MPA Admissions

Complete and submit the online application. There is a $75 non-refundable application fee. You may submit your application fee online by credit/debit card.

Submit by December 1 to have the $75 application fee waived.

Any applicant who is on active duty or a veteran of the US Military Service is eligible for an application fee waiver. The application fee will be automatically waived in the application for students meeting the criteria.

Any applicant to a Fels Institute of Government MPA program who is a current member or alumna/us of one of our admissions partner organizations is eligible for an application fee waiver. Please email lps@sas.upenn.edu (attention: Mary Bustamante) to request a fee waiver code, which must be used on the payment screen before submitting the application.

The personal statement should be approximately 500 words and should address your professional goals and how a Fels education can help you attain them.

Your second essay should be approximately 500 words and should discuss a significant challenge you faced (personally or professionally) or something important that did not go to plan. How did you respond to the challenge and what did you learn from the experience?

If you are applying as a dual degree student, please describe your goals for the dual degree.

Please compile your responses into a single document (keeping them as separate essays) and upload them to the online application system.

Submit your current resume, which should highlight your professional, academic, and service experiences and interests. We encourage applications to include all positions held (including recent internships), degree and non-degree coursework completed (including certificates and MOOCs), as well as volunteer or community activities.

Applicants may upload unofficial copies of domestic transcripts to the online application system. If admitted to the MPA program, applicants are required to submit official copies of transcripts and should do so upon notification of admission.

Letters should come from individuals in a position to evaluate your professional and/or academic work. Please include at least one letter from a classroom instructor.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): A strong command of the English language is necessary for successful study at Penn. Applicants for whom English is a second language must submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores to demonstrate English proficiency. Please note that the TOEFL is rarely waived; therefore, we encourage applicants to take the test to avoid delays in completing the application. The minimum TOEFL scores required for admissions consideration are 100 (iBT), 250 (CBT), or 600 (PBT). The TOEFL must be sent from ETS using the institutional code 2986 (U Pennsylvania Coll Lib Prof Stdy). Please note, the College of Liberal and Professional Studies is accepting at-home TOEFL test scores. To locate a testing site near you or schedule an exam, visit the TOEFL website.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS): IELTS is also accepted and the minimum score for consideration is a 7. You may upload a copy of your IELTS test to the standardized test score section of the application, but all official copies of IELTS must also be mailed directly from the testing center to the College of Liberal and Professional Studies Admissions, 3440 Market Street, Suite 100, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3335.

A written request to have the TOEFL/IELTS requirement waived: Please note that a TOEFL/IELTS score is rarely waived. We frequently get requests for waivers from people who have worked in the US for many years or have a degree from a school where the instruction was in English; this alone is not enough to qualify for a waiver. If you think you may qualify for a waiver, please be aware that the waiver request can cause delays in completing your application. If the application deadline is near, you may want to schedule the test just so that it will not delay you from submitting a complete application on time. To submit a request for a waiver, first submit all other documents required for your application. Then, send a written request to lps-admissions@sas.upenn.edu. Please include information on why the requirement should be waived, including how much education you have received in English schools, scores you may have earned on the TOEFL/IELTS previously (send unofficial scores, if possible), grades earned in writing-intensive courses, and any other information that you feel is relevant.

Applicants who have attended a college or university outside the US are required to have a course-by-course credential evaluation (with grade point average and course levels) performed by an outside evaluation service. Credential evaluations will be reviewed by our administrators, and the determination of degree equivalency to US degrees is at the discretion of the College of Liberal and Professional Studies. The following evaluation service is acceptable:

World Education Services Inc. (WES): WES must complete a course-by-course evaluation of all post-secondary credentials. The course-by-course evaluation should include the comparability level of your education and list each of your courses along with the equivalent US marks and credit. Please select the WES basic course-by-course evaluation (with grade point average and course levels) and request that WES send your evaluation to Penn College of Liberal and Professional Studies Admissions. The school can be found by searching the University of Pennsylvania and then selecting College of Liberal and Professional Studies. The evaluation becomes an official academic record and sole property of the University upon its receipt. For additional information about the WES application and their review process, please visit the WES website. For more information, review our information for international applicants below.

The World Education Service will provide instructions for how to request and submit the required academic documents for review, and the process can take several weeks to complete. We encourage you to begin this process at least eight weeks in advance of the application deadline.

Submitting standardized scores (GRE, LSAT, or GMAT) is optional for the fall 2025 application cycle.

GRE and TOEFL scores must be sent to code 2986, U Pennsylvania Coll Lib Prof Stdy, which is the office that processes applications for Fels.

If you would like to submit LSAT scores, please note that LSAC will not report official scores to non-law/non-business schools. Applicants submitting LSAT scores should upload a copy of their score report to the online application.

Please note, the College of Liberal and Professional Studies is accepting at-home GRE test scores. Visit the specific standardized testing websites for exam options in your home country.

The admissions committee may invite applicants to interview on a case-by-case basis.

Yes, you can apply. Keep in mind that many of our students have had a few years of work experience prior to attending graduate school. For applicants who don't have that much work experience or come from the private sector, we look for a commitment to the public sector that can be demonstrated through internships, volunteering, or campaign work. All work experience is a plus!

The Executive MPA program is a part-time program, and students enrolled in this program are ineligible to receive an F-1 student visa. If you are an international student interested in pursuing an MPA from the Fels Institute of Government, consider applying to the MPA program.

All applicants who submit it their application by the deadline are eligible for merit-based scholarship consideration. If you do not wish to be considered for scholarships, you can indicate this on your application. Any international students who are receiving full funding from their home countries are ineligible for Fels scholarships and should note their home country funding in their application.

International students may be eligible for private US loans with an American co-signer.

With more than 100 countries represented at the University of Pennsylvania, international students at Fels join a vibrant community of international students. Penn's International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) provides assistance such as English classes, information about the visa process, and other immigration needs, as well as opportunities to meet other international students and get involved in campus life. Some students also get involved with the Philadelphia International House or the International Visitors Council during their time here.