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Admission Information

Students may apply for either fall or spring semester. Applicants must provide application materials to both the WSU Graduate School and the Department of Health Policy and Administration. Use the HPA Graduate Application Checklist to ensure you submit a completed application.

Application Deadline

The Department of Health Policy and Administration at Washington State University observes rolling admissions. There is no official deadline to submit applications. To allow for processing, please submit your completed application no later than six weeks prior to the start date of the term for which you are applying for admission.

Admission Requirements

Prospective domestic students must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.0. Prospective international students must have the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree from an approved institution. Click here to calculate your GPA.

The two undergraduate prerequisites are a basic financial accounting course and microeconomics. The department has self-study options to test for waivers of these classes. Applicants also should have computer skills (word processing, spreadsheet competence).

Transcripts

You must submit official transcripts – those mailed directly from the registrar of the institution you attended to the institution to which you are applying – from each of the following:

• Colleges or universities from which any degrees have been granted to you, or from which you expect a degree to be granted. Include transcripts that show the last 60 graded semester or 90 graded quarter hours of undergraduate work taken.
• Colleges or universities at which you have taken graded graduate-level course work after earning your bachelor's degree.
• Colleges or universities at which you have taken courses in microeconomics and financial accounting to satisfy prerequisite requirements.
• Students requesting transfer credit must submit official transcripts from colleges or universities showing this credit.
• Complete credentials should be on file at least one month before registration. Transcripts are not required for course work taken at Washington State University.

Letter of Intent and Introduction (Statement of Purpose)

Letter of intent and introduction indicating career goals, commitment to a health care profession, and any distinctions in professional activity.

• The letter should include a discussion of the student's educational background, experiences related to health policy or management, and professional interests.
• There is no standardized letter of intent and introduction; a standard business letter sent directly to the Department Chair is appropriate.

Letters of Recommendation

Three original letters of recommendation are required. These letters are used to help the program assess the quality of the students' academic and work experiences.

• Letters of recommendation can be from professors, supervisors, co-workers, or other mentors.
• Letters of recommendation must be dated within the past 12 months.
• There is no standardized recommendation form; recommendations can be submitted through Zzusis as part of your application, or mailed directly to the department, attention: Academic Coordinator.

GRE or GMAT Official Scores

GRE or GMAT scores are required except for applicants holding a professional doctoral degree (e.g., M.D., J.D., D.D.S.) or Ph.D. from a U.S. accredited school. Significant weight is given to GRE aptitude (verbal and quantitative combined) total scores of at least 300, or a GMAT aptitude score of at least 500. However, indications of academic ability as expressed by undergraduate grade point average and professional experience will be of greater importance than specific undergraduate background and GRE or GMAT scores. For certain professionals, we may consider accepting the MCATs in place of GRE or GMAT scores.

• The GRE or GMAT tests must have been taken within the past five years.
• When taking the GRE or GMAT test, indicate Washington State University as a score recipient.
• WSU school code is 4705; there is no department code. If you did not indicate WSU when you took the test, you will need to contact ETS to request a score report be sent to WSU.
• To request additional score reports: GRE: 1-888-473-7267; GMAT: 1-609-771-7330.

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One-Page Resume

Please limit your resume to one page, and include relevant information regarding healthcare, business, and leadership experience as well as any other experiences applicable to your admissions. Your resume should be submitted via email to the academic coordinator.

International Students

Requirements for international students are listed here: admission to the Graduate School, and include official TOEFL, IELTS or MELAB scores. For the TOEFL, the minimum acceptable paper score is 600; the minimum acceptable computer score is 250; for Internet it is 100. The minimum acceptable IELTS score is 7. The minimum acceptable MELAB score is 86. The Educational Testing Service reporting code for Washington State University is 4705 (for the TOEFL only).

At times, some international students may need to strengthen their English language skills with one-on-one tutoring or classes. In this case, students are directed to a number of available resources by their advisor or academic coordinator. Generally, English tutoring or classes are available for help in writing, reading, and conversation at WSU as low- or no-cost resources.

Admission Statistics

How many students apply each year?
We typically receive about 50 applications each year. For Fall 2012 we received 55.

How many students are accepted each year?
We typically accept about 20 students. For Fall 2012 we admitted 35 new students.

What is the average GPA of admitted students?
For Fall 2012 the average GPA for admitted students was 3.48.

What is the average GRE/GMAT score for admitted students?
For Fall 2012 the average GRE score was 300 on the new scale and the average GMAT score was 632.

Does the program require prior work experience?
Although it is not required to have prior work experience in the Health Care field, it is highly recommended. This type of experience can be a great resource for writing your letter of intent.

Admissions Classifications

For additional information regarding these student status classifications, see section 2.4 of the Graduate School Policies and Procedures Manual.

Regular Graduate Student

In general, admission to the Graduate School as a regular student requires a Grade Point Average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for the last 60 semester hours of graded undergraduate work or graded graduate study of 12 semester hours or more. If your GPA is below 3.0, Washington State University may grant provisional admission if a department recommends you, provided your total record indicates a high probability of success.

Departmental approval is required for any admission, regardless of grade point average. Departments may require higher levels of performance than those cited. Because of limitations within certain departments, it may be necessary to deny admission to some qualified candidates.

Undecided Graduate (UND-G)

The undecided graduate classification is for potential graduate students who have not fulfilled the application requirements at the time of (or just prior to) registration. Under this classification, students are processed immediately and subject to the following:

• Required to pay graduate fees;
• Permitted to enroll in courses only with permission of the instructor and the department offering the courses;
• Permitted to remain in this classification for up to one calendar year;
• After admission to a degree program by the WSU Graduate School, undecided graduates are permitted to apply up to 6 hours of UND-G credits to the graduate degree requirements. Use of UND-G credits will be held to the usual time restrictions for program completion.
• A separate application for admission is required if the student wishes to pursue an advanced degree. It should be noted that students who enroll under UND-G may or may not choose to complete applications to the Graduate School. Further, they will have no guarantee that they will be accepted if they apply.

Non-Advanced-Degree Candidate (NADC)

The NADC classification is for those students with a baccalaureate degree who wish to take graduate courses, but do not wish to pursue a graduate degree at Washington State University.

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