• Join an upcoming information session or watch a recording of a past session 

• Review the application process and eligibility requirements 

• Explore the MPA curriculum

• Request more information about the MPA
• Inquire about a campus visit

No. The MPA is not STEM-designated.

The MPA is a two-year, full-time residential degree program in Ithaca. Students begin classes each August and graduate in May of their second year.

Yes. Cornell MPA students have the opportunity to spend one external semester studying and working off campus through sponsored programs while earning credit toward their degree.

Off-campus programs allow students to complement their coursework with hands-on professional experience, expand their professional networks, and gain firsthand exposure to public policy in action. With careful planning, students may also combine an off-campus semester with a summer internship, allowing them to gain up to six months of continuous professional experience.

Opportunities for sponsored off-campus study include the following:

• DC Connect Externship Semester
  Through Cornell in Washington, students spend the spring semester living and working in Washington, D.C., while completing coursework for their MPA degree. Externships provide professional experience with federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, consulting firms, think tanks, and private sector organizations, allowing students to build their skills and professional network in one of the nation’s leading policy hubs.

• New York State Capital Semester
  Work as a full-time, paid intern in the New York State Legislature while earning a full semester of academic credit. Students spend the spring semester in Albany, the capital of New York State, gaining firsthand experience with the legislative process and contributing to policy work on issues such as health care, education, environmental policy, economic development, and more.

Learn more about off-campus study here.

We welcome applicants from a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds who are passionate about making a meaningful difference through public service and policy. Successful applicants typically demonstrate academic readiness, leadership potential, and experiences that reflect a commitment to serving communities and solving complex policy challenges.

We’re looking for mission-oriented applicants who want to improve people’s lives through public policy and can clearly articulate why the MPA is the right next step, how their experiences have shaped their interest in public service, and how the degree will help them achieve their long-term career goals.

Successful applicants often include:

• Early- to mid-career professionals with approximately 1–3 years of relevant experience, including full-time employment, internships, research, military service, advocacy, volunteer work, or other leadership experiences.
• Applicants seeking a full-time, residential graduate experience that combines rigorous interdisciplinary training with hands-on learning and professional development
• Individuals considering a career change who want to build the foundational knowledge, analytical skills, and leadership abilities needed for careers in public affairs and public administration

No. Work experience is not required for admission.

We welcome applicants at different stages of their careers, from recent college graduates to early- and mid-career professionals. We evaluate each application holistically, considering academic preparation, leadership potential, and a commitment to public service.

No. Students come from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds.

Whether you’re building on existing experience or pivoting into public service, we’re looking for applicants with demonstrated leadership potential, transferable skills, and a commitment to public impact.

The Cornell MPA prepares students to tackle complex public challenges through a distinctive combination of evidence-based policymaking, practical engagement, and intersectoral leadership.

Our approach reflects the Brooks School’s belief that effective policy leaders need both rigorous analytical skills and real-world experience. The Cornell MPA approach includes:

• A Foundational Toolkit for Evidence-Based Policymaking
  At the Brooks School, students learn to approach policy questions through an analytical and empirical lens. Coursework emphasizes data analytics, policy evaluation, econometrics, spatial analysis, and both qualitative and mixed methods, giving students the tools to evaluate evidence, measure impact, and make informed decisions. Students develop the skills to select the right analytical methods, evaluate evidence critically, and use those insights to inform better public policy.

• Practical Engagement and On-the-Ground Training
  One of the hallmarks of the MPA Program is its commitment to experiential learning. As part of Cornell’s land-grant mission, students gain on-the-ground experience through internships, client-based projects, experiential courses, and capstone opportunities that demonstrate how policy is managed, implemented, shaped, and challenged in real communities and organizations.

• Intersectoral Leadership
  Today’s most pressing policy challenges cannot be solved by a single sector alone. The Cornell MPA prepares students to lead and collaborate across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, developing the skills to build partnerships, navigate complex organizations, and create solutions that have lasting public impact.

The Cornell MPA prepares students to become leaders who can tackle today’s most complex public challenges. Through a combination of rigorous academics, hands-on learning, concentrations, internships, and capstone experiences, students develop the analytical, management, and leadership skills needed to drive meaningful change.

Graduates are prepared to lead across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors—equipped to solve complex problems, communicate across organizations, and translate ideas into real-world impact throughout their careers.

The Cornell MPA is designed to build capabilities that can serve graduates throughout their careers, not just prepare them for their next job. tudents develop a practical foundation in:

• Data analysis and evidence-based decision-making
• Policy and program evaluation
• Budgeting and public finance
• Project and organizational management
• Consulting and problem-solving
• Strategic communication
• Leadership and collaboration across the public, nonprofit, and private sectors

These skills can help graduates take on increasingly complex responsibilities, move across organizations and sectors, and adapt as policy priorities or career interests change.  MPA graduates apply their trainingin government, nonprofits, international organizations, consulting, and the private sector, working on issues ranging from climate and infrastructure to health, technology, economic development, and social policy.

The long-term value of a Cornell MPA extends beyond the skills gained in the classroom. Students draw on the breadth of Cornell’s interdisciplinary environment, build real experience through engaged policy work, and become part of a global Cornell alumni network that spans sectors and industries. Those assets can create value at multiple points in a career; helping graduates launch into the field, move into new roles or sectors, expand their professional networks, and take on greater leadership responsibility over time. 

No. The MPA is a fully residential program at Cornell University’s Ithaca, New York, campus.

Professionals with eight or more years of experience who are looking for a flexible hybrid format may be interested in Cornell’s Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA).

Learn more about the Executive MPA or compare our residential and executive programs.

The MPA combines a rigorous core curriculum with the flexibility to customize your degree through concentrations, electives, experiential learning, and a capstone project.

Students build a strong foundation in economics, statistics, public administration, management, and policy analysis before specializing through one of seven concentrations and a wide range of elective options.

Throughout the program, students gain hands-on experience through internships, client-based projects, and domestic or international capstone opportunities.

View the full MPA curriculum and sample course plan here.

MPA concentrations allow students to develop expertise in policy areas aligned with their career goals while building on the program’s interdisciplinary core curriculum.

Students begin their specialization through a required Gateway Course, which establishes a common foundation and brings together students pursuing the same concentration.

Concentrations Include:

• Data Science
• Economic Policy
• Environmental and Sustainability Policy
• International Policy and Management
• Public and Nonprofit Management
• Science and Technology Policy
• Social Policy: Health, Education, and Inequality

Yes. Second-year MPA students have the opportunity to participate in the State Policy Advocacy Clinic. The Clinic includes an experiential learning course that allows students to apply the policy analysis and design skills they develop in the classroom to real-world policy challenges.

Working in teams, students partner with legislators, executive branch officials, academics, community organizations, and national nonprofits to research, design, and advocate for state-level policy solutions. Projects span a wide range of policy areas, including health care, immigration, children’s rights, criminal justice reform, democracy and good governance, disability rights, consumer protection, and workforce and economic development.

The clinic provides valuable hands-on experience, strengthens students’ professional networks, and gives them the opportunity to contribute to meaningful policy initiatives before they graduate.

Learn more about the State Policy Advocacy Clinic here.

Explore how Clinic students advocate for policy change in Albany in the Cornell Chronicle.

No. The Cornell MPA degree was launched in 1946 after World War II and has grown and evolved through several academic homes at Cornell. Since 2021, it has been a cornerstone of the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy.

You can learn more about the MPA cost of attendance here.

Yes. Competitive and generous merit-based scholarships are available, and every application is automatically considered during the admissions process. There is no separate scholarship application.

You can also explore external fellowships accepted by the MPA program here.

Students finance their degrees using a combination of merit scholarships, student loans, veterans education benefits, employer support, external fellowships, and personal resources.

The MPA program offers merit-based scholarships, which are awarded at the time of admission and included in the admission letter.

Financial aid in the form of loans can be applied for using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available exclusively to domestic/U.S. citizens. Find more information about graduate financial aid here.

Private education loans may be available to domestic students and international students not eligible for the FAFSA. Cornell University maintains “recommended private lender” lists to help students and their families identify reputable private lenders offering competitive interest rates, low or no fees, borrower-friendly repayment terms, and other benefits.

Yes. The Brooks School values the unique perspectives veterans and military personnel bring to our community.

We support students using veteran education benefits, including the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program, and proudly partner with We the Veterans and the Volcker Alliance’s Service to Service initiative to help veterans transition into public service careers.

Veterans and military personnel qualify for an application fee waiver when applying to a graduate program and a deposit waiver after admission to a Brooks degree program.

Yes. Cornell University’s International Services Office of Global Learning assists international students throughout the visa application process.

No. The GRE and GMAT are not required and are not considered during the admissions process.

Official transcripts are required after admission. During the admissions review process, applicants may submit unofficial transcripts.

All applicants must demonstrate English-language proficiency in one of three ways:

• Submit official TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic scores that meet Cornell Graduate School requirements.
• Request a standing exemption within the application if you meet one of Cornell’s exemption criteria.
• Request a special exemption in exceptional circumstances.

For complete requirements, please visit the Cornell Graduate School Admissions website.

Applicants may submit self-reported TOEFL or IELTS scores when applying. However, official scores must be received directly from ETS or IELTS before an application can be considered complete.

For more information, visit the Cornell Graduate School Admissions website.

We accept both academic and professional letters of recommendation. View our tips on how to submit letters of recommendation here.

The online video interview is an opportunity for the admissions committee to get to know you beyond your written application. There’s no studying required—the questions aren’t designed to test technical knowledge. Instead, they’re an opportunity to reflect on your goals, your interest in the program, and your readiness for graduate study.

For tips on what to expect, how to prepare, and how to approach the interview with confidence, read our blog, Mastering Your Video Interview: Tips for Applicants to the Brooks School’s Graduate Programs.

For questions about the application process or admissions, please contact the Brooks School Graduate Admissions team at BrooksGradAdmissions@cornell.edu.

Apply Now