Admissions

Application to the program may be made for the fall or spring semester for the community development and public management specializations. Executive MPA applications are accepted on a rolling basis all year for fall admission.  Coverdell Fellow applications are accepted for the spring and fall.  All applicants must meet the following requirements:

  1. Complete a baccalaureate degree from an accredited undergraduate school.
  2. Submit official transcripts showing all coursework from undergraduate and graduate schools.
  3. Submit the results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Results must be received directly from the Educational Testing Service. Results of law school (LSAT) or business (GMAT) exams may be submitted in lieu of the GRE. All results must be submitted within three years of the test date. Testing requirements are waived
      1. for applicants holding a graduate degree,
      2. for B.A./M.P.A. applicants, and
      3. for applicants with three or more years of relevant professional experience.
  4. Submit three letters of recommendation.
  5. Submit a statement regarding the applicant’s personal and professional goals and experience. (This statement should be prepared carefully since it weighs heavily in admissions considerations.)
  6. Submit a current résumé.
  7. Submit a completed online application to the Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Admissions, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 406 Penn Street, Camden, NJ 08102. Included in the application must be the application form, three letters of recommendation, the required application fee ($65.00), and all supplemental information requested on the application or by the Graduate School-Camden.

Applications must be submitted online at the Rutgers-Camden Admissions website: https://gradstudy.rutgers.edu.  Please note: When you get to the list of programs, scroll to the section labeled “The Graduate School – Camden” and select the appropriate Semester on the right-hand side. Made sure you choose the Camden Campus program. 

Nonmatriculated Status

The department accepts a limited number of students on a non-matriculated basis. To apply for non-matriculated enrollment status, a student must:

  1. Complete a baccalaureate degree from an accredited undergraduate school.
  2. Submit an online application for Nonmatriculated (nondegree) Graduate Study.
  3. Submit a written statement listing personal and professional goals and why he or she is applying for nonmatriculated status.
  4. Submit official transcripts showing all coursework and degree(s) from all undergraduate and graduate institutions.
  5. Submit a check for the required application fee.
  6. Indicate the courses that he or she plans to enroll in. (Note: Nonmatriculated students may not enroll in more than two courses per semester and in no more than a total of four 3-credit courses. It is the student’s responsibility to keep track of this requirement.)
  7. Submit a current résumé.

A student who has been rejected for regular admission may apply to enroll in courses on a nonmatriculated basis after one year from the date of rejection.

No student will be approved to take classes on a nonmatriculated basis unless his or her application has been received by August 1 for the fall semester and by December 1 for the spring semester.

Applicants who are accepted as nonmatriculated students may take no more than 12 credits, all of which must be chosen from core courses. Questions concerning admission should be directed to the chair of the graduate program.