SPEA MASTER’S PROGRAMS
Frequently Asked Questions MASTERS PROGRAM OFFICE • SPEA 260 • 1315 East Tenth St. • Bloomington, IN 47405
Apply to SPEA Specific questions may be directed to speaapps@indiana.edu or the Masters Program Office, 800.765.7755. Are there any prerequisites for admission to your programs? n MPA: There are no prerequisites to the MPA program. However, it is strongly recommended that applicants have one semester of statistics and college math (basic algebra). n MSES: The MSES Admissions Committee looks for applicants to have an adequate background in quantitative and natural science subjects. As a minimum, an applicant must have completed at least one (1) semester of: calculus and chemistry with lab. Familiarity with concepts in biology/ecology, as well as statistics, is also desirable. n MPA/MSES: Please see the above guidelines for each respective program. What standardized tests are required for admission to SPEA? n The GRE or GMAT is required for admission. If you are applying to a dual degree program with the School of Law, we will accept your LSAT score in place of a GRE score. • If you are applying to a dual degree outside of SPEA (such as an MPA/MA or MPA/JD), you must submit applications to each school separately. n International students whose native language is not English are also required to take the TOEFL or IELTS. SPEA baseline scores for consideration are 100 (TOEFL) or 7.0 (IELTS). If you have received a degree from a US institution, the TOEFL/IELTS requirement is waived. n Please have your GRE scores sent directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). • Institutional Code: #1324 • Department Code: MPA - #2204, MSES - #0502 Do you have specific test score and GPA requirements for admission? n We do not have defined GPA or GRE/GMAT* requirements for admission consideration. The Admission Committee conducts a comprehensive review of each application file and seeks well-rounded students for admission to the SPEA master’s programs. n Average GRE scores (data reflect the demographics of our last three incoming classes):
MPA MSES MPA-MSES
Verbal
70% 66%
73%
Quantitative
58% 62%
65%
Analytical Average GPA
3.9/6.0
3.66/6.0
4.09/6.0
3.55/4.0
3.33/4.0
3.52/4.0
*Limited GMAT data available. Please email speaapps@indiana.
Do you offer spring admission to your programs? We accept applications to the MSES, dual programs with the MSES degree, and certificate programs for the spring semester. MPA applications are accepted only by special permission of a director.
When are your application deadlines?
Fall application deadlines: Spring application deadline: International applications – December 1 All applications – November 1 Financial aid priority deadline** – February 1 Domestic applications – May 1 **All application materials must be postmarked by this date.
p: 800-765-7755 or 812-855-2840
speainfo@indiana.edu
f: 812-856-3665
www.spea.indiana.edu
When will I be notified of an admission decision? SPEA’s admission season begins at the end of October. We have a rolling admission process. You will be notified as soon as your application file is under review. We will notify you by e-mail as soon as an admission decision has been reached, and we will follow this notification with a formal letter. We prioritize timely communication throughout our application process. When does SPEA notify financial aid recipients of their award? SPEA financial aid decisions are made separately from admission decisions. Therefore, admission letters are NOT accompanied by award offers. Once the priority deadline (February 1) has passed, we begin our award process. We strive to notify each recipient of his or her selection for an award in early March. How are financial aid decisions made? All candidates who indicate on their applications that they wish to be considered for merit aid, and who meet the February 1st priority deadline, are included in the pool of potential merit aid recipients. Decisions are made based on how your overall credentials compare to those of other applicants of that year. We were able to offer financial aid to approximately 35% of our fall 2013 incoming class. A majority of awards offer partial fee remission and an hourly wage position, accompanied by a teaching or graduate assistantship.
Visit Bloomington I’m not from the Midwest; does Bloomington offer cultural diversity and community opportunities? Bloomington is located only an hour from Indianapolis. With a permanent population of approximately 69,000 people, it is a flourishing academic community that offers residents a variety of cultural experiences. Whether you are looking for performing arts, ethnic dining, music and art festivals, on-campus advocacy groups and associations, or simply the experience of living in a socially and ethnically diverse community, all can be found right here in Bloomington.
MASTERS PROGRAM OFFICE • SPEA 260 • 1315 East Tenth St. • Bloomington, IN 47405
What is the cost of living in Bloomington? Because Indiana University is in the Midwest, the cost of living is affordable! According to a recent publication by the Bloomington Indiana Convention and Visitors Bureau, the median value of a house in Bloomington is $107,500, while the median cost to rent is $488 per month. This can be a significant value when comparing the costs of attending graduate school in other areas of the country. Should I visit the Bloomington campus? We look forward to meeting you! We do our best to customize visit days to highlight those areas of our programs that are of most interest to you. Generally, visitors meet with faculty, the Career Development Office, and the Masters Program Office (MPO). We also arrange for you to go to lunch with a current student. If classes are in session, we will arrange for you to sit in on a course within your area of interest. Please contact our office at 1.800.765.7755 or speainfo@indiana.edu to schedule a visit. The staff in the Masters Program Office wants to help you get the most out of your graduate school experience. Please visit our website or call our office if you have additional questions about our programs or how a SPEA degree can help you achieve your career aspirations.
© August 2014