Admissions and Financial Aid
Application Requirements
Advanced Standing for Masters Degree Holders
Student Assistanceships and Fellowships
Student Scholarships
Other Financial Assistance at Umass Boston
Other Resources for Financial Aid
Student Housing and Cost of Living Considerations
Application Requirements
In addition to submitting the University's Graduate Admissions Application Form and fee, for PhD admissions your application should include:
- A combined autobiographical sketch (highlighting how your life events have led you to apply for a PhD in Public Policy) and personal statement about your interests and reasons for applying to the program, including answers to the following questions: (1500 words)
- What are your career objectives?
- How will a PhD in public policy advance those objectives?
- In what ways does the UMass Boston Public Policy Program address your particular academic, career, and personal goals?
- What do you see as your primary activity five years after receiving your PhD degree?
- What professional, personal, and academic experiences have especially equipped you for the challenges of graduate school?
- What personal strengths will you bring to your graduate-level studies?
- What personal limitations or hurdles do you anticipate you must address in order to complete graduate school?
- What research and public policy issues are you interested in pursuing at UMass Boston?
- What research and public policy experiences have prepared you for research in the Public Policy Program and a career in public policy?
- Three letters of recommendation, at least two of which should come from individuals who can assess academic preparation for advanced graduate work.
- Official transcripts of all prior academic work, including evidence of a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
- A short (3-5 page) academic writing sample or professional policy brief.
- GRE scores [Our institutional code is 3924 when you register for the exam.]
- A current resume or CV. Please list your educational background on page one with degree(s) earned, name of school(s), major(s) and overall GPA(s).
- TOEFL score for all foreign students (more info on requirements and waivers ).
Once applications have been reviewed, the PhD admissions committee of the program will schedule interviews with all finalists (typically in early to mid-March). Interviews are considered an important part of the application process and, whenever possible, are held on campus.
Final decisions are made by April 1.
Advanced Standing for Master's Degrees
Students entering the Program with master's degrees in a field relative to Public Policy that were earned no more than seven years prior to matriculation, are eligible for advanced standing. Relevant master's degrees include those received in social sciences, public administration, public policy, social work, labor relations, public health, education and criminal justice.
In addition, we would consider a JD relevant and some MBAs - depending on the focus of the program. You will be awarded up to 12 credit hours to be counted toward elective credit. If you earned the Master's degree more than seven years prior to admission, once admitted, you may petition to the Academic Affairs Committee for a credit reduction but final PhD admissions approval rests with the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.
Student Assistanceships and Fellowships
Full-time students are eligible for full tuition waivers, a waiver of the educational operations fee, a health insurance credit and graduate assistant stipends to cover educational expenses and to help defray living costs. Students may receive these assistantships for their first 3 years of study.
In return for the stipend, depending on the level of assistantship desired, students are expected to provide 18 hours of research, teaching, or administrative assistance per week to the campus.
Full-time first year students also receive a $2000 fellowship in addition to the above financial awards. These awards are issued in two payments: $1000 in the fall semester and $1000 in the spring semester.
After the first semester, continued financial assistance is dependent upon satisfactory academic and graduate assistantship performance.
Additional funding may be available for students after their third year, though funding is not guaranteed.
Please note that, although we typically waive tuition and most fees for several semesters, stipend payments are not sufficient to cover room and board, books and supplies, transportation and other personal expenses. (See section below on Housing and Cost of Living Considerations.)
Complete list of current tuition and fee charges.
Please note the associated costs for graduate students at either the in-state or out-of-state rates, as appropriate. Please note that all stipend amounts, waivers, tuition and fees are subject to state appropriations and may change each year.
PhD Scholarships
A limited number of PhD scholarships are typically available each year from our annual fund, representing gifts from our faculty, staff and alumni. All students in good standing are eligible but those who demonstrate financial need are given priority consideration.
Other Financial Assistance at UMass Boston
Our doctoral program also offers students small grants to help finance conference participation and travel, membership fees, software purchases, special training and other professional development activities.
The Office of Graduate Studies offers an annual dissertation support grant competition. After defending a dissertation proposal, all students are eligible to apply and can use these grants for anything from data collection to editing in preparation of their dissertations.
Other Resources for Financial Aid
The National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration offers an extensive list regarding financial aid, scholarships, fellowships and loans for prospective students.
Student Housing and Cost of Living Considerations
UMass Boston currently does not have on-campus student housing. However, UMass does provide housing referral assistance and has a partnership with several area apartment complexes.
In general, students should be prepared to spend a minimum of $1,000 per month for room and board in an apartment within a five to ten mile radius of the campus. Please keep in mind that this is only an estimate and, depending on your lifestyle, costs may be higher or lower. If your spouse and/or children will accompany you, you will, of course, incur higher rents for additional bedroom space.
Please call 617-287-6011 or for more information, click here.
For additional resources to find an apartment or room rental, consult UMass Boston's classified ads, The Community Front Page or boston.com.
