Sanford School of Public Policy
Duke University

Frequently Asked Questions About Admissions

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The Application

Am I required to specify specific policy areas on the online application?

No, but we do like to know what policy areas interest you.

What is the transcript requirement for Study Abroad Coursework?

The important factor is whether the grades received from courses taken at such institutions are listed on the degree-granting institution's transcript. We require an official transcript from a study abroad/non-degree granting institution if the name of the course, credits transferred, and the *grade* from the courses taken at these institutions are not listed on the degree-granting institution's transcript.

Is the “prior study” section intended only for degrees obtained, or should I list institutions where I studied abroad during one semester/year of undergrad? What should I do with transcripts that are not in English?

You should include all components of your educational background, including undergraduate, graduate, and any individual courses taken outside of a degree granting program. Your study abroad grades should appear on your official undergraduate transcript; if they do not, you are required to submit the international transcript(s) as well.

*You must submit the original transcript with an English translated version.

How do I calculate my undergraduate GPA? Do I record my GPA according to Duke's standards or according to those of my undergraduate university?

We require all applicants to provide an undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) on their applications. Use the following guidelines when calculating your UGPA.

• The UGPA includes all undergraduate course work completed at the time of submission of the application.
• If you have attended more than one school, the grades from all undergraduate schools must be added together to arrive at the UGPA for the bachelor's degree.
• Do not include courses that you dropped or that did not award letter grades (e.g. satisfactory/unsatisfactory, pass/fail, credit only).  However, you must include courses in which you received a failing grade. Also, if you repeated a course, you must include both grades in your UGPA calculation.
• Do not include graduate level courses that you have completed unless they counted toward your undergraduate degree requirements. (There is a place on the application for you to provide your graduate grade point average.)

The following values are assigned to letter grades when calculating the UGPA.

	4.0 = A+, A	2.8 = B-	1.5 = D+
	3.8 = A-	2.5 = C+	1.0 = D
	3.5 = B+	2.0 = C	0.8 = D-
	3.0 = B	1.8 = C-	0.0 = F

Step 1. Multiply the grade values (see above) times the number of credit hours. Sample:

	Grade	Credit Hours X	Grade Value =	Grade Points
	A-	15	3.8	57
	B+	8	3.5	28
	C-	7	1.8	12.6
	F	3	0.0	0.0

Step 2. Add the total number of credits (15 + 8 + 7 + 3 = 33) and the total number of grade points (57 + 28 + 12.6 + 0.0 = 97.6)

Step 3. Divide the total number of grade points by the total number of credits (97.6/33 = 2.96).

Note: Do not combine quarter credit hours with semester credit hours; instead, convert quarter hours to semester hours. Generally one quarter hour = 2/3 semester hour. If you find it impossible to convert your GPA to the 4.0 system, you must enter the GPA or average on your undergraduate transcript and indicate the grade scale used by your university.

NOTE TO INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS: The World Education Service website provides helpful information about converting grades to the U.S. system.

May I submit a resume with my application?

Yes, we require a 1-2 page resume with the online application.

Statement of Purpose - Can you elaborate on this?

In your personal statement, please describe why you are interested in a masters degree in public policy; how your professional, academic, or personal experiences have contributed to your interest; and your professional goals upon graduation.  Stories and anecdotes are welcome, anything that helps us know you better.  Your statement should be no longer than 1,500 words.

Evaluation/Recommendation Forms

We require all evaluation forms and recommendation letters to be uploaded and completed online. We will not process applications until we have received all of your recommendations. Applicants need to be sure that three recommendations have been submitted online by January 5.

Deferrals

We do not defer admission; it is valid only for the year specified in the offer of admissions letter. Prospective students should submit their application by January 5 of the calendar year in which they wish to attend. If you decide not to attend our program, you must decline the offer of admission by completing the online enrollment decision form. If you then change your mind, you must complete a new application to re-apply for a subsequent year.

Also, previous financial aid awards no longer apply.. Awards change each year as a function of budgets and the applicant pool. Those re-applying to our program will compete with a new applicant pool for merit-based financial aid.

Re-Applying Procedure

We can retrieve and use some previous application materials for two years. If want to reapply to the Duke MPP Program, please email MPPadmit@duke.edu and let us know the year you previously applied. We can obtain your GRE and TOEFL scores and transcripts, which may be used again for a re-application. We recommend updating your resume based on your current position and providing any additional new information.

More on Applying

How does the MPP Admissions Committee look upon an applicant who  applies to more than one program or department at Duke? I just saw on the website that Duke does not advise people to apply to more than one department. Am I hurting my chances of getting into either department by applying to two? Should I withdraw my application  to one?

Applying to multiple programs may indicate indecision or a lack of clear goals. It may not hurt your chances of being accepted, but it does appear that you’re “shopping” for a program.

Please note: Do not apply to both the Duke MPP and Duke Public Policy PhD programs at the same time; you must apply to one or the other program, since the goals of each are significantly different. Please direct questions concerning the Public Policy PhD program to: PPPhD@duke.edu.

When will  I learn of the admission decision?

We generally complete admission decisions no later than mid-March via online notification.

Three-Year Undergraduate Degrees for International Applicants

We require all applicants to possess the equivalent of a four-year U.S. bachelor's degree. However, we will review three-year degrees based on the European Ministers of Education, Bologna Declaration. For Bologna Process information, please view:

http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/educ/bologna/bologna.pdf, http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/highereducation/EHEA2010/BolognaPedestrians_en.asp, and http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/.

General Record Examination (GRE)

Retaking the GRE

Some applicants may decide to retake the GRE in order to improve their scores. Once you have received your second set of scores, you may self-report the highest scores from each of the two GRE's within the online application, using Institution Code 5156 to report your GRE scores via ETS.  They will automatically provide us both sets of GRE scores for review.

*We will use the highest test scores from each exam.

When reporting GRE score on my application, there is room only for one date, and I would like to record the highest marks of the two exams which I took on two different dates. May I do this, or do all scores need to correspond to the same date?

When your GRE scores are sent from ETS, we will receive all test information, but will use the highest scores in each area when considering your application.

Can you waive the requirement for my GRE test score based on my academic qualification, work experience, and past GRE score?

We’re sorry; we do not waive the GRE requirement.

Do you accept the LSAT in lieu of the GRE?

Yes, if you’re applying for the MPP/JD dual degree program with Duke or UNC- Chapel Hill Law Schools, we accept the LSAT in lieu of the GRE. You submit applications separately to both the Duke or UNC-Chapel Hill Law School and the MPP program.

If you have taken the GRE within the past five years, you are required to report your GRE scores via ETS to the Duke Graduate School even though you are applying as a dual degree JD/MPP applicant.

Do you accept the GMAT or MCAT in lieu of the GRE?

Because the MCAT is primarily designed for medical programs, we are unable to accept it in lieu of the GRE for dual degree applicants. We do accept the GMAT in lieu of the GRE for applicants applying to either the Duke Fuqua School of Business (MBA) or the UNC - Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler School of Business (MBA) dual degree programs (MBA/MPP). If you have taken the GRE within the past five years, you should report both your GRE scores and either your LSAT or GMAT scores as applicable.

Financial Aid

Are International students eligible for financial aid?

We offer financial aid in the form of tuition fellowships and assistantships equally to domestic and international applicants. Financial aid is based on merit.

How are assistantship (TA/RA/GA) positions awarded?

Most assistantships are in the form of acting as a teaching assistant (TA) for core required graduate or undergraduate classes. In addition, some students perform as research assistants (RA) for professors or work as Student Ambassadors with the MPP Admissions Office (GA). In the late fall, we provide students with a list of possible assistantship opportunities and ask them to rank their preferences. The Director of Student Services makes assignments based upon interests, skills, and needs across the program. Assuming satisfactory course progress in the first year of study, we award two-year MPP students assistantships for both the spring semester of the first year and the fall semester of the second.

Most students do not work off-campus while in the MPP program; the curriculum is quite demanding and it is difficult to find time for external jobs. A very few students do juggle limited work while in school.

How does an IIPP or Pickering Fellow receive an application fee waiver?

The Duke MPP Program recognizes and provides application fee waivers for IIPP and Pickering Fellow applicants. Before you submit your completed application, please contact MPP Admissions by email MPPadmit@duke.edu so we can facilitate waiver of your application fee. Please include the required written documentation of your IIPP or Pickering participation with your application materials for review by our Admissions Committee.

Program Details

Do you have a part-time MPP program?

No. The MPP program's curriculum and course sequence requires a full-time program of study.

Do you allow spring admission or spring matriculation?

Our program does not offer spring admission. The structure of the program does not allow it.

What is the difference between an MPP and MPA degree?

There was a time when both the MPA and MPP would have had more of a domestic policy/management focus at their core.  The internationalization of public administration and public policy curricula has meant that both degrees feature international topics and scholarship.

In recent years, the MPA and MPP cores have overlapped and blended at many schools, and look increasingly similar. The MPA core often emphasizes management courses, and explores public organizations and budgeting. The MPP often includes economics and quantitative courses, with policy analysis at the heart of its curriculum. But there are many exceptions to this general rule.  Our best advice is to carefully review an individual program's core curriculum.

For comparative information about the MPP and MPA degree, please visit: http://www.globalmpa.net/section/degrees_details

How big (or small) are the class sizes?

Our entering class size is targeted at 55 each fall. Core courses have 40-45 students and the elective courses range from 15 to 30 students in each class.

Microeconomics and Statistics

My first concern regards the prerequisites for entry into the public policy program. I have never taken any micro- or macro-economics courses, but I see that they are encouraged for entering students. Do you believe this would be an issue in admittance to the program, and would it be advisable for me to take a microeconomics course prior to matriculation, or could I make this up in the first semester of classes? I would like to know how much weight is given to having taken or not having taken an intro economics course.

We strongly recommend all applicants take a microeconomics and a statistics course before applying to our program. Applicants can take such courses at any accredited institution "for credit" (not audit) and must receive a grade of "B-" or better. For an online option check the USDA Graduate School; they offer both courses.

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