Student Selection Criteria

All applicants must meet the following minimum admission requirements.

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited University or College.

  We are familiar with many education systems in countries that use a different format than that of the United States. For example, in India and Australia, a bachelor's degree is often a three-year program. We accept that three-year degree from individuals who have received their education from a school in India or Australia as a fulfillment of the bachelor's degree requirement. If your education system has a structure that differs from the undergraduate programs' structure in the United States, please let us know prior to applying so that we may investigate.

  You must also have taken at least one college level course in statistics and pre-calculus.

• Relevant Professional Work Experience

  For the one year and part time track programs, at least one of the following:

  • Three (3) years of full time, professional, post baccalaureate relevant professional experience;
  • Completed a term of services as a Peace Corps Volunteer;
  • Completed the CORO Fellows program;
  • Attained the rank of Captain in the Army, Marines or Air Force or Lieutenant in the Navy or Coast Guard.

For the two year track program, in addition to work experience we value volunteer activities, leadership in student organizations, etc. If you are applying for the two year program and are just graduating or have recently graduated, be sure to include this information on your resume.

• English Language Requirements

  For students whose native language is not English we require a minimum overall IELTS score of 7.0, with a score of no less than 6.0 on any individual bands.  For those applicants who may submit the TOEFL, a minimum of 577 on the paper based test (or equivalent computer based test) is required.

• All candidates meeting the minimum admission requirements will be considered on an individual basis. We seek students who have a passion for academic, political and social issues, who are well rounded and who delight in questioning the status quo. A Heinz School education will focus your passion and idealism through a program grounded in strong management, technology and problem solving skills.

  With each entering class we seek to create a diverse community of students who are committed to working for the public interest. Heinz School students have no singular profile: they have a variety of undergraduate majors, differing amounts and types of work experience, and unique strengths. Together, they represent a lively population preparing to solve the problems facing their nations.

  Every applicant is reviewed as an individual. We appreciate the strengths each student brings to the Heinz community and the richness these differing strengths create in the life of the school. The application will be reviewed carefully and thoughtfully with special emphasis placed on the applicant’s career goals and ability to succeed. The following are the aspects of the application we think are most important (in no particular order).

  • Focus. We want students who have clearly focused goals and who demonstrate that they understand the strengths of the Heinz School and how a Heinz School education will help them to achieve their career goals. We look for evidence that they are committed to the discipline, and we pay attention to how much thought and effort the student puts into writing the essay.

  • Resume/work experience. We review the student's work history to determine job functions, job advancement, and increasing responsibilities over time. We also look for volunteer activities, honours and achievements.

  • Academic performance/Q.P.A. We pay close attention to a student's transcripts by examining individual courses relevant to the degree, progress over the course of their education and the student's academic record as a whole.

  • Standardized test scores. The Graduate Records Exam (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is required for all applicants. The test score is important because it is the only application material that evaluates students based on a uniform scale. However, we also recognize that test scores do not necessarily reflect a student's potential for success in our programs. Some students are better test-takers than others; some have the advantage of expensive preparatory programs. We require either the GRE or the GMAT but we use the scores above all as an indicator of a student's quantitative capacity - not as a primary factor in the admission decision.