The Bush School of Government & Public Service

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Application Requirements

5- year Master of Public Service & Administration Degrees with the Texas A&M Departments of Political Science, Economics, Agricultural Economics, Sociology, Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, and Rangeland, Wildlife, & Fisheries Sciences

MPSA 5-year (3+2) Degree

Overview | Timeline | Deadlines | Requirements | FAQs | Contact Us

The application and all supporting materials (including recommendations) must be submitted and received by 11:59 PM (Central Time) on the day of the application deadline listed below. Incomplete applications will NOT be considered or reviewed for admission.

Fall 2024 Application Deadlines
Priority Funding Application Deadline
December 15, 2023		Final Application Deadline
January 12, 2024

Wondering what the difference is between these two deadlines?
Visit the MPSA App Deadlines page for more information.

Eligibility

Current Texas A&M University (College Station, TX) undergraduate students may apply for admission into the 3+2 MPSA program during the fall of their junior year (or in the fall when they are classified as a U3) as long as the student:

  • is classified as a U3 (or junior) majoring in one of the following at the time of their application, and
    • Political Science
    • Economics
    • Agricultural Economics
    • Sociology
    • Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences (for those admitted to Texas A&M prior to or for fall 2022)
    • Rangeland, Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences (for those admitted to Texas A&M for fall 2023 or after)   
  • has worked with their undergrad advisor to map out undergrad courses the student must complete prior to and after entry into the 3+2 program (if admitted), and
  • has (or will have) approximately 66-78 credit hours of their undergrad degree completed by the start of the fall semester of their junior year (when they begin the 3+2 application process), and
  • is predicted to have at least 102 credit hours of their undergrad degree completed by the start of the fall semester in which they will enter the 3+2 program, and
  • has (or will have) a cumulative GPA of at least a 3.25 by the start of the fall semester in which they will enter the 3+2 program if admitted, and
  • is in good academic standing with their undergrad department, and
  • is not expected to graduate or complete their undergrad degree during the academic year in which they are applying*, and
  • understands that failure to satisfy ALL of these requirements will result in admission (if offered) being revoked to the 3+2 program.

*For example: A Texas A&M Undergrad student majoring in Political Science who is expected to graduate from their undergrad degree in May 2024 is ineligible to apply for fall 2024 admission into the 3+2 program. The student would need to submit a GradCAS application for the 2-year MPSA degree instead.

Requirements

Current Texas A&M undergraduate students who meet the eligibility requirements above may apply submitting all of the following materials to complete their application by the application deadline (preferably by the priority deadline, but no later than the final deadline). Incomplete applications will NOT be reviewed or considered for admission.

To help you keep your application on track, we’ve created a step-by-step guide and checklist in PDF format for you to use as you work through your application: Fall 2024 5-Year MPSA Application Requirements – Step-by-Step Guide & Checklist.

  1. 3+2 MPSA Internal Application
  2. Résumé
  3. Personal Statement
  4. Recommendations (3)
  5. Transcripts
  6. GRE/GMAT Scores (optional)
  7. 5-year MPSA Course Planner

For a detailed timeline of the admissions process, visit our Admissions Timeline page. To summarize:

Contact us should you have any questions!

To avoid confusion or delay in processing an application,
 please use the same spelling and name on all correspondence.
Notify the Bush School Admissions Office immediately of any changes to your name.

3+2 MPSA Internal Application 

Apply by submitting a Fall 2024: 3+2 MPSA Internal Application. There is no application fee.

The application will ask you to provide your information, answer program-specific questions, and upload your supporting materials (resume, personal statement, and GRE/GMAT test scores if desired). We advise 3+2 MPSA applicants to have their supporting materials ready to upload before filling out and submitting the application above. Three recommendations are required but are to be submitted by your recommenders via email. Refer to the Recommendations section below for instructions.

Résumé

Upload a current résumé (max of two pages) that includes activities after high school to the Fall 2024: 3+2 MPSA Internal Application.  A Résumé Template is available for reference, containing the information/sections to include in your résumé.

Personal Statement

In an effort to learn more about an applicant, applicants are asked to write a personal statement addressing the following prompt. Statements should be typed in 11 pt font, spaced 1.5”, and answer the following prompt. Include your name, the title “Personal Statement”, and page number on each page. Upload to your 3+2 MPSA Internal Application.

Prompt: In 750 words or less, please address the following topics in your personal statement:

  • Your personal and professional goals for your intended career,
  • What (people, places, events) inspired you to pursue a career in public service,
  • How obtaining the MPSA from the Bush School will help you achieve your goals, and
  • Include your public service experience and what value you bring to the program. 

Recommendations (3)

Three recommendations (consisting of a letter and brief evaluation) are required and must be received by the application deadline, preferably the priority application deadline, but no later than the final application deadline. Applications with fewer than three recommendations will NOT be reviewed for admission.

  • (preferred) a higher education reference, particularly from a course instructor who can attest to an applicant’s capability to pursue graduate school.
  • A professional reference as needed, particularly for those who worked before or during their undergrad degree. A professional reference should speak to the applicant’s leadership, character, public service, military or work experience, but should also provide specific anecdotes as to why the applicant is prepared for graduate school.

To request a recommendation, applicants should discuss the program and recommendation requirements with their recommenders well in advance of the application deadline. If the recommender agrees to submit a recommendation on the applicant’s behalf, the application should fill out the top portion of the Recommendation Form with their information and email it to their recommenders with instructions to do the following:

  1. Write a letter of recommendation (preferably on official letterhead),
  2. Fill out the bottom evaluation portion of the recommendation form, and
  3. Email the recommendation form and letter to the Bush School Admissions Office at bushschoolapplications@tamu.edu. We will not accept recommendations submitted from an applicant; recommendations must be emailed directly from the recommender.

The Bush School Admissions Office will send the applicant an email notification each time a recommendation has been received on their behalf. However, it is the applicant’s responsibility to follow-up with any recommenders who have not yet submitted a recommendation to ensure they do so by the deadline the applicant set with them, but no later than the final application deadline.

Transcripts

Students do not need to submit or upload their Texas A&M transcript. The Bush School’s Graduate Admissions Office will download a copy of the student’s transcript at the time they submit their application, after final fall grades are posted, and again in early August to ensure the student successfully completed all of their undergrad course requirements and meets the minimum GPA requirement.

GRE/GMAT Test Scores (optional)

GRE/GMAT test scores are not required to apply to the 3+2 MPSA degree program. However, we encourage scores for anyone who feels they can complement a strong file or offset concerns such as a lack of experience in the field.

When deciding if scores will help or hinder your application, consider our previous years’ average of a 304. We prefer the GRE over GMAT. Scores must be within five years of the date the application is submitted.

Applicants who decide to submit test scores should upload a copy of their Test Score Report to their internal application. Official scores are not needed, but can be sent to Texas A&M University using the following codes: GRE Code: 6003 / GMAT Code: 7B7-K9-57.

5-Year MPSA Course Planner

Students applying to the 3+2 MPSA degree are required to meet with their undergrad advisor to discuss applying to the 3+2 MPSA program. The student and advisor Please visit with your undergrad advisor to discuss applying to the 3+2 MPSA program. It is imperative students meet with their advisor to should fill out the corresponding course planner to ensure the student is on track to complete all undergraduate requirements for their degree (except for the courses that double count toward both degrees) prior to fall entry into the 3+2 degree. The student will then upload a copy of their completed and signed course planner to their 3+2 MPSA Internal Application.

Contact Information

Questions about undergraduate course or degree requirements in preparation for applying to the 3+2 MIA program should be directed to the student’s undergraduate advisor.

Questions about applying to the 3+2 MPSA degree should be directed to Ashlee Treadway or Kathryn Meyer in the Bush School Graduate Admissions Office:

Phone: 979-862-3476
Email: bushschoolapplications@tamu.edu

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