MPA Fact Sheet (PDF)

Nursing MS + MPA Fact Sheet (PDF)

MPA + MS Student Affairs Administration Dual Degree

Public Administration and Student Affairs Administration

The MPA + MS Student Affairs Administration Dual Degree Program prepares students for administrative positions in college and university settings. 

To be an effective leader in student affairs, professionals must first be knowledgeable of how students grow and develop during the college years and how institutions can be intentional in facilitating the growth process. Leaders in higher education need to employ proven managerial strategies in order to be successful and must pay careful attention to the management of human resources, finances, information technology, and physical infrastructure. In addition to this, leaders should know how to adjust their administrative style if problems are encountered and be able to ground both successes and shortcomings in administrative theory.

By carefully structuring the sequence of courses, recognizing comparable course offerings, and using courses in one program to count as electives in the other, students are often able to complete both degrees in three years of full-time study without compromising the professional standards of either program. 

Successful completion of the dual degree programs results in two degrees: a Master's degree in Public Administration (MPA) and a Master of Science degree in Student Affairs Administration.

Graduate Degrees Offered

• MPA + MS Student Affairs Administration

Related Degree Programs

• MS in Student Affairs Administration
• Master's in Public Administration (MPA)

Application Deadlines

Students must apply to both the MPA program and the MS Student Affairs Administration program by their individual deadlines. Applicants need to create two separate online (Embark) accounts in order to submit the two separate applications. Each application requires an application fee to the Graduate School. In order to participate in the dual degree program, students must be admitted to both programs concurrently.

Program-Specific Admission Requirements*

The standards maintained by The Graduate School and individual departments and programs are applied to ensure that applicants admitted to the University are well qualified and trained to study at this institution and have a reasonable expectation of successfully completing a graduate program, and who, with the benefit of graduate education, are most likely to contribute substantially to their academic or professional fields.

To be eligible, you must have and provide:

• A bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a nationally or regionally accredited college or university
• Complete set of your undergraduate and graduate transcripts. At minimum, a 3.0 GPA is required. See details.

All applicants must submit the following:

• Online graduate degree application and application fee
• Transcripts from each college/university you have attended
• Letters of recommendation (see details below)
• Personal statement (2-3 pages) describing your reasons for pursuing graduate study, your career aspirations, your special interests within your field, and any unusual features of your background that might need explanation or be of interest to your program's admissions committee.
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae (max. 2 pages)
• Official GRE scores. GMAT scores can be submitted in lieu of GRE scores.

And, for international applicants:

• International Student Financial Statement form (PDF)
• Official bank statement/proof of support
• Official TOEFL or IELTS scores

You must also meet the following program-specific requirements:

*This information is subject to change. While we make every effort to keep it accurate and up-to-date, we recommend you contact the department for program-specific requirements.