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Admissions

UNO’s School of Public Administration offers high quality and nationally accredited graduate degree programs.

The School works closely with UNO's Graduate Studies Office to ensure the admissions process is as smooth and transparent as possible.

Ji attending the book fair

Ji Hyung Park, Doctoral Candidate, attending the Waldo Society Book Fair

Overall Graduate Admissions

Application for Graduate Admission must be filed with the UNO Office of Graduate Studies. Click to here to start your application.

International Students

UNO’s School of Public Administration supports UNO's tradition of global engagement with international partners and a variety of programs to assist international students.

Visit International Admissions How to Apply for more information.

Intercampus Students

Students admitted to graduate programs at other University of Nebraska campuses must complete the intercampus registration form to register for UNO courses.

MPA Admissions

The general prerequisite for admission to the MPA program is a four-year bachelors' degree with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA of the junior-senior year (last 50-60 credit hours). Under extenuating circumstances an average below 3.0 will be considered. The following factors will be considered in determination of a student's admission status:

  • Grade point average for the junior-senior year
  • Grade point average for the undergraduate degree
  • Work history
  • Writing skills (based on the applicant's admissions essay)
  • References (based on two written letters of recommendation)

How to Apply

Please review the materials listed below needed to complete the application. Only complete applications will be considered. Thus, apply early - before the application deadlines.

  1. Submit the online application for graduate admission.
    • Fall Semester Application Deadline: June 1
    • Spring Semester Application Deadline: October 1
  2. Submit a $50 application processing fee. (note: application fee waivers are available for certain applicants)
  3. Submit a Resume including work history in Adobe PDF format.
  4. Submit a Statement of Purpose (Essay) in Adobe PDF format. The essay should be two to four pages (doubled-spaced) and answer the following questions:
    • Please tell us about the factors in your background that will help us understand your interest in a profession in the public or nonprofit sectors.
    • What are your professional goals? Ten years from now, what do you hope to be doing professionally?
    • How can an MPA from UNO help you to achieve these goals?
  5. Submit Two letters of recommendation. Please provide the names and email addresses of two individuals who can address your qualifications for graduate study. The recommenders will be sent an online recommendation form to complete. Please inform each of them to expect this correspondence from the UNO Graduate Studies Office.
  6. Submit official transcripts.

Contact the senior academic advisor, Dr. Meagan Van Gelder, for more information at: mvangelder@unomaha.edu

MSUS Admissions

The general prerequisite for admission to the Urban Studies program is a four-year bachelors' degree with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the junior and senior years combined (the last 50-60 credit hours). Under extenuating circumstances an average below 3.0 will be considered. The following factors will be considered in determining an applicant's admission status:

  • Grade point average for the junior-senior year
  • Grade point average for the undergraduate degree
  • Writing skills (based on the applicant's admissions essay)
  • References (based on two written letters of recommendation)

How to Apply

Please review the materials listed below needed to complete the application. Only complete applications will be considered.

Applications for this program are accepted on a rolling basis. All materials must be submitted prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student has elected to begin coursework.

  1. Submit the online application for graduate admission.
  2. Submit a $50 application processing fee. (note: application fee waivers are available for certain applicants)
  3. Submit official transcripts.
  4. Submit a Resume including work history in Adobe PDF format.
  5. Submit a Statement of Purpose (Essay) in Adobe PDF format (double-spaced, 2 to 4 pages) and answer the following questions:
  • Please tell us about the factors in your background that will help us understand your interest in a profession in urban studies.
    • What are your professional goals? Ten years from now, what do you hope to be doing professionally?
    • How can a Master in Urban Studies from UNO help you to achieve these goals?

6. Submit Two letters of recommendation. Please provide the names and email addresses of two individuals who can address your qualifications for graduate study. The recommenders will be sent an online recommendation form to complete. Please inform each of them to expect this correspondence from the UNO Graduate Studies Office.

Ph.D. Admissions

There are two application deadlines each year for the Public Administration PhD Program, one on January 15 for applicants seeking financial assistance, and the second on March 15 for all other students seeking admission for Fall of the same year.

Elements in the application portfolio are listed below, and all application materials must be received by the applicable deadline for the application to be reviewed by the Doctoral Program Committee.

For Frequently Asked Questions about the program click here.

Application Checklist

Applicants apply online here.

  1. All official transcripts from post-secondary educational institutions should be sent to: Office of Graduate Studies and Research, Eppley Administration Building 203, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182.

International applicants who have completed any undergraduate or graduate coursework at international higher education institution(s), for the purpose of having your application reviewed by the School of Public Administration, may submit a copy of your unofficial transcripts, in addition to all other application materials. Should the department wish to make a recommendation for admission, you will be required to have a course-by-course transcript evaluation completed by WES, ECE, or Educational Perspectives prior to your admission being formally reviewed and processed by the Office of Graduate Studies.

  1. A $50.00 application fee.
  2. Completed graduate application.
  3. For most international applicants. a minimum TOEFL score of 557 (or 233 on computer-based test or 90 on Internet based test); or minimum IELTS score of 6.5, or minimum Pearson score of 61.

Required if applicant's native language (language of nurture) is not English and master’s degree is not from a university in a country where the official language is English. See more information here.

  1. A five-page statement of intent describing the applicant’s goals in pursuing a PhD and plans after completion of the PhD., research interests and desired area of specialization offered in the PhD program, discussion of faculty with whom the applicant would like to work related to research interests, and an explanation of academic and professional backgrounds preparing the applicant to pursue a PhD.

See more information about faculty research interests in Public and Nonprofit Administration here, Emergency Management and Disaster Science here, and Aviation here.

See sample statements: sample 1, sample 2, sample 3.

  1. A resume or curriculum vitae of professional work experience.
  2. An academic or professional writing sample (such as a term paper, thesis, conference paper, evaluation report, or published work).
  3. A 1-page abstract that summarizes the contents of the writing sample. If applicable, please include an explanation of your contribution if the work submitted is multi-authored.
  4. Three email addresses for writers of letters of recommendation. At least two recommendations must be from academics such as current or former professors. The Graduate Studies Office will contact each of them via email to obtain the letters.

For some Frequently Asked Questions click here.

Contact the PhD in Public Administration Committee Chair, Dr. Angela Eikenberry, for more information at aeikenberry@unomaha.edu.

Graduate Certificate Admissions

The general prerequisite for admission to the Graduate Certificate program is a four-year bachelors' degree with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA of the junior-senior year (last 50-60 credit hours). Under extenuating circumstances an average below 3.0 will be considered. The following factors will be considered in determination of a student's admission status:

  • Grade point average for the junior-senior year
  • Grade point average for the undergraduate degree
  • Work history (three years in the public or nonprofit sector)
  • Writing skills (based on the applicant's admissions essay)
  • References (based on two written letters of recommendation)

How to Apply

Please review the materials listed below needed to complete the application. Only complete applications will be considered. Thus, apply early - before the application deadline.

  1. Submit the online application for graduate admission.
    • Fall Semester Application Deadline: June 1
    • Spring Semester Application Deadline: October 1
  2. Submit a $25 application processing fee.
  3. Submit a Resume including work history in Adobe PDF format.
  4. Submit a Statement of Purpose (Essay) in Adobe PDF format. The essay should be two to four pages (doubled-spaced) and answer the following questions:
    • Please tell us about the factors in your background that will help us understand your interest in a profession in the public or nonprofit sectors.
    • What are your professional goals? Ten years from now, what do you hope to be doing professionally?
    • How can an a Graduate Certificate from UNO help you to achieve these goals?
  5. Submit Two letters of recommendation. Please provide the names and email addresses of two individuals who can address your qualifications for graduate study. The recommenders will be sent an online recommendation form to complete. Please inform each of them to expect this correspondence from the UNO Graduate Studies Office.
  6. Submit transcripts.

Contact the senior academic advisor, Dr. Meagan Van Gelder, at mvangelder@unomaha.edu