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 Hyung Park, Doctoral Candidate, Waldo Society 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.

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)
  • GRE Exam (complete 12 business days before the application deadline) or Submit a GRE Waiver Application

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 $45 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.
  7. Unless submitting a GRE Waiver Application, submit GRE scores from Education Testing Services (ETS). Please complete GRE 12 days before application deadline. (Institution Code: 6420)

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)

New students are admitted to the program for the fall semester (spring admission is allowed only in exceptional circumstances and course availability in such cases is limited.)

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. 

Application deadline = July 1

  1. Submit the online application for graduate admission.
  2. Submit a $45 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

Admission to the Ph.D. Program is the decision of the Dean of Graduate Studies based on the recommendations of the School of Public Administration Doctoral Program Committee. There are two application deadlines, one on February 1 for applicants seeking financial assistance and the second on June 1 for all other students seeking admission. There are 10 elements in the application portfolio (listed below), and all application materials must be received by the applicable deadline in order for the application to be reviewed by the Doctoral Program Committee. Those applicants who enter the program with a masters degree field other than PA will need to complete up to four pre-requisites: Introduction to Public Administration, The Public Economy, Organization Theory and Behavior and Research Methods in Public Administration. The letter of admission will specify which pre-requisites are necessary before enrolling in the core curriculum.

Application Checklist

Applicants apply online at here.

  1. All official transcripts from post-secondary educational institutions are sent to: Office of Graduate Studies and Research, Eppley Administration Building 203, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182
  2. A $45.00 application fee
  3. Completed graduate application
  4. 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
  5. A minimum Graduate Record Exam combined verbal and quantitative score of 305
  6. A five-page statement of intent describing what career the applicant wishes to pursue after completion of the Ph.D., desired area of concentration and an explanation of academic and professional backgrounds
  7. A resume of professional work experience
  8. Three email addresses for your writers of letters of recommendation; two recommendations must be academic; the Graduate Studies Office will contact each of them via email to obtain the letters

* Required if applicant's language of nurture is not English and master’s degree is not from a university in a country where the official language is English.

Graduate Certificate Admissions

The general prerequisite for admission to the Gradute 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 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 $45 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 transcripts.