How To Apply | Master of Public Administration (MPA) | CSUDH

Document Checklist

Cal State Apply online application
Professional résumé
Statement of purpose
Official transcripts from all previous institutions
a. CSUDH alumni do not need to submit transcripts
Two letters of recommendation (if required)
TOEFL or IELTS English Proficiency Exam (International Applicants Only)

Application Instructions:

Submit an online application through Cal State Apply. Applicants must choose one of the three MPA modalities in Cal State Apply:
1. On-Campus modality is listed as Public Management (Campus)
2. 8 week online is listed with the three specialized concentrations separately. For example, for the Criminal Justice Administration and Policy concentration it is listed as MPA (Cal State Online): Criminal Justice Administration and Policy.
Upload, in Cal State Apply, your statement of purpose detailing your interest in and readiness for the program. See template above.
Upload, in Cal State Apply, a current professional résumé or CV which will be used to evaluate the applicant's professional experience. See template above.
Submit one (1) official transcript from each college and/or university attended. Transcript(s) should be sent electronically from the issuing institution to our Office of Admissions and Records to graduateadmissions@csudh.edu, or to send by mail, please use:
CSU, Dominguez Hills
Office of Admissions & Records
1000 E. Victoria Street
Carson, CA 90747
If the applicant's GPA falls below the minimum requirements and/or fails to meet the college-level math requirement, two letters of recommendation are required. See template above.

*Anyone applying after the Program Deadline may not receive financial aid by the tuition payment deadline.

International Applicants Only

Regardless of citizenship, all applicants whose native language is not English and who do not qualify for a waiver are required to submit proof of English Language Proficiency before an admissions decision can be made. International applicants must submit:

Certified English translations of non-English transcripts must be sent to the Office of Admissions and Records. Students from foreign institutions must have their transcripts evaluated by a NACES agency, such as WES, and submit a course-by-course evaluation.
TOEFL/IELTS score (if required) must be sent directly from the appropriate testing organization to the Office of Admissions and Records. Graduate applicants who have not attended schools at the secondary level or above for at least three years full-time where English is the principle language of instruction must present one of the following:

* A minimum score of 550 on the paper-based TOEFL exam

* A minimum score of 80 on the internet-based TOEFL exam (iBT)

* A minimum score of 213 on the computer-based TOEFL exam

* A score of 6.5 or higher on the IELTS

For more information regarding required documents for international students, click here.

Monitor the status of your application

After the submission of your electronic application and application fee, the University Admissions office will send a user ID and password to our MyCSUDH portal via mail. Applicants can check their application status online. There are four application statuses possible:

Application Incomplete: applicants are missing items such as application fee, transcripts, etc.
Application Incomplete After Review: applicants are deficient in submitting transcripts from attended institutions.
Application Complete: applicants are complete and ready for department review.
Application in Department Review: applications processed by University Admissions have been forwarded to the department for review. The MPA department will determine if all supplemental materials have been submitted, i.e. résumé, statement of purpose, and letters of recommendation. Files are reviewed and decisioned.