FAQs: Admissions & Application

• What is the GPA required for admission?

  Applicants should have a minimum 3.0 GPA in their last two years of coursework (Junior & Senior years). The admissions committee uses a holistic review in determining an applicant’s eligibility for admission. Students that may be slightly lower than the 3.0 GPA are still encouraged to apply as the committee will also take into consideration: letters of recommendations, personal statement, statement of history, reasons for pursuing public policy, and prior work/volunteer/internship/research experience.

• Are there any required courses for admission?

  No. Students are strongly encouraged to complete a course in statistics, economics, and political science to be better prepared for program curriculum.

• Is the GRE required?

  No. If you have taken the exam, students are encouraged to submit their scores as part of the admissions review process.

• What is the “Statement of Purpose?”

  Graduate Statement of Purpose Prompt
  Applicants will see the following prompt in the Supporting Materials section of the Summer/Fall 2026 application: 
  "Explain your decision to apply, your academic or professional preparation, your motivation, and how UCR’s faculty and resources support your goals.”

  Applicant Guidance 
  Applicants will be advised to address the following areas:

  • Academic and/or Professional Background – academic journey (coursework and major areas of study), and relevant experiences (academic, research, or professional) that prepared you for graduate study.
  • Research or Professional Interests – key areas, themes, or problems you want to explore, and how they connect to your field of study.
  • Fit with UCR – how your interests or goals align with UCR’s faculty, programs, labs, or professional resources.
  • Motivation for Graduate Study – what drives you to pursue this degree at this stage of your academic journey or career. Please share any long-term scholarly/professional aspirations.
  • Future Goals & Societal Impact – how your work or this degree will help you address professional, academic, or broader societal needs or contribute to the public good.
  • Contributions to the Academic, Professional, and UCR Community – how you hope to engage through leadership, collaboration, mentorship, or outreach.

  Maximum length: 2,000 words.

• What are important dates and deadlines?

  Applications for the fall term will be available online on October 1. The priority filing deadline (to be considered for a higher funding package) is January 5th. The program will continue to accept applications after January 5th on a rolling basis. Please connect with the Program Coordinator to inquire about the deadline post-January 5th.

• Tuition and Fees

  https://spp.ucr.edu/mpp/tuition-and-fees

• What type of financial support is provided to admitted students?

  While many Master programs typically do not provide funding to students, we are able to provide a small amount of funding to students being considered for admission. The average financial package is approximately $12,000 + one quarter of employment. Financial packages can take one of three forms.

  1. Fellowship support
  2. Employment-based aid: Teaching Assistant or Graduate Student Researcher
  3. A combination of the above: Fellowship + employment

  While we can provide some form of financial support, students are still taking out loans. For more information on graduate student loans please visit the Financial Aid website.

• How many Letters of Recommendation are required? How should my recommenders send in their letters?

  Students will need to provide the name and contact information for a minimum of three recommenders, one of which needs to be a faculty member. Students may list more than three recommenders, however three is the minimum.

  Your recommenders will receive an email asking for them to upload their Letter of Recommendation. Please ensure that your recommenders email address is correct. If your recommender indicates they did not receive the email, please have them check their junk folder

• What additional materials need to be submitted with my application?

  Students will need to upload their unofficial transcripts and a copy of their resume.

  International students, please see the documents (transcripts, degree certificates, and English-translations) that need to be submitted at the time of application submission.

• Do you provide fee waivers for applicants?

  Students will need to contact the Graduate Division to request an application fee waiver. Please visit the Fee Waiver page for additional information.

• I am an international student, what are the language requirements for the program?

  All students whose first language is not English and who have not earned a bachelor’s degree equivalent at an institution where English is not the language of instruction are required to submit TOEFL or IELTS exam scores. Please visit the Graduate Admissions website for score minimums.

• I am an international student, do I need a WES Course-by-Course Evaluation?

  Yes, only if you accept an offer of admission, you will be required to obtain a WES Course-by-Course ICAP Evaluation for degree(s) earned from institution(s) outside the United States. New students will receive further instructions for requesting this evaluation.

  At the time of your application, UNOFFICIAL transcripts are required for the review of your application.

• How can I apply?

  https://graduate.ucr.edu/apply