Procedures
and Requirements
GSPIA offers
admission to those who demonstrate intellectual competence
and high motivation in an academic and/or professional
environment, exhibit a commitment to public service,
and who will enrich the quality of life in the school.
Please prepare
the required materials thoughtfully and thoroughly.
The admissions and financial aid processes are extremely
competitive; it is important that you provide us with
information that fully describes your academic and
professional aspirations and achievements.
E-mail
the Office of Student
Services or call 412-648-7640 for more information.
Address for all materials:
3601 Posvar Hall
230 S. Bouquet St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Admissions
Requirements
All applicants
must have earned a bachelor's degree from a regionally
accredited U.S. institution or a degree that is equivalent
to a four-year U.S. bachelor's degree. Applicants
are expected to have a B-plus or better average (3.2
GPA) in their work to date. Though not required for
admission, applicants to GSPIA's master's programs
are strongly encouraged to take courses in microeconomics,
macroeconomics, and statistics prior to enrolling
in GSPIA. In addition, it is suggested that applicants
have prior coursework or experience with statistical,
spreadsheet, and presentation software packages. It
is desirable, but not mandatory, that PhD applicants
have a master's degree in public and international
affairs or a degree in one of the social sciences
before undertaking doctoral study.
Applicants to the Master of International Development (MID), Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Public and International Affairs (MPIA), or Master of Public Policy and Management (MPPM) may pursue full-time or part-time study. Applicants to the PhD program must pursue full-time study.
Application
Deadlines
GSPIA does
not consider applications on a rolling basis. International
students are encouraged to submit application materials
at least one month prior to the stated deadlines.
MPA, MPIA,
and MID (U.S. Citizens): Fall - February
1; Spring - November 1
MPA, MPIA,
and MID (International Applicant: Fall
- January 15; Spring - August 1
MPPM (U.S.
Citizens): Fall - June 1*; Spring - November 1;
Summer - March 1
MPPM (International
Applicants): Fall - January 15; Spring - August
1; Summer - February 1 (MPPM applicants seeking
full-time status who wish to be considered for school-based
funding must observe the February 1 deadline)
PhD (U.S.
Citizens): Fall (only) - February
1
PhD (International Applicants): Fall (only) - January 15
Non-Degree
(U.S. Citizens): Fall - August 1; Spring - December
1
Admissions
Application
- All
applicants must complete and submit and online application.
- Paper-based application forms are not available
and will not be accepted.
Application
Fee
- Application fee is US $50
- Make checks and money orders payable to the University
of Pittsburgh
- Online applicants may pay the application fee
with a Visa or Mastercard
- International applicants must pay the application
fee with an international money order or check drawn
on a U.S. bank
- Application fees are non-refundable
Application Fee Waivers
Peace Corps Fellows, AmeriCorps Fellows, McNair Fellows, Coro Fellows, Pickering Fellows, and Rangel Fellows are eligible for application fee waivers.
Please contact the Office of Student Services at gspia@pitt.edu or 412-648-7640 for additional information.
Essay
Requirements by Program
MPA, MPIA,
MID, PhD Applicants: Essay #1 and #2 required. Essay
#3 optional.
MPPM and Non-Degree Applicants:
Essay #1 required. Essay #3 optional.
There is a 5,000 character limit for Essay #1 and Essay #2, which is the equivalent of two-typed, doubled spaced pages:
Essay
#1: Describe your career objectives, including the
factors that led you to select GSPIA and your program
of study.
Essay
#2: Submit an analytical essay on a current national
or international problem related to your intended
area of study. A previously written writing sample
is not acceptable.
Essay
#3 (Optional): Discuss any additional information
or special circumstances you believe should be taken
into consideration by the Admissions Committee.
Letters
of Recommendation
MPA, MPIA,
MID, PhD Applicants: Three letters required.
MPPM Applicants: Two letters from supervisors required. Optional
third letter of recommendation from faculty member.
Non-Degree Applicants: Two letters required.
Applicants
must submit three letters of recommendation.
- If the
applicant has graduated within three years, two
letters must be from faculty members. If
employed or volunteering full-time, the third
letter may be from a supervisor.
- If the
applicant has been employed on a full-time basis
for more than three years, two of the letters
of recommendation must be from supervisors.
Recommendations
from colleagues are not acceptable.
Only complete
letters of recommendation, including comments, will
be accepted.
Download
the GSPIA Recommendation Letter Form (PDF).
Academic
Credentials
-
Submit
official transcripts from all undergraduate, graduate,
and international exchange programs to date, whether
or not you earned a degree. (Final transcripts
must be submitted during the first term of enrollment.)
-
If the
transcripts are not in English, certified translations
of academic credentials are required in addition
to the official original academic credentials.
Resume
-
An up-to-date
resume including work experience, education, internships,
honors, memberships in professional organizations,
community service, and volunteer activities is
required for all programs.
- MPPM students
should demonstrate five years of employment beyond
the entry-level position, including budgetary
and supervisory experience. For more information,
contact the Office of Student Services at 412-648-7640
or gspia@pitt.edu.
Writing
Sample
Graduate
Record Examination (GRE)
- MPA, MPIA, MID Applicants: Required for students applying for Fall 2009 Admission, strongly recommended for students applying for Spring 2009 Admission. No minimum score is required.
- MPPM and Non-Degree Applicants: Not required.
- PhD Applicants: Required for all applicants.
-
Submit
scores taken within three years from date of intended
entry (e.g. August 2006 test dates or later for
Fall 2009 enrollment).
- Official scores of MPA, MPIA, MID, and PhD applicants must be received
before an application is considered complete.
-
Institutional
code: 2574.
-
Direct
inquiries about test dates and registration should be made to
GRE at Educational Testing Services in Princeton, New Jersey: telephone: 609-771-7670; E-mail:
gre-info@ets.org; fax: 609-771-7906; Web: www.gre.org.
Test
of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) including
the Test of Written English (TWE) or the International
English Language Testing System (IELTS)
- MPA, MPIA, MID Applicants: Minimum 550 PBT/213
CBT/80 IBT TOEFL, and 4.5 TWE or 7.00 overall in
each of the IELTS subsections.
- MPPM Applicants: Minimum 600 PBT/250 CBT/100
IBT TOEFL and 4.5 TWE or 7.00 overall in each of
the IELTS subsections.
-
PhD Applicants: Minimum 550 PBT/213 CBT/80 IBT TOEFL and 4.5
TWE or 7.00 overall in each of the IELTS subsections.
-
Submit
scores taken within three years from date of intended
entry (e.g. August 2005 test dates or later for
Fall 2008 enrollment).
-
Either
the TOEFL or IELTS is required of applicants for
whom English is not their first or native language
and who have not graduated from a regionally-accredited
institution in the United States.
-
Direct
inquires about TOEFL test dates and registration should be made
to the Educational Testing Services in Princeton
, New Jersey: telephone: 609-771-7100; Web: www.toefl.org.
-
Direct
inquiries about IELTS test dates and registration
should be made to Cambridge Examinations in Pasadena: telephone:
626-564-2954; Web: www.ceii.org; email: ielts@ceii.org.
-
Institutional
code for GSPIA is 2574.
School-Based Funding
-
Funding
is limited, highly competitive, and merit-based.
- To be eligible for funding, applicants must be
pursuing full-time study and have submitted a completed
admissions application by February 1.
Students admitted on a provisional basis are not
eligible for school-based funding.
- There is no separate GSPIA funding application.
- Awards are made for two terms, Fall and Spring,
of the first academic year. Funding for the second
year is assured, provided the conditions of the
award letter are met.
-
Award notifications
will be mailed by late March and will continue
until all funding is allocated. Students should
expect to hear by mid-May if they have been awarded
funding.
-
U.S. citizens
and permanent residents are eligible for federal
student loans, provided the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Financial
Aid Application Supplement (FAAS) are submitted.
Please direct inquiries regarding the status of
these forms to the University's Office of Admissions
and Financial Aid, Alumni Hall, 4227 Fifth Avenue,
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260,
telephone: (412) 624-7488 or email at oafa@pitt.edu. You can also visit their web site at www.pitt.edu/~oafa.
-
Title IV
Code: 008815.
Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships
Students planning to study a foreign language at GSPIA may be eligible for a FLAS Fellowship. These prestigious awards are funded by the U.S. Department of Education, and the University of Pittsburgh is authorized to award several each year because of its federally funded centers of excellence in Asian Studies, European Studies, Latin American Studies and Russian/East European Studies, all of which have been designated national resource centers in their fields.
The FLAS is a highly competitive award that covers tuition and most fees for two terms, and provides a living stipend. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, must be planning to enroll at GSPIA full-time, and must be willing to study a modern foreign language for both terms. The competition is open to both new and returning students, and applicants need not be admitted to GSPIA before submitting the FLAS application.
The FLAS application form is available for download in PDF format here: www.ucis.pitt.edu/euce/students/Funding/FLAS_Application08-09.pdf. |
