- MPA@UNC
- Admissions
Admissions Overview
The UNC-Chapel Hill School of Government seeks students with a deep commitment to public service and the strong academic background required to meet the demands of our top-ranked Master of Public Administration program. Our admissions committee reviews applications on a rolling basis, so the sooner you apply, the sooner you can receive an admissions decision and start planning for your future.
Application Deadlines
MPA@UNC offers students four start dates per calendar year (January, May, August, and September). Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.
| PROGRAM START DATE | EARLY PRIORITY DEADLINE | EARLY APPLICATION DEADLINE | APPLICATION DEADLINE |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | January 5, 2021 | February 2, 2021 | February 24, 2021 |
| August 2021 | April 13, 2021 | May 11, 2021 | June 2, 2021 |
Read about our online application process or start your application now. If you have questions or need help completing your application in time for your preferred start date, please contact an admissions counselor at Phone Number:+1-855-862-4672 or via email at onlinempa@unc.edu.
Applying to Our Top-Ranked Program1
A degree from UNC-Chapel Hill will help you build the skills to advance or launch your career in public administration. As a student, you will:
Complete your degree in as few as 18 months.
Customize your curriculum with electives, concentrations, and cross-university courses.
Learn from faculty who are nationally recognized experts in their field.
Take the Next Step
Advance your career in public administration by earning an MPA degree online from UNC.
Download Your MPA Career Guide (PDF, 162KB)
1 Best Graduate Public Affairs Programs, U.S. News and World Report (2019) Return to footnote reference
{"admissionsEmail": "OnlineMPA@unc.edu", "degreeOffering": "unc-mpa", "fields": [{"hidden": false, "label": "What is your highest level of education completed?", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "level_of_education", "required": true, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "", "options": [{"label": "High School", "value": "High School"}, {"label": "Associate\u0027s", "value": "Associates"}, {"label": "Bachelor\u0027s", "value": "Bachelors"}, {"label": "Bachelor\u0027s in progress", "value": "Bachelors in progress"}, {"label": "Master\u0027s", "value": "Masters"}, {"label": "Master\u0027s in progress", "value": "Masters in progress"}, {"label": "Doctorate", "value": "Doctorate"}]}}, {"hidden": true, "label": "", "name": "no_klondike_gdpr_only_consent", "required": true, "type": 9, "value": {"gdprOnly": "false"}}, {"hidden": false, "mountPoint": 2, "name": "", "type": 7, "value": {"text": "Your personal data will be used as described in our [--link:https://onlinempa.unc.edu/legal/privacy-policy/ target:blank]privacy policy[link--]. You may opt out of receiving communications at any time. "}}], "grouping": "unc-mpa", "id": 199, "inferredFields": {"country": "country_name"}, "programsOfStudy": "5deaba21-c314-4382-a221-d4aca4df898f", "screens": [{"allFields": [0, 1], "conditional": {}, "out": {"0": ["$next", [{"data": "$valid"}]]}}], "version": "1.0.1"}
{"admissionsEmail": "OnlineMPA@unc.edu", "degreeOffering": "unc-mpa", "fields": [{"hidden": false, "label": "How many years of work experience?", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "work_experience", "required": true, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "", "options": [{"label": "less than 2", "value": "less than 2"}, {"label": "2-4", "value": "2-4"}, {"label": "5-7", "value": "5-7"}, {"label": "8-10", "value": "8-10"}, {"label": "More than 10", "value": "More than 10"}]}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "What was your undergraduate GPA?", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "stated_gpa_range", "required": true, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "", "options": [{"label": "4.00 and above", "value": "4.00 and above"}, {"label": "3.99-3.50", "value": "3.99-3.50"}, {"label": "3.49-3.00", "value": "3.49-3.00"}, {"label": "2.99-2.50", "value": "2.99-2.50"}, {"label": "2.49 and below", "value": "2.49 and below"}]}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "Have you taken the GRE, GMAT or LSAT?", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "test_taken", "required": true, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "", "options": [{"label": "GRE", "value": "GRE"}, {"label": "GMAT", "value": "GMAT"}, {"label": "LSAT", "value": "LSAT"}, {"label": "Registered but not taken", "value": "Registered but not taken"}, {"label": "None", "value": "None"}]}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "Are you military affiliated?", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "military_affiliation", "required": true, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "", "options": [{"label": "No", "value": "No"}, {"label": "Veteran", "value": "Veteran"}, {"label": "Active Duty", "value": "Active Duty"}, {"label": "Reserve", "value": "Reserve"}, {"label": "Spouse", "value": "Spouse"}, {"label": "Dependent", "value": "Dependent"}]}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "What is your highest level of education completed?", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "level_of_education", "required": true, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "", "options": [{"label": "High School", "value": "High School"}, {"label": "Associate\u0027s", "value": "Associates"}, {"label": "Bachelor\u0027s", "value": "Bachelors"}, {"label": "Bachelor\u0027s in progress", "value": "Bachelors in progress"}, {"label": "Master\u0027s", "value": "Masters"}, {"label": "Master\u0027s in progress", "value": "Masters in progress"}, {"label": "Doctorate", "value": "Doctorate"}]}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "First Name", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "first_name", "required": true, "type": 0, "value": {"text": ""}}, {"hidden": true, "label": "Country of Residence", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "country", "required": false, "type": 6, "value": {}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "Last Name", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "last_name", "required": true, "type": 0, "value": {"text": ""}}, {"conditionallyRendered": true, "hidden": false, "label": "Phone", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "phone", "required": true, "type": 0, "value": {"text": ""}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "Email", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "email", "required": true, "type": 0, "value": {"text": ""}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "Zip / Postal Code", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "zip_code", "required": false, "type": 0, "value": {"text": ""}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "State", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "state", "required": false, "type": 5, "value": {}}, {"hidden": true, "label": "Degree Interest", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "degree", "required": false, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "MPA", "options": [{"label": "MPA", "value": "MPA"}]}}, {"conditionallyRendered": true, "hidden": false, "label": "US Marketing Consent \u00f0\u009f\u0087\u00ba\u00f0\u009f\u0087\u00b8", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "lead_share_opt_in", "required": true, "type": 11, "value": {"checkboxText": "Please contact me about these educational programs.", "defaultChecked": true, "defaultRadio": "none", "disclaimer": "MPA@UNC\u0027s technology partner, 2U, Inc., and its family of companies, work with multiple universities to offer educational programs in public administration and other fields.", "format": "checkbox", "optInValue": "UNC-MPA Marketing", "smsHiddenConsent": false}}, {"conditionallyRendered": true, "hidden": false, "label": "GDPR Marketing Consent \u00f0\u009f\u0087\u00aa\u00f0\u009f\u0087\u00ba", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "lead_share_opt_in", "required": true, "type": 8, "value": {"disclaimer": "This personal data is collected and processed by [--link:https://2u.com/]2U, Inc.[link--], MPA@UNC\u0027s technology partner.", "leadShareOptIn": {"email": "Please email me about these educational programs.", "leadShareValue": "UNC-MPA Marketing", "phone": "", "sms": "", "text": "MPA@UNC\u0027s technology partner, [--link:https://2u.com/ target:blank]2U, Inc., and the 2U family of companies[link--], work with multiple universities to offer educational programs in public administration and other fields. "}, "retailOptIn": {"email": "Email", "phone": "Phone", "sms": "", "text": "Yes, I want to receive additional information about MPA@UNC. Please contact me via:"}}}, {"hidden": true, "label": "", "name": "no_klondike_gdpr_only_consent", "required": true, "type": 9, "value": {"gdprOnly": "false"}}, {"hidden": false, "mountPoint": 2, "name": "", "type": 7, "value": {"text": "Your personal data will be used as described in our [--link:https://onlinempa.unc.edu/legal/privacy-policy/ target:blank]privacy policy[link--]. You may opt out of receiving communications at any time. "}}], "grouping": "unc-mpa", "id": 199, "inferredFields": {"country": "country_name"}, "programsOfStudy": "5deaba21-c314-4382-a221-d4aca4df898f", "screens": [{"allFields": [4, 15], "conditional": {}, "out": {"1": ["$next", [{"data": "$valid"}]]}}, {"allFields": [0, 1, 2, 3], "conditional": {}, "out": {"2": ["$next", [{"data": "$valid"}]]}}, {"allFields": [5, 7, 9], "conditional": {}, "out": {"3": ["$next", [{"data": "$valid"}]]}}, {"allFields": [11, 10, 6, 8, 12, 13, 14, 16], "conditional": {"13": [1, "", [{"data": "state.no_klondike_gdpr_only_consent"}, {"data": "true"}, {"op": 1}, {"data": "state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"}, {"data": "eu"}, {"op": 1}, {"op": 7}]], "14": [1, "", [{"data": "state.no_klondike_gdpr_only_consent"}, {"data": "true"}, {"op": 0}, {"data": "state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"}, {"data": "eu"}, {"op": 0}, {"op": 8}]], "8": [3, "", [{"data": "state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"}, {"data": "eu"}, {"op": 0}]]}, "out": {"-1": ["$next", [{"data": "$valid"}]]}}], "version": "1.0.1"}