Application Process

The admissions committee evaluates each student's application material and selects applicants with exceptional administrative ability and leadership potential. The committee looks intently at:

  1. Work Experience-Applicants must have four years of full-time professional, administrative, or supervisory work experience, usually post bachelorýs degree.
  2. Academic-A minimum 3.0 GPA is required. The EMPA program has no preferred undergraduate majors and no prerequisite course work. However, it is recommended that students be familiar with economics, statistics, and accounting. We also suggest that the student be comfortable with basic tasks and functions in Microsoft Excel.
  3. Career Goals-The program selects students who indicate a desire to develop and enhance their careers in the public or nonprofit sectors.


Application Checklist

  • Complete online application
  • $50 application fee
  • Send in 2 official transcripts from each institution
  • Send in 3 letters of recommendation
  • Send in ecclesiastical endorsement (Form E)
  • Submit your resume with the application as a departmental requirement
  • Check application status on Route Y

Submit material online when possible. Items such as transcripts and paper letters of recommendation should be mailed to:

Office of Graduate Studies
105 FPH
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602

The application deadline is 1 May.

Applications are available through BYU's Online Application. For assistance contact the MPA Admissions office, (801) 422-4516; mpa@byu.edu.

Letters of Recommendation

Applicants should complete section one of Parts C1, C2, and C3. Individuals who are personally acquainted with the applicant and can address his or her undergraduate performance, professional experience, or qualifications should complete the remainder of the form. C1 and C2 are identified as professional references while C3 is identified as a personal reference. For the personal reference the admission committee would prefer the reference be a colleague or someone who can address your potential as a graduate student, not a family member or ecclesiastical leader.

Letter of Intent

This letter, written by the applicant, should indicate the individual's preparation to participate in the EMPA program. It should address work experience and the extent to which an EMPA degree will be consistent with his or her career aspirations. This letter should typically be no more than two typewritten pages. If there are any mitigating circumstances that should be brought to the attention of the admission committee, they should be addressed in this letter. Please include a daytime and an evening phone number and an email address.

Ecclesiastical Endorsement and Honor Code Commitment

To ensure that all applicants, both members and nonmembers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are fully informed and committed to the standards established for all BYU students, the Ecclesiastical Endorsement and Honor Code Commitment forms are required. The Ecclesiastical Endorsement should be done during a personal interview accomplished according to the instructions provided on the form. The ecclesiastical leader who conducts this interview should forward the completed form to the Graduate Studies office. Applicants should read and sign the Honor Code Commitment.

International Applicants

International applicants are not permitted to enroll in the EMPA program. Questions can be directed to International Services, 422-2695, intloff@byu.edu, http://international.byu.edu/.

Transfer Students

Transfer students must send a course description of the classes they plan to transfer as core equivalents. The Romney Institute will review the descriptions and let applicants know which courses meet respective requirements.

Number of Students Admitted

On average the EMPA Program receives nearly one hundred applications for the fifty available spots in the program.