MPPA Admissions

Admissions Requirements

The basic academic requirement for admission to the Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) is an honours bachelor’s degree or the equivalent, with at least a B+ average, as calculated on the last 10 credits (twenty single-semester courses). Please note, however, that simply satisfying the basic academic requirement does not guarantee admission.

Please see the Graduate Calendar for full details on programs, courses, and admission requirements.

Prerequisites

The MPPA program has two prerequisite courses:

1. A half-year, first-year course in microeconomics
2. A half-year first-year course in macroeconomics

Students are required to obtain an average of grade of B+ or better in these courses.

Students can apply to the MPPA without having completed the prerequisites. However, their admission would be conditional on completing the prerequisites during the first academic year.  Please note, this scenario could result in extending the length of the program. Applicants without the prerequisite(s) are strongly urged to complete them before starting the program (i.e. by taking summer courses), and to state clearly in their application cover letter how they plan to do this.

Application Process

Applying to a Carleton University Graduate Program is a two-step, online process: First, you will create a Carleton360 account, and submit your application, and pay your application fee.  Then, you will receive instructions to set-up your Carleton Central account, where you can then review the status of your application and upload any remaining documents.

Referees will be sent a system-generated email and link to submit their references. Please ask your referees to look for this email and to check their junk folders if it is not received.

Please consult Graduate Admission web pages for Graduate Studies FAQ for questions with the online application process, and here for step-by step instructions (note: scroll down for the instructions).

For information on the application process for the MPPA and other Carleton graduate programs, see the Carleton Graduate Admissions website.

Deadline:

The application deadline for those wishing to be considered for funding is February 1^st, 2025. There is only one intake per year, and all students begin the degree in the Fall semester of the year of application.

Please note that we review applications as they arrive, and will make early offers with funding to strong candidates before February 1^st, should they apply before the application deadline

Documents needed to submit along with your Application

Along with your application, you will need to submit the documents listed below. These can be submitted with your application in Carleton360, or subsequently in Carleton Central:

• Transcript(s): All post-secondary transcripts are required (unofficial can be uploaded by student – official transcripts are only required if an offer is made).
• Letters of Reference (2 required): Please select two referees who can comment on your preparation and potential for graduate study in public policy and administration. Ideally, both will be university faculty members who have taught you in upper-year courses, or who have supervised your academic work. If you have been away from university studies for some time, you may select non-academic referees who have supervised your professional work.
• Statement of Intent (1 required) that is no more than 1 page, single-spaced. In it, please briefly outline: your academic and/or professional experience; your personal and professional goals; and how the MPPA will build on that experience in order to help you reach those goals.
• CV/Résumé (1 required) that includes information about your education, professional experience, voluntary activities, and note-worthy achievements.
• Writing Sample (1 required) of which you are the sole author (e.g., a paper you wrote for a course); ideally 8-20 pages, but could be more; double-spaced.

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