Application Overview

What We Are Looking For

The Penn G-MPA is offered through Penn’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS) in collaboration with Fox Leadership International (FLI). The program’s faculty welcomes applications from college graduates and working professionals with four basic background qualifications:

• A distinguished academic record in any field of undergraduate or graduate study, including liberal arts or business
• Evidence of extracurricular, internship, or work experiences that reflect a dedication to helping others
• A desire for a successful professional career as an effective and ethical leader in one or more institutional sectors (nonprofit, business, or government)
• Proficiency in English

Spring 2025 and Fall 2025 Application Deadlines

The first step toward enrolling in Global Master of Public Administration (G-MPA) courses at Penn is completing the online application. Note that Penn's G-MPA does not offer an admission deferral option; please be sure to apply to the term for which you plan to begin your studies. 

Your application portfolio, including all transcripts, must be received by either November 1, 2024 (spring 2025 matriculation) or July 1, 2025 (fall 2025 matriculation). Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

A country may or may not regulate distance education provided to students in its jurisdiction and may or may not require foreign higher education institutions to comply with distance education regulations. At this time, Penn cannot guarantee that a course meets curriculum requirements or professional licensure requirements in a country.

Applicants under serious consideration will be invited to interview with members of the Penn G-MPA Admissions Committee virtually. After being accepted, but before being finally authorized to enroll in any G-MPA course(s), each applicant who is accepted must submit a two- to four-minute self-made video in which the applicant states (a) their full name; (b) the college or university from which they graduated; (c) their undergraduate major; and (d) what they hope to do educationally or professionally after taking G-MPA courses or earning a Penn G-MPA certificate or degree.

Application materials checklist

Since all required supporting documents are submitted through the online application system, hard-copy material other than official transcripts are not accepted.* Please note that all application materials become the property of the University of Pennsylvania and will not be returned. Remember to retain a personal copy of your application.

*Unsolicited material will not be used for review.

Applications must contain all of the following to be considered complete:

• Completed online application, including language proficiency in English, as indicated on the “Languages” section of the online application
• Current résumé
• Nonrefundable application fee
• Application essay
• Transcripts from each post-secondary school attended uploaded through the online application system. Learn more about transcript policies and procedures.
• World Education Services (WES) verification of international transcripts from institutions outside the United States
• Two letters of recommendation

For details on many of these components, please see below.

G-MPA application essays

All applicants to the G-MPA program are required to write two application essays. Please compile your responses to both essay prompts in one document and upload it in the “Personal Statement" section of the application. Number your essays clearly and begin each essay on a separate page.

1. In a world that is facing so many threats to human well-being, which two threats to human well-being do you consider to be most deserving of attention and action, and why? (350 word maximum)
2. The G-MPA is a graduate professional program in public administration, but it is predicated on ideas and evidence suggesting that governments are often most successful when they collaborate with non-governmental institutions including business firms and nonprofit organizations. Identify and discuss one specific example of such “collaborative governance” that you believe succeeded in ameliorating the COVID-19 crisis in one or more nations. (350 word maximum)

International transcripts from institutions outside the United States

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.

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.

Please note that this service charges a fee for the evaluation.

Standardized test scores

Applicants are not required to submit GRE scores, but the Admissions Committee will consider test scores if an applicant chooses to submit them.

For international students whose first language is not English, we require that you submit one of the following five scores to be considered:

• Graduate Record Examination (GRE): If submitting GRE scores, request that your scores report is forwarded to the College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS), using ETS institutional code 2986
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): 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. To locate a testing center near you or schedule an exam, visit the TOEFL website
• If you are in an area where access to TOEFL exam centers is impacted, please contact us for alternative options
• International English Testing System (IELTS): International English Language Testing System (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.
• Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT): Test scores should be uploaded in the English Proficiency Test Score section of the online application
• Law School Admission Test (LSAT): Test scores should be uploaded in the English Proficiency Test Score section of the online application

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

Waivers: Standardized test requirements can be waived for international applicants who completed an undergraduate degree in the United States or in a country in which English is recognized as the official language. Please note that it can take up to one week following application submission for the waiver to be indicated on your application checklist.

Letters of recommendation

Each applicant must submit two letters of recommendation. Letters should come from individuals in a position to evaluate your professional and academic work, such as a supervisor or professor, and who know of your desire to enter the G-MPA program. Recommendations must be submitted online. For submission instructions, please refer to the “Recommendations” section of the online application.

The Global Master of Public Administration degree program is offered by the University of Pennsylvania, an institution of higher education authorized to confer degrees and certificates conferring academic credit under applicable laws of the United States. Students who are interested in participating in the program from countries other than the United States are advised that each jurisdiction may have its own laws and regulations governing online educational programs, and some jurisdictions may not recognize course credit, a graduate certificate, or an online degree awarded by the University as satisfying local requirements for professional licensure, employment qualification, or other purposes. Before enrolling in this program, prospective students should investigate their jurisdiction’s treatment of foreign online programs to ensure that participation in this program will meet their objectives.

The Division of Public Safety encourages all present and prospective members of the Penn community to educate themselves about the various types of criminal incidents occurring in the Penn patrol zone. Visit the Clery Act & Crime Reporting website for more information.

The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 requires the University to provide a list of student-related disclosures and policies, as well as information about how to obtain the required information. See the University of Pennsylvania Required Disclosures website for more information.