Ph.D. Admissions
The Harry S Truman School of Public Affairs is interested in qualified applicants for its academic and research-oriented PhD program in public affairs. Students are admitted from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, both with and without previous graduate study. Students without previous coursework in public affairs (public management and policy) are required to complete up to 18 hours of foundation coursework. As many as 30 credit hours of graduate coursework may be applied towards the University of Missouri requirements of 72 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree.
The PhD program is small and admission is selective. Admission decisions by faculty consider the overall profile of
each applicant taking into consideration the following criteria:
1. A record of academic achievement predictive of success in doctoral studies. Typically, applicants will have above
a 3.0 undergraduate GPA and above a 3.5 graduate GPA.
2. GRE scores are also indicators of potential success in the program. Typically, successful applicants will have
combined scores of 1200 or more.
3. TOEFL scores are critical to assessing English language and communication skills. International applicants are
expected to have a paper-based TOEFL score of 625 or its equivalent.
4. Applicants are required to submit three letters of recommendation preferably by professors who can comment on
the students’ potential for doctoral level work.
5. Applicants are required to submit a personal statement of interest (3-5 double-spaced pages in length). This
statement ought to explain the student’s motivation, intellectual, and vocational rationale for pursuing a PhD in
public affairs. The statement ought to begin with a brief biographical statement. Next, it ought to provide some
indication of potential research and scholarly interests. If possible the statement ought to identify potential
faculty mentors and offer some indication as to why the student is seeking a doctorate at the Harry S Truman School
of Public Affairs. Successful personal statements will provide the admissions committee with a sense of the student’s
values and interests related to their pursuing a PhD in public affairs (public management and public policy).
6. Applicants are required to submit a writing sample. This ought to be an academic essay or research paper that
will provide the admissions committee with an illustration of the student’s ability to communicate their thoughts
and ideas in writing.
7. Personal interviews may be required of applicants, preferably in person. Telephone interviews may be used for
international students and less frequently for applicants in the United States.