Master of Public Administration

Application Process

The dean of the Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies is responsible for the admission of all graduate students. All degree-seeking students taking graduate courses must formally apply to the Williams School of Graduate Studies prior to enrolling in any graduate course work.

The admission application can be completed online on the Williams School of Graduate Studies website. The deadline for Fall admission is July 1, but applicants are encouraged to act earlier as available financial assistance is allocated in early April. Students wishing to begin classes in January are encouraged to make application in mid-September with a deadline of December 1.

For more information, visit graduate.appstate.edu.

Accelerated Master's Program

The Accelerated Master's Program allows qualified undergraduate students to double-count coursework in their senior year toward both their bachelor's degree and MPA degree. Students from any major with a GPA of 3.4 or higher are eligible to be nominated for the Accelerated Master's Program. Nominated students must have earned 90 credit hours before they can begin taking graduate courses. During their senior year, selected students are permitted to take up to 12 hours total of graduate coursework that can double-count toward an MPA degree.

Individuals interested in the Accelerated Master's Program should speak with their academic advisors and contact the MPA Program Director, Dr. Patricia Mitchell, CEcD, by email at mitchelljp@appstate.edu. For more information, visit graduate.appstate.edu/graduate-admissions/apply-graduate-school/accelerated-masters-program-applicant.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees are charged by the semester and are due and payable in advance at the beginning of each semester in accordance with payment instructions issued prior to each semester. With the approval of its governing bodies, the University reserves the right to make changes when circumstances require.

Below are the current tuition and fees:

2024-25 Full-Time Graduate Student Rates - Boone/Hickory Programs

For details, see studentaccounts.appstate.edu/tuition-fees/boonehickory-programs-tuition-fees.

Tuition Waiver for Senior Citizens

By North Carolina statute "State-supported institutions of higher education, community colleges, industrial education centers and technical institutes, shall permit legal residents of North Carolina who have attained the age of sixty-five (65) to attend classes for credit or non-credit purposes without the required payment of tuition; provided, however, that such persons meet admission and other standards deemed appropriate by the educational institution, and provided that such persons shall be accepted by the constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina only on a spaces-available basis." Under the statute, "tuition shall mean the amount charged for registering for a credit hour of instruction and shall not be construed to mean any other fees or charges or costs of textbooks." An application for this waiver must be made each academic term, students are asked to contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, located in John E. Thomas Hall, at (828) 262-2120.

Refund Policy

The term "refund" should be understood to mean either a) the repayment of money received by the University for tuition and fees, or b) a reduction of charges if tuition and fees have not yet been paid.

Withdrawal from the University

If a student officially withdraws from the University (i.e., discontinues all classes and formally notifies the Registrar's Office to that effect), a refund will be made according to the table found in the Schedule of Classes published each academic term. The refund calculation will be based upon the date of official withdrawal from the University. (Students who wish to withdraw should immediately notify the Registrar's Office, located in John E. Thomas Hall.) Withdrawal at any time will entitle the student to a refund of unspent funds on her or his meal account. Students who have prepaid tuition and fees will be due a full refund if they are academically ineligible to enroll. Students who do not enroll for reasons other than academic ineligibility will be due a refund LESS any advance payments made for tuition, fees and housing. Students who are suspended or expelled for disciplinary reasons will be given a refund based on the University's normal refund schedule.

Reduction in Class Schedule

If students reduce their class schedules during the first five days of classes (during the "Drop-Add" period), one hundred percent of the difference in tuition and fees between the original and revised schedules will be automatically credited to their accounts and available for refund. Students who reduce their class schedules after the first five days of classes will not be eligible for a refund.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available to students in several forms.

Assistantships

Competitively awarded graduate assistantships involving teaching, research or service to the University are available for the regular academic year. Assistants will devote up to 20 hours a week to instruction, research or service for the University. In some cases, Assistants may give proportionately less time to their assistantships. A full assistantship carries a stipend of $8,000 and requires twenty hours of work each week. An assistantship holder must be registered as a full-time student and carry at least nine semester hours of graduate credit. Appalachian offers only a limited number of graduate assistantships for the summer session, with stipends around $750 for each term.

Visit graduate.appstate.edu/students/financial-support/graduate-assistantships for more information. Applications for assistantships, fellowships and work-study assistantships are considered only after applicants have been admitted to the Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies. Minority Presence Grants are also available for master's degree and specialist candidates. The funds are limited and are used to help cover the costs of tuition. Students must complete a FAFSA to be considered for these funds.

Special Scholarships

A limited number of scholarships are available to graduate students in the MPA program. Scholarships are grants and do not carry with them a work requirement.

• The ASU Local Government Alumni Association (ASULGAA) annually offers several scholarships to a graduate student seeking a career in local government. The scholarship is awarded at the annual meeting of the Association that is held in Boone in the Fall.
• The North Carolina City and County Management Association (NCCCMA) provides a scholarship to a graduate student in the MPA program who is pursuing a career in local government management. The award is announced at the annual meeting of the ASULGAA in the Fall. Additionally, the NCCCMA Scholarship recipient is recognized at the Annual Meeting of the NCCCMA that is held each year in February in Winston-Salem.
• Applications for the scholarships are available through the MPA office early in the Fall.

Stafford Loans

Graduate students who wish to apply for federal, state or institutional need-based financial assistance must complete and mail for processing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The priority deadline to mail the FAFSA to the processor is March 15. The FAFSA may be obtained from the Office of Student Financial Aid, located on the second floor of the John E. Thomas Academic Student Support Building. Students can complete the FAFSA via the Internet at FAFSA. The FAFSA will be processed according to the federal methodology and will determine the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The student will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) and the Office of Student Financial Aid will electronically receive the Institutional Student Information Report (ISIR). If the student's record is selected for verification, the student will be requested to submit certain documents to verify the data submitted on the FAFSA. When the student's financial aid file is complete, and they have been accepted to the Graduate School, the student will receive a financial aid award letter listing the types and amounts of financial aid offered. The student must return the financial aid award letter indicating whether they are accepting or declining each type of aid offered.

Graduate Scholarships

Presently, the E.R. Lovill Fellowship of $5,000, Graduate Alumni Scholarships of $2,000 and Alumni Fellowships of $1,000 are available. Applicants should apply to the Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies stating their academic backgrounds and plans. For a listing of scholarships administered by departments, visit their websites. Students may also acquire scholarship information by visiting the Scholarships and Fellowships section of the Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies website.

North Carolina Tuition Scholarships

A limited number of tuition scholarships are competitively awarded to students who are not residents of North Carolina. The tuition remission covers the difference between in- and out-of-state tuition. Recipients must have been awarded a graduate research assistantship.

Veterans Benefits

The University is approved for the training of veterans, national guard/reservists and dependents of deceased or disabled veterans under the following programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs:

• Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty Educational Assistance (Chapter 30)
• Montgomery GI Bill - Selective Reserve Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 1606)
• Post-Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 32)
• Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 35)
• Restored Entitlement Program for Survivors (REPS) Vocational Rehabilitation (Chapter 31)

Persons eligible to receive these benefits must process an application and enrollment data sheet with the Veterans Affairs Coordinator, Office of Student Financial Aid. Children of disabled or deceased veterans who are North Carolina residents may be eligible for a scholarship which pays tuition, some fees, room, and meals from the North Carolina Division of Veterans Affairs, Raleigh, North Carolina. Applications may be obtained from a veterans services officer located in the prospective student's home town or county. Members of the North Carolina National Guard may be eligible for tuition assistance. National Guard members should contact her/his unit to obtain an application. Additional information regarding VA-related benefits may be obtained by contacting the Veterans Affairs Coordinator in the Office of Student Financial Aid, located in John E. Thomas Hall, at (828) 262-2583.

Military Personnel

A North Carolinian who serves outside the state in the armed forces does not lose North Carolina domicile simply by reason of such service. And students from the military may prove retention or establishment of residence by reference, as in other cases, to residentiary acts accompanied by residentiary intent. In addition, a separate North Carolina statute affords tuition rate benefits to certain military personnel and their dependents even though not qualifying for the instate tuition rate by reason of twelve months legal residence in North Carolina. Members of the armed services, while stationed in and concurrently living in North Carolina, may be charged a tuition rate lower than the out-of-state tuition rate to the extent that the total of entitlements for applicable tuition costs available from the federal government, plus certain amounts based under a statutory formula upon the instate tuition rate, is a sum less than the out-of-state tuition rate for the pertinent enrollment. A dependent relative of a service member stationed in North Carolina is eligible to be charged the instate tuition rate while the dependent relative is living in North Carolina with the service member and if the dependent relative has met any requirement of the Selective Service System applicable to the dependent relative. These tuition benefits may be enjoyed only if the applicable requirements for admission have been met; these benefits alone do not provide the basis for receiving those derivative benefits under the provisions of the residence classification statute reviewed elsewhere in this summary.

"It has been significant in every aspect of my career. My MPA degree has surpassed the educational requirements for every job I have applied for throughout my career. It has served as a distinguishing factor allowing me the opportunity to interview for a position. Lastly, I have been able to utilize my MPA degree to negotiate and command a higher salary than my contemporaries with only an undergraduate degree." — MPA Alum