Admission Requirements

In addition to the criteria below, applicants must also meet general graduate admission requirements .

• Submit a combined autobiographical sketch and personal statement (1500 words) highlighting your interests, reasons for applying, and how your life events have led you to apply for a PhD in Public Policy, including answers to the following questions:
  • What are your career objectives?
  • How will a PhD in public policy advance those objectives?
  • In what ways does the UMass Boston Public Policy Program address your particular academic, career, and personal goals?
  • What do you see as your primary activity five years after receiving your PhD degree?
  • What professional, personal, and academic experiences have especially equipped you for the challenges of graduate school?
  • What personal strengths will you bring to your graduate-level studies?
  • What personal limitations or hurdles do you anticipate you must address in order to complete graduate school?
  • What research and public policy issues are you interested in pursuing at UMass Boston?
  • What research and public policy experiences have prepared you for research in the Public Policy Program and a career in public policy?
• Solicit three letters of recommendation, at least two of which should come from individuals who can assess academic preparation for advanced graduate work.
• Include a short (3-5 page) academic writing sample or professional policy brief.
• Submit a current résumé or CV listing your educational background on the top of page one with degree(s) earned, name(s) of school(s), major(s) and overall GPA(s).