BA-MPA with NYU Abu Dhabi
NYU Wagner tends to be a hotbed for lively conversations around challenging ideas. We love it. And we’re always on the hunt for bold internationalists with diverse perspectives. That’s why we’ve partnered with NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) to offer a BA-MPA focused on producing citizens of the world with a deep commitment to public service. You bring your unique experiences and point of view to share, and we’ll help you build a meaningful and impactful career in public service—no matter which country you’re calling “home” today.
NYUAD undergraduates studying Economics, Political Science, or Social Research and Public Policy can apply to the program once they have earned 48 credits. So what are you waiting for?
Advising
Adrienne Smith, Assistant Director of Student Services and Bloomberg Fellowship Program
John Ham, Professor of Economics, NYUAD
Curriculum
As part of the BA-MPA track, you can complete up to 21 credits toward the 45 credit graduate degree as an undergraduate student. This can include the undergraduate course equivalents below:
| NYU Wagner Graduate Course | Undergraduate Course Equivalents |
|
CORE-GP 1011, Statistical Methods
|
ECON-UA 18, Statistics POL-UA 850, Intro to Research Methods SOC-UA 302, Statistics for Social Research SOCSC-UH 1010Q, Statistics for Social and Behavioral Sciences UPADM-GP 111, Quantitative Analysis for Public Policy |
|
CORE-GP 1018, Microeconomics
|
ECON-UA 2 , Introduction to Microeconomics ECON-UH 2010 Intermediate Microeconomics |
| CORE-GP 1020, Management and Leadership** | UPADM-GP 103, Management and Leadership* |
| CORE-GP 1021, Financial Management | No undergraduate course equivalent |
|
CORE-GP 1022, Introduction to Public Policy
|
POL-UA 300, Power and Politics in America SRPP-UH 2610, Introduction to Public Policy UPADM-GP 101, Politics of Public Policy* |
| PADM-GP 2902, Multiple Regression and Introduction to Econometrics |
SOCSC-UH 3220 Econometrics
|
*UPADM-GP 101 & 103 are NYU Wagner undergraduate courses.
**Undergraduate students must take the undergraduate version of CORE-GP 1020 Management and Leadership (UPADM-GP 103 Management and Leadership)
If you complete the maximum 21 credits during your undergraduate career and take a prescribed sequence of coursework in consultation with an advisor, you can finish the MPA or MUP degree in one full-time year. With any less completed, your time at Wagner would be extended by one year and you also have the flexibility to complete the MPA or MUP in up to five years part-time. For more information about planning your coursework during undergrad and other policies, please see our Advising and Policies page.
Applying to wagner
If you’re accepted to the BA-MPA or BA-MUP track, you are not guaranteed admittance to the Wagner graduate program. You must complete the graduate application in your final undergraduate year by the priority deadline at the end of the fall semester.
As part of the admissions process, you may be asked to participate in an interview to help us better understand your candidacy which may not be fully captured in your application materials. If invited to interview, it then becomes a requirement for admission and will be held early- to mid- February.
Please see our admissions website for more information about the graduate application.
Deferral
Wagner graduate students come from a variety of professional backgrounds - many have several years of substantial experience in public service before starting a Wagner graduate degree. We believe that this real-world experience strongly enriches the Wagner education in and outside the classroom. As a result, our graduate admissions team may accept you into the MPA program with the requirement that you defer 1 year to gain full-time professional experience in a public service field.
You may also choose to defer your enrollment for up to 2 years in order to gain additional experience.