Accelerated Program Admissions

The La Follette School of Public Affairs provides selected UW-Madison undergraduates an opportunity to jumpstart the Master of Public Affairs or Master of International Public Affairs program.

The application for the Fall 2026 Accelerated program is now open.

About the Accelerated Program

The following items are required for consideration for the accelerated degree:

• Accelerated degree program application including a prerequisite check to provide the admissions committee with information about courses you completed and preparation you have done that satisfies La Follette School prerequisites.
• Quantitative essay: Write a 150-word statement (approximately half a page double spaced) about current or past research, coursework, or professional experience requiring quantitative or analytic skill or experience and how it has prepared you for graduate study in public affairs. If you do not have this background, please leave the essay blank.
• Personal statements of purpose: The statements of purpose provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your motivation to pursue a Master of Public Affairs (MPA) or Master of International Public Affairs (MIPA) degree and your commitment to a career dedicated to public service. Your clear and concise narrative need not reiterate information we can gather from your transcripts and resume. We require you to certify that the essays you submit are entirely your own original work and have not been created using Artificial Intelligence (AI). Please be aware that if it is discovered that the submitted essays do not meet this requirement, we retain the right to revoke your admission.

1. 1. Required –  How have your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges informed your decision to attend the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs? (Maximum 200 words – approximately three-quarters of a double-spaced page)
   2. Required – How would a degree from the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs help you explore your policy interests, make progress toward your professional goals and vision for your future, and further the Wisconsin Idea? (Maximum 200 words – approximately three-quarters of a double-spaced page)
   3. Optional – If you have faced unusual or extenuating circumstances that may impact your application to the La Follette School, you may choose to describe how they have impacted your academic record on a separate page but in the same document as your statement of purpose. You can also use this area to address any gaps in your application, i.e., you do not have grades for all the prerequisites yet because you are planning to complete one of them in the spring semester after you’ve submitted your application.  (Maximum 150 words – just over half of a double-spaced page)

               It will not negatively impact your application if you do not include the optional statement about extenuating circumstances.

• Two academic letters of recommendation
  • Applicants should have faculty letter writers send their letters to the admissions@lafollette.wisc.edu email address with the applicant’s name in the subject line.
• A University of Wisconsin–Madison transcript showing a grade point average of 3.6 or higher
• Resume