Admissions requirements for graduate students

A $75 non-refundable application fee is required when you apply. It can be paid by credit card (Mastercard or Visa) or by debit or ATM card. Non-U.S. citizens must pay an additional $6 international document processing fee.

The La Follette School has a limited number of application fee waivers available which you can apply for.

Application Fee Waiver Form

• Minimum requirements found here and below.
• A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or a comparable degree from an international institution
• A minimum undergraduate grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00 on the equivalent of the last 60 semester hours (approximately two years of work), or a master’s degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00
• English proficiency for every applicant whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English, must provide an English proficiency score.
• International financial information is required of international applicants to ensure they have adequate financial resources to cover expenses for the duration of their studies at UW-Madison.

Use the online application for fall admission to the UW-Madison Graduate School. Please note: Current UW-Madison students will need to create a user name and password; your current NetID and password will not grant access. Major codes for La Follette School programs are 837 for the Master of Public Affairs and 577 for the Master of International Public Affairs. Applicants may apply to a total of three programs with one application.

Please upload a current resume to the online application. If you completed a Junior Summer Institute through the Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA), please include that on our resume.

The statement of purpose provides 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. This statement should be uploaded to the online application. In 250 words or less (1 page double spaced), respond to the questions below:

How have your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs? How would this academic preparation help you progress toward your personal and/or professional goals and further the Wisconsin Idea?

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. This section should not exceed 150 words. It will not negatively impact your application if you do not include this section on extenuating circumstances.

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.

The admissions committee prefers at least one letter of recommendation from a previous professor who can speak to your potential as a graduate student. The additional letter of recommendation can be from an employer, volunteer supervisor, etc. Personal references from family or friends should be avoided. Recommenders will receive an email from UW-Madison after you enter their name and email address into the online application and they should submit letters electronically by following the directions in the email. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of requested letters through the application portal and reaching out to letter writers if needed. Letters must be received by January 1 in order to you to be considered for priority admission and funding.

Applicants must submit undergraduate transcripts in pdf format as part of the graduate school application. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. If you are accepted to the La Follette School and decide to attend, you will then be required to submit official transcripts to the UW-Madison Graduate School. However, to be considered for priority admission and funding, you only need to provide unofficial transcripts by January 1. Applicants must submit undergraduate transcripts in pdf format as part of the graduate school application. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. If the La Follette School recommends you for admission, and you decide to enroll, you will then be required to submit official transcripts to the UW-Madison Graduate School. However, to be considered for priority admission and funding, you only need to provide unofficial transcripts by January 1.

The supplemental application is included in the online application linked in Step 1 and you will be asked to provide the following information:

• 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 professional work 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.
• Additional information about your application such as if you participated in certain public policy preparation programs, if you plan to apply for any dual-degrees, and acknowledging certain aspects of the program such as the fact that part-time students are not eligible for funding from the La Follette School.

Submission of GRE scores is optional. If you believe your GRE scores are a fair representation of your ability and potential, you can choose to share GRE scores as part of your application. Applications with and without GRE scores will be treated equally. If you have questions, please email La Follette School Admissions at admissions@lafollette.wisc.edu. Note that for applicants who do submit GRE scores, we do not utilize a strict GRE cut-off. If you take the computer-delivered GRE General Test, your official scores will be available in your ETS Account and sent to the institutions you designated approximately 10–15 days after your test date. If you take the paper-delivered test, your official scores will be available in your ETS Account and sent to the institutions you designated within five weeks after your test date. The UW–Madison institution code is 1846. Tests should be completed by mid-November to ensure scores are received by January 1.

Every applicant whose native language is not English, or whose entire undergraduate instruction was not in English, must provide official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). TOEFL information can be found at www.ets.org.  The La Follette School requires a TOEFL paper-based test score of 580 or above, TOEFL computer-based test score of 237 or above, TOEFL Internet-based test score of 92 or above, or an IELTS score of 7 or above. The UW-Madison institution code is 1846. Tests should be completed to ensure scores are received by January 1.

The admissions committee may ask a student regardless of their English test results to take a University of Wisconsin–Madison English assessment test upon arrival, and the student must register for any recommended English-as-a-second-language course(s) in the first semester of graduate study.

Applicants are encouraged to review all of the information on the UW-Madison Graduate School admissions page, especially the FAQ which address many common applicant questions and provide important information for international applicants regarding financial documentation, English proficiency, and Visa information.

Applications must be submitted and complete on or before January 1 to have priority consideration for admission, and for applicants eligible for funding, a La Follette School Fellowship and other scholarships. This means all letters of recommendation must also be submitted by January 1 so be sure to reach out to your recommenders well in advance of the January 1 deadline to request your letters. All other applications are reviewed on a rolling admissions basis; if there is room in the class, applications will continue to be reviewed.

This is the profile of the 2023 class:

Students: 43

Number of women: 28

Number of men: 15

Wisconsin residents: 42%

States represented: AZ, CA, IL, IN, MN, MO, NC, NY, OH, TX, UT, VA, WI, and Washington DC

Countries Represented: Azerbaijan, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Syria, Thailand, and the United States

Average age: 25

Total (First year and Continuing) Students: 105

It is preferred; however, we also admit students directly from undergraduate programs. Our students have diverse backgrounds and an average of three years of experience in government, nonprofit organizations, and private business. The different expertise and backgrounds that La Follette students bring to the school contribute to the unique public affairs curriculum.

For the MPA, recommended preparatory courses are introductory microeconomics, upper level algebra OR calculus and an American government course. For the MIPA recommended preparation courses are introductory microeconomics and macroeconomics, upper level algebra or calculus, equivelent of three semesters of a of a second language or study/work abroad experience, and a course in comparative politics or international relations. For both programs, students who have not taken a microeconomics course but have strong quantitative skills, may be able to waive the microeconomics prerequisite course.

A student can apply without completing prerequisites coursework. If the application is strong in other ways the admissions committee may decide to admit the student based on other evidence of ability to do well in the program.

International students may apply for admission into the Master of International Public Affairs (MIPA) or the Master of Public Affairs (MPA) program. However, international applicants should be aware that their background will be an asset when applying to the MIPA program. Those applicants interested in the MPA program are advised that the MPA program assumes a good knowledge of U.S. government and that MPA graduates generally intend to apply their learning in a U.S. setting. International students are encouraged to apply to the MPA program if they so choose. Students also may apply to both the MIPA and the MPA programs.

The admissions office will begin sending admission emails and fellowship/scholarship letters in late February. If a letter does not mention a fellowship offer, the applicant should look to outside sources for funding.

Yes. The La Follette School will provide prospective students with information about Visit Day shortly after they are accepted. Visit Day is in March, and all accepted students are encouraged to attend. Accepted applicants may visit at any time; however, Visit Day provides more opportunities for meeting with faculty members and speaking with current students. In the past, the La Follette School Student Association has helped ensure that interested students are not precluded from visiting due to financial limitations. Limited funds will be available to assist with travel costs, and current students have hosted prospective visitors in the past.

Yes, up to nine credits can transfer from other graduate programs. The associate director reviews the course syllabi and determines how many elective credits will be applied toward the program’s 42 credits. Transfer credits do not show up on the University of Wisconsin–Madison graduate transcript.

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Graduate School website has information and resources that are helpful for prospective students. The current students page includes a link to the Guide to Graduate Student Life and information about living in Madison and how to get involved on campus.