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Application and Admission
Application and admission to the Kent-MPA program involves two steps:
All of your required application materials listed below in Steps 1 and 2 must be received by the following deadlines: For Fall Semester (Sept. - Dec.): By July 31st For Spring Semester (Jan. - May): By November 31st
Items A-G below should be mailed directly to the Office of Research and Graduate Studies of Kent State University: Application for Admission to Graduate
Study Tel: (330) 672-2661 A. Admission Forms to the Graduate College: For your convenience these forms may be easily downloaded by linking to the Online Application B. Official Transcripts: Submission of official transcripts from your undergraduate institution(s), plus any graduate degree(s) you may have earned. C. Application Fee: Submission of an application processing fee of $30 made payable to Kent State University. D. Graduate Record Examination (GRE): You must submit your GRE scores for the verbal, quantitative and analytical portions of the GRE. The GRE is now offered only on computer. To register and find the test location nearest to you, link to: ETS E. Writing Sample: A research paper or report written by the applicant either during their university education or at their place of employment should be submitted. The paper you select should be a demonstration of your analytical abilities and writing skills. F. Letter of Intent: In two pages or less, explain why you are seeking an MPA degree, and why from Kent State; and G. Three Letters of Recommendation: These may be from professors and/or employers who are familiar with your work. Please download the letter of recommendation forms included here. Persons writing letters of recommendation on your behalf should submit their form to Research & Graduate Studies.
The length of time a decision takes is a function of how quickly we have a completed file. Our experience has been that the taking of the GRE exam delays the process, as does the arrival to our office of the three Letters of Recommendation. The Kent MPA program's decision concerning your admission is based on our overall evaluation of your scholastic skills and abilities. Your file will be reviewed by a committee comprised of all the MPA faculty and based on the materials you submitted. To speed up the decision process, your completed file will be transmitted simultaneously to all MPA faculty members. To check the status of your application portfolio please contact: Chris Spear Upon receipt of the GRE scores and letters of recommendation, your file will be transmitted to the MPA Faculty Committee (composed of all full-time MPA faculty) for a decision on your admission. All applicant files are simultaneously transmitted, and voted upon by the entire MPA Faculty Committee A majority decision holds. You will be notified immediately as to the decision. Admission Decision Your file is reviewed and a decision is made by each member of the Committee. A majority decision holds. The MPA Faculty Committee may make one of three decisions: You may be Unconditionally Admitted; Conditionally Admitted; or Denied Admission. An Unconditional Admission is made for students who have an undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or greater and GRE scores of 450 or better on each of the sections of the GRE. A Conditional Admission is made for students who have a mixed record of performance in their portfolio. For example, a very high GPA and a very good research paper but GRE scores below 450. A Denial of Admission is made for students whose file indicates they do not have sufficient strengths to succesfully complete the MPA at Kent. |
