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Robert M. La Follette
School of Public Affairs
1225 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706

Telephone:  608.262.3581
Fax: 608.265.3233


Last updated:
October 19, 2009

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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

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:

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.