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Accelerated MPA or MIPA Program
Undergraduate students committed to public service careers can pursue a master's degree (MPA or MIPA) from the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs with one year of additional study beyond the bachelor's degree. Students who have completed courses in microeconomics, statistics and American government with a B or above and have a 3.6 GPA are eligible to apply.
Program Requirements
La Follette School master's degrees require 42 credits. An undergraduate may earn up to 18 credits toward a master's degree. No more than two public affairs graduate courses, 6 credits, may be taken each semester as a senior. The remaining 24 credits are taken as a graduate student.
Example of an accelerated MPA or MIPA Curriculum
Senior Year
- Introduction to Quantitative Tools for Public Policy (prerequisite: intro to statistics, calculus is acceptable.)
- Microeconomic Policy Analysis (prerequisite: intro to microeconomics)
- Approved electives at the intermediate or advanced level (6 credits)
- Graduate courses (6 credits)
Summer between Senior year and graduate school
Internship (1-3 credits)
Graduate Year
Semester I (12 credits)
Semester II (9 credits)
The La Follette School student services coordinator and the associate director advise students on course selection. The associate director determines any requirements to be waived or substituted. Participating undergraduate departments ar urged to count the graduate courses taken at the La Follette School in the student's fourth year toward the undergraduate major.
Admission Policy and Procedures
Application for admission to the Accelerated Program for MPA or MIPA must be made directly to the La Follette School after five semesters of undergraduate study. Applications should be received in the La Follette School admissions office by the first Friday in March, earlier applications will be considered as they are completed.
Students enrolling in an accelerated program also must formally apply for regular Graduate School admission during their final year of undergraduate study by filling out the graduate school online application and submitting an updated resume.
Admission Requirements
The following items are required for consideration for the accelerated degree, in addition to the application for admission. Applicants do not need to resubmit them when seeking formal Graduate School admission:
- Accelerated Degree Program Application
- Personal statement of purpose
- Two academic letters of recommendation
- A UW transcript showing grade point average of 3.6 or higher
Overall, the La Follette admissions committee looks for evidenece of ability to handle a quantitatively and analytically rigourous graduate program. The committee looks for specific coursework in calculus, statistics, economics, and American Government for the MPA program and calculus or statistics, language, macroeconomics and a comparative politics for the MIPA program.
The applicant can request that the committee waive the economics course prerequisite if their admissions statement can point to evidence of ability to handle the rigorous quantitative curriculum at the La Follette School without the economics prerequisite course.