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Application Requirements

We invite you to apply for admission to the Master of Public Policy in social policy (MPP). It is recommended that you begin this process by reviewing the application requirements, noting the additional information linked to each requirement.

MPP applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. When completing the application form, applicants should pay special attention to questions regarding area of intended concentration, citizenship, and requests for funding. Funding opportunities include all merit- and need-based scholarship opportunities.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact one of the Heller Admissions officers at HellerAdmissions@Brandeis.edu. We look forward to working with you.

Application Form

In addition to the other supporting credentials, all applicants must complete and submit an application form.

The preferred method is to submit your application electronically. The online application is designed to be completed in one sitting. If the browser is closed before the application is submitted, your information will be lost. Therefore, applicants should have the following information close at hand when completing the application:

  • Names and e-mail addresses of recommenders.
  • Names of undergraduate and graduate institutions and dates of attendance.
  • GRE, TOEFL, and IELTS scores, percentiles and dates taken (if applicable).
  • Personal statement and a curriculum vitae or resumé saved on the computer on which applicant is working (optional).

If you are unable to submit an on-line application, you may download a Printable Application Form. Either method of application is acceptable. An electronic application will not give an advantage over the paper application. If you choose to submit an electronic application, please do not submit a second paper copy.

Submit paper applications to:

  • Office of Admissions
  • The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
  • MS035
  • Brandeis University
  • 415 South Street
  • Waltham, MA 02454-9110

Application Fee

The Application Fee is US $55.00. This fee is waived for applicants from developing nations and current or returned Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, City Year, and other service organization volunteers. Please contact HellerAdmissions@Brandeis.edu if you are unsure if you are required to pay the application fee.

A system of accepting application fees electronically is under development. Meanwhile, applicants may pay their fee via check or money order and mail it to the address listed below. The applicant's name and date of birth must appear on the face of the check.

Submit the application fee to:

  • Office of Admissions
  • The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
  • MS035
  • Brandeis University
  • 415 South Street
  • Waltham, MA 02454-9110

Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose is a pivotal piece of the entire application package and should discuss the reasons for applying to the MPP in social policy degree program. The admissions committee is looking for applicants with an understanding of one or more areas of policy as measured by any or all of the following indicators: awareness, voluntary or educational work experience, and/or actual employment in a social policy setting. Please be sure to include any relevant experience – educational, volunteer or professional - and provide concrete examples.

Use your creative and analytical abilities to express your interest in pursuing the MPP degree. Why does a career in social policy at any level, sector and stage interest you and what appeals to you particularly about the Heller School MPP degree? The committee would like to know what you hope to gain from the degree and what you believe you can bring to the program.

Please note that, upon admission, the statement of purpose may also be used in assessing an applicant’s candidacy for various merit-based scholarship opportunities (see Financial Aid).

The statement of purpose should be no more than three or four pages in length, and may be submitted electronically (preferred).

Transcripts

Applicants must submit official transcripts from all undergraduate, graduate, continuing education, and study abroad courses that they have taken.

Transfer credits or supplemental course work taken at an institution other than the degree-granting school will need to be sent under separate cover even if the courses appear on the degree-granting institution’s transcript.

Transcripts may be sent directly from the academic institution to the Heller Admissions Office. Applicants may include their transcripts with other credentials in an application package as long as the original signed and sealed registrar’s envelopes have not been opened.

International applicants whose transcripts are not in English must have them translated by a certified translation agency, and both the original language documents and English certifications must accompany the application.

Submit the transcripts to:

  • Office of Admissions
  • The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
  • MS035
  • Brandeis University
  • 415 South Street
  • Waltham, MA 02454-9110

Letters of Recommendation

Applicants to the MPP program must submit three letters of recommendation. One should be a professional assessment from a supervisor at the institution at which you are employed or were recently employed. The second letter should be an academic assessment from a former professor or advisor. However, you are not required to submit an academic letter if you last attended university ten or more years ago. The third letter can be either professional or academic.

Applicants must complete the top section of the Recommendation Form, waiving or not waiving their right to view the letter, and give the form to their referrer. The referrer may then complete the remainder of the recommendation form and send it to the admissions office with a letter that describes how long they have known the applicant and addresses the applicant’s readiness for an intensive graduate program.

All letters should be printed on official letterhead or include the referrer’s official business card.

To guarantee that the letter of recommendation arrives in a timely manner, your referrer can email or fax the form and letter directly to the Heller Admissions Office in addition to mailing the original. While an email or fax is sufficient for review purposes, the original form and letter are required to finalize any offer of admission. We cannot accept emailed letters of recommendation sent from Yahoo, Hotmail, or other public domains.

Letters may be sent directly to the Admissions Office or may be included with the complete application package as long as the original signed and sealed referrer’s envelope has not been opened.

Submit the letters of recommendation to:

  • Office of Admissions
  • The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
  • MS035
  • Brandeis University
  • 415 South Street
  • Waltham, MA 02454-9110

Resume/Curriculum Vitae

Applicants should submit a professional resume or curriculum vitae outlining all work and educational experiences, including any volunteer activities, detailing particularly those relevant to their proposed field of study; any academic and non-academic honors or prizes awarded; and publications and research projects with which the applicant has been associated.

The resume or CV may be submitted electronically (preferred).

Standardized Test Scores

Applicants to the MPP in Social Policy program and to the PhD in Social Policy program must submit test results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

Test scores will be sent directly by ETS, Educational Testing Service. The GRE code is 3097.

The various admissions committees do not set specific standards for GRE test results. We cannot accept any test score older than five years.

Proof of English Proficiency

International applicants whose native language is not English or who have not completed a degree program in the United States must submit results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing Service (IELTS). TOEFL scores should not be more than two years old and must be at least 600 (paper-based exam), 250 (computer-based exam), or 100 (internet-based exam). The IELTS score must be a minimum of 7.0.

You may submit a photocopy of your score report to hasten the review of your application, but an official report sent directly from ETS or IELTS must be received to finalize any offer of admission. Please contact the admissions office at HellerAdmissions@brandeis.edu if you feel that you have extenuating circumstances which may exempt you from this requirement.

All TOEFL and GRE test score results should be sent directly to the Admissions Office using Heller’s institution code for each exam: 3097. Information regarding the GRE or TOEFL exams can be obtained from the testing agencies directly at www.gre.org or www.toefl.org, or from the Admissions Office. IELTS test score results may be mailed to the Admissions Office; additional information can be found at http://www.ielts.org.

 

MPP Admissions