following codes:
| TOEFL: | 2176 (institution code) |
- IELTS: You may submit International English Language Testing System (IELTS) results in place of the TOEFL. IELTS is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. Test scores must be submitted directly by IELTS. For more information, please contact their office directly (Phone: +1-626-564-2954) or visit http://www.ielts.org/. The minimum IELTS score is 7. If your score is below the minimum, you should consider retaking the IELTS.
If you took either language proficiency test more than two years ago, you must take it again.
Three Recommendations. Recommendation forms must be completed by three people who can provide academic or professional references. Please note recommendations from friends, family members or acquaintances, and other sources not able to evaluate applicants on an academic or professional basis, will not be accepted. Recommendations are submitted electronically through the online application system by your recommenders. We will no longer accept recommendations submitted on paper. Please let your recommenders know that they may upload an electronic document or scanned copy of a paper-based recommendation using the online system rather than using the text box response fields. You must input the names and contact information for each recommendation provider. Prior to requesting that your recommendation providers complete the recommendation online, be sure to check with them to ensure that you register them with the correct email address and that they know that they may upload their recommendation online and use their preferred letterhead if they so wish.
Résumé. A résumé is a one or two page summary of your education skills, accomplishments, employment experience and volunteer experience. The résumé MUST be current and include all part time and full time work experience, the dates of when the employment began and ended and a brief description of your responsibilities under the title of the position. Click here for a sample résumé.
Please note: If there are any gaps in your résumé, address them in your optional essay (see optional essay details below).
Essay. A 1000-word essay describing your background, your career goals and how the program will help you achieve your goals.
Optional essay. Please include an optional essay to comment on any item(s) in your application that you think worthy of further explanation (address any weaknesses or strengths). Please limit to 250 words.
Academic preparation: All students must provide evidence (final transcript) of completion of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution or international equivalent prior to enrollment.
Quantitative Background. Because of the quantitative nature of the program, the faculty require that all students complete a college level course in advanced algebra/pre-calculus prior to enrollment. It is suggested that applicants also complete college level courses in economics and statistics prior to enrollment. Students who have not completed these courses may be required to enroll in and successfully complete the Quantitative Skills Summer Program (QSSP) as a condition of their offer of admission. QSSP is a summer program – offered prior to the start of the Fall semester – that covers applied pre-calculus and problem application, graphing, basic statistics and probability, spreadsheets and statistical software skills. Students are not charged tuition for the program but are expected to pay for books, other course materials, and living expenses.
Three-semester track requirements. In order to be considered for the three-semester track in the MSPPM program, applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria prior to enrolling in the program:
1. Minimum of three years of relevant professional work experience;
2. Completed a term of service as a Peace Corps volunteer;
3. Completed the Coro Fellows program;
4. Completed a term of service in Teach for America;
5. Attained the rank of Captain in the Army, Marines or AirForce;
6. Attained the rank of Lieutenant in the Navy or Coast Guard.
Additional Requirements for non-US citizens
In addition to the requirements for the application for admission you will want to consider these additional requirements:
- Transcripts and letters of recommendation must be translated into English. All original documents must accompany the translations.
- Documentation. All international applicants from abroad or in the United States are required to have valid documentation. If admitted, you will receive detailed information about the procedure for entering the United States as a student. You will be required to provide evidence of financial support. We recommend that students start searching for sources of funding well in advance of the application deadline. Carnegie Mellon's Office of International Education assists admitted international students by issuing I-20 documents, orienting them to INS policies and much more.
- Office of International Education. Carnegie Mellon's Office of International Education (OIE) assists admitted international students with INS requirements. Admitted international students are required to pay the non-refundable admission deposit and to send a personal information sheet and affidavit of support before an I-20 will be issued.
- Academic Culture and Communication Program. Incoming students who want to strengthen language skills before beginning graduate work in the fall may be interested in attending the Academic Culture and Communication (ACC) Program: "Preparing nonnative English speakers for success at Carnegie Mellon." Some international students may be required to attend ACC prior to enrollment. This program is designed to prepare students for success by enhancing their proficiency in the areas of advanced academic speaking, listening, reading, and writing. By honing these skills before the semester begins, students are better prepared to engage in academic work and take their place in the university community. For more information, visit the ACC Web site.
Verification Requirement for all Enrolling Students
We are committed to ensuring the integrity of our admissions process and the reputation of our educational programs. We also want to protect and enhance the value of the degrees that we confer. The purspose of this background checking is to protect all stakeholders of the program (students, faculty, staff and alumni) from those who would falsify their backgrounds to gain an unfair advantage in the admissions process. We have made the decision to implement an independent verification process of all application materials for any master's student admitted to the Heinz College. We believe that this verification will support our efforts to ensure integrity throughout the program. Upon admission, you will receive more details about this process.
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Application Deadline
January 10 – The application form must be submitted via the online application system by the deadline. Supporting materials sent by mail (if any) must be postmarked by the deadline. Our admissions committee cannot begin reviewing your application until we have received all of your application materials. If space remains in the class after the deadline we will continue to accept applications. Scholarship opportunities after the deadline are limited.