Frequently Asked Questions

Applications for Fall 2026 will be accepted between January 1, 2026 and June 1, 2026.

No, the GRE is not required.

Students may view posted graduate assistantship opportunities through the university's Center for Excellence in Graduate Education.

There is a two-part application process.

1. Applicants need to apply to the Graduate School through Cal State Apply. Official transcripts should be sent to the Graduate School.
2. Applicants should send three (3) letters of recommendation, a resume, and a Statement of Interest to mpa@csustan.edu.

For more information, please visit Application & Admission Process.

Yes, the program will accept supporting documents in the order in which they are received. However, please send transcripts directly to the Graduate School.

Our faculty want to learn about your strengths and skills. We usually request that recommenders be professional colleagues, supervisors, or instructors with whom you have worked or volunteered closely. We request that recommenders not be someone from your immediate family.

Yes, there are a number of competitive scholarships and fellowships available to MPA students, though most are not open to first year students.

Applications submitted by the June 1st deadline usually receive a decision by June 30th. We request that you do not inquire about acceptance decisions prior to June 30th of each year.

It depends on how many courses you take each semester. The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarship has helpful information.

Yes, students may take as few as one class per year and remain enrolled. However, be mindful that coursework expires after 7 years.

For students who have not completed at least one year of full-time work in the non-profit or public sectors, we require an internship. We assist with internship placements.

Usually, we enroll between 50 and 70 students each year.

Students from many different disciplines will find an MPA degree helpful in their career plans. However, we require that all students complete three undergraduate prerequisite courses: American Government, Microeconomics, and Elementary Statistics.

No. We admit students with outstanding prerequisites. We require, though, that all students complete all prerequisites within one year of enrolling in the MPA program.

While we'd love to guarantee every one of our students a great job, much of that decision rests with you and your preparedness for employment. We can say, though, that in 2024, 89% of our graduates were employed in a relevant career within three months of graduation. For our 2025 graduates, 100% were employed in a relevant career within 6 months of graduating.

This table breaks down where our most recent graduates are working by sector:

Our program is designed to be completed in three years if students attend part-time and can be completed in two years if students attend full-time. Most students complete the program in three years by enrolling in two classes per semester. To complete the program in two years, students must complete three core classes in at least one semester and will need to complete elective courses in summer and winter intercessions if they do not enroll for three classes in the other semesters. For the graduating class of 2024, 67%  completed their degree in three years or less. 

Of the 19 students who began our program in the Fall of 2019, 58% persisted to graduation within four years. Specifically, of those who began our program in 2019, 11% graduated within two years, 53% graduated within three years, and 58% graduated within four years. 

We would be delighted to discuss your academic opportunities in the MPA program. Please set up an appointment with the MPA Director, Dr. Nancy Hudspeth nhudspeth@csustan.edu