PPA Admissions and Eligibility

For Capital Fellows

Priority application period for fall 2013 is October 1 - December 1, 2012.
We will continue to accept applications through March 1, 2013 on a space available basis.

The Center for California Studies administers the Assembly Fellowship, Executive Fellowship, Judicial Administration Fellowship, and California Senate Fellowship (Capital Fellows) programs. Fellows are normally presumed to be strong candidates for admission to the MPPA program.

Specific to Fellows

The Capital Fellows programs covers a combination of internship and seminar, which substitutes for elective units. Consequently all Fellows admitted to the PPA program must take all PPA core courses (27 units) and complete a thesis/project (3 units) to earn an MPPA. 

Students may pursue the MPPA degree on a full time or part time basis. While either option is suitable depending on students’ needs, courses are generally scheduled to accommodate the employed or part time student given their time constraints. Full time students can expect to complete all degree requirements in about two years; part time students can normally expect to complete degree requirements in about three years.

Application

Fellows wishing to apply to the MPPA program must complete a university application (which includes an application fee) and a supplemental program application. Current Fellows cannot simply reclassify into a graduate program at CSUS. All materials should be submitted to the PPA department unless otherwise noted. 

• Supplemental program application.
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores.
• One to two page statement of purpose. 
• Three letters of recommendation (get forms here).
• International students must meet standards for admissions (see the Office of International Programs).
• TOFEL scores for students whose primary language is not English (additional TOFEL information).
• Optional -- resume or curriculum vitae.

Other Requirements

Undergraduate work ~ Applicants must possess a bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.0 or better.
Prerequisites ~ A grade of B or better is required in all prerequisite courses. Prerequisites are: microeconomics, statistics, and government/political science. Applicants with prerequisite deficiencies may be required to complete additional course work.

Deadline

The priority application period is October 1 through December 1 for the following fall.
There are no Spring admissions.

Average GRE Scores and GPA

Here is a year to year chart with average GRE scores and the average GPA of students admitted to our program. Prospective students may find this information both interesting and useful. You can compare your scores and grade point average to previous entering classes.

Admissions and Eligibility