EXECUTIVE MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION APPLICATION CHECKLIST
Please follow these steps to complete your application. If you have any questions, contact wagner.admissions@nyu.edu.
Fill out your online application. You will be able to access applications for all of our executive programs through this link.
Entry Term
Only offered for the Fall semester.
Application Deadline
Online applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on the day of the deadline. Any mailed application material must be postmarked by the deadline date.
We recommend submitting your application earlier in the cycle as admission becomes more competitive throughout the year.
You may complete and submit your online application at any time before the deadline. Save your work before moving to the next page and print a copy for your own records.
NYU Wagner essays provide an opportunity to introduce yourself and to inform the admissions committee about your goals, background, and career plans as they relate to your intended academic pursuits.
All essay responses should be written in full sentences within paragraph structure and should be no longer than the required word limit.
Your essays should be written entirely by you. An offer of admission will be revoked if we find you did not write your essays.
Essay 1
Tell us about your professional background, impact, and future goals. Why is now the right time to pursue an executive degree at NYU Wagner? (500 words)
Essay 2
Describe a critical leadership moment that you have experienced. What did you learn and how does it shape your perspective on leadership (and/or public service)? (500 words)
Please provide us with an up-to-date resume that includes your education and employment history. Your resume should include your employment and professional history in reverse chronological order and should indicate the dates of attendance and degree(s) earned.
Post-college work experience is not required to apply for NYU Wagner programs, with the exception of the Executive Master of Public Administration, which requires a minimum of eight years of work experience, with increasingly progressive management and leadership responsibilities.
If you do not have post-college work experience, please include information on any internships and part-time employment in your resume. If your employment status changes after you apply, you must provide an updated resume.
We encourage you to include information about the following additional activities:
- Volunteer, public service, political, and/or civic work you have done;
- Academic and professional honors, honorary societies, leadership and service awards;
- Other professional activities;
- Relevant publications; and/or
- Extracurricular activities.
Two letters of recommendation are required with your application. Do not submit more than your required number of letters of recommendation and please adhere to these guidelines:
- Letters of recommendation must be submitted through the online application system. We do not accept mailed recommendations.
- The recommendation may be academic or professional in nature. We strongly prefer a balance of academic and professional sources.
- The recommendation should come from an individual who can objectively assess your performance and your potential for success in your NYU Wagner program of interest and in your future career.
- We discourage recommendations from family members, family friends, and close friends.
- Your recommender must have a valid email address.
- Your recommenders will be asked to provide an answer to these questions:
- How long have you known the applicant and in what capacity?
- What do you consider the applicant's outstanding talents?
- In which areas could the applicant exhibit growth or improvement?
- What relevant insights can you offer regarding this candidate—particularly those that are not likely to be available from other sources?
- What observations do you have of the character and integrity of the applicant?
- Your recommenders may answer these questions by uploading a document.
Instructions for Submitting Recommendations
Recommenders are required to complete the online evaluation form. Their response to the recommendation questions may be in either letter or short answer format and should not exceed two pages each.
- As part of the application process, you will input the names and contact information for your recommender.
- Once you submit a recommender’s information, he or she will receive an email notification and instructions for completing the recommendation.
- There are instructions in the application for sending reminders to your recommenders, if needed.
- Please note all letters of recommendation do not need to be completed in order to submit an application. However, we will be unable to review your application until all required recommendations are received.
Students entering an NYU Wagner master's program are required to hold a four-year bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in the U.S. or an equivalent degree from a foreign country.
If you submit your application prior to the conferral of your bachelor's degree or equivalent, we will accept and evaluate your application with the understanding that your degree completion is in progress. If an offer of admission is made, it will be contingent upon receiving your degree conferral prior to enrollment.
Transcripts submitted through the online application must meet the following criteria:
- Unofficial transcripts are required from all colleges or universities attended in which you earned grades and/or academic credits at the college-level, including undergraduate, study abroad, transfer credits, continuing education, etc.
- Uploaded files must be scanned copies of transcript(s) received from the college/university registrar OR electronic transcripts (such as those available through eSCRIP-SAFE, Parchment, and National Student Clearinghouse).
- Transcripts must show all courses taken, all credits earned, and all grades received.
- Transcripts must include your full legal name and the name of the college or university attended.
- Transcripts must be written in English.
- Word documents and HTML documents are not acceptable.
Transcripts for institutions located outside of the United States
If you received a graduate or undergraduate degree from an institution located outside of the United States, we require that you use a third-party international credential evaluation service to assess U.S. bachelor’s equivalency and obtain a course-by-course evaluation of your grade point average.
At this time, NYU Wagner will only accept international evaluation reports from NACES-approved agencies. You can find the full list here.
Students with degrees from institutions based in the United States that operate degree-granting branch campuses in another country are exempt from this requirement. We also do not require an evaluation for a study abroad semester. Please contact wagner.admissions@nyu.edu for questions or clarification.
Applications should include both unofficial transcript(s) from the degree-granting institution(s) and a copy of your international credential evaluation report from an approved evaluation service.
Fee waivers are also available to applicants that submit their international transcripts to an international credential evaluation service.
All interviews are by invitation only and are conducted in-person at the NYU Wagner Office of Admissions in New York City or by Skype. The Office of Admissions will contact you via email or phone to notify you of your interview invitation.
GRE or GMAT (optional)
While standardized test scores such as the GRE or GMAT are not required for admission to NYU Wagner, we encourage applicants to submit scores if they believe it will strengthen their applications or their academic and professional records do not provide sufficient evidence of their quantitative, verbal, and reasoning abilities.
Scores are valid for five years from the date that you took the test and must be valid at the time that you submit your application. You are responsible for including your test score on the online application and ensuring that Pearson VUE or ETS is able to release and send your official score report to NYU Wagner. Please upload a copy of your score report into the online application before submission. Once your online application is submitted, we will not allow replacement of your test scores.
GRE School Code: 2507
If you plan to retake the GRE or GMAT after applying, you must inform the Admissions Committee of the date you intend to take the test via email to wagner.admissions@nyu.edu. The Admissions Committee will proceed with the evaluation of your application using your submitted score and may issue a decision prior to receiving additional test scores.
NYU Wagner has no minimum GRE or GMAT score requirement. For applicants who took the test more than once, the Admissions Committee considers only the test with the highest total score.
TOEFL or IELTS (if applicable)
Mastery of English is required for NYU Wagner programs. If your undergraduate or graduate degree was not taught in English, you must demonstrate your level of proficiency in English in one of the following ways:
1. You have a TOEFL score of at least 100
2. You have an IELTS score of at least 7
You must upload a copy of your TOEFL or IELTS score report into the online application before submission and ensure that your official score report can be released and sent to NYU Wagner. Only tests taken within the past two (2) years will be considered. Failure to complete this requirement may result in withdrawal of an application. While an official test score is required for a final decision, the Admissions Committee can begin the review of your application with an unofficial test score. TOEFL School Code: 2507.
For applicants who took the test more than once, the Admissions Committee considers only the test with the highest total score taken within two years of the application deadline for which you apply.
If you plan to retake the TOEFL or IELTS assessments after applying, you must inform the Admissions Committee of the date you intend to take the test via email to wagner.admissions@nyu.edu. The Admissions Committee will proceed with the evaluation of your application using your submitted score, and may issue a decision prior to receiving additional test scores.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What programs require GRE or GMAT?
A: You must submit a GRE/GMAT to apply for the MSPP or PhD programs.
Q: I am required to submit GRE/GMAT scores and recently retook the exam. Can I submit new scores after I have already submitted my application?
A: If the admissions committee is already reviewing your application, we cannot add anything new to your file. We can add new scores to your file if your application has not started the review process.
Q: The GRE/GMAT is not required for my program. Can I submit optional scores?
A: Yes, you may submit optional scores.
- All scores must be attached to your application upon submission.
- We will not add optional scores after you have submitted your application.
An $85 application fee is required to process your application for admission.
Pay by credit card
When you arrive at the Application Status page after you submit your application, you will see the option to submit a credit card payment. Follow the instructions to complete your payment.
Fee waiver eligibility
Please review the items below and indicate if any of the following apply to you.
Fee waivers are granted for the following:
- Current NYU Undergrad
- AmeriCorps Members
- Bonner Foundation Members
- City Year Members
- McNair Scholar Participants
- Peace Corps Volunteers
- Rangel Graduate Fellows
- Teach For America (TFA) Participants
- Truman Scholar Participants
- Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Fellows
- Pickering Fellow Recipients
- New York Police Department
- ICE Requirement
- Financial Hardship
- Military Affiliation
- HBCU or HSI
- NYU Employee
- NYU Alumni
Fall Admission
We encourage international students to apply by the priority deadline so that admitted students have ample time to arrange student visas.