Start working toward your master’s degree
If you are interested in applying for our M.A. program, please see the admission deadlines, requirements, and instructions below.
M.A. in Philanthropic Studies
Application Deadlines
We accept applications for our graduate certificate and master’s degree at any time. New students can begin classes in August (fall), January (spring), and May (summer).
We recommend applying by April 1 for the summer or fall semesters and November 1 for the spring semester. We will accommodate late applications as space permits.
Please contact us directly at apsop@iupui.edu for information on your next available option to start classes.
Graduate assistantships and a limited number of scholarships are available for full-time students who attend on campus.
Course registration for the summer and fall semesters begins in April and the spring semester registration begins in November.
Admission Requirements
- Prior academic work
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required with a minimum 3.0 overall grade point average (on a scale of 4.0), and a minimum 3.0 average in your major field. Applicants with a grade point average below 3.0 may still be considered for admission based on the strength of the other portions of the application.
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Applicants with less than five years of work experience in the field of philanthropy are expected to demonstrate an appropriate level of proficiency on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or a comparable proficiency test (i.e, GMAT, LSAT). Results from the graduate record examination taken within the past five years are required. Our minimum criteria for GRE are scores greater than 153 verbal and 144 quantitative.
- Recommendations
Three letters of recommendation to the admissions committee are required. Preference will be given to those candidates who can demonstrate the ability to successfully perform academic work. In selecting your recommenders, try to select those people who can best speak to indications of your ability to successfully do academic work. If a recommender is not in an academic environment, encourage him/her to assess your knowledge, skills, and abilities as they relate to your ability to do academic work.
- Statement of purpose
Please answer one of these questions in approximately 500 words or two pages double-spaced:
1. The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is dedicated to understanding philanthropy and improving its practice. Describe how you expect your education with the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy to further your professional and personal goals.
2. Describe your research and/or professional goals. Why is the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy the best fit to help you achieve your goals?
3. What is a significant challenge in philanthropy today that interests you? How do you see yourself addressing this challenge and how will your education with the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy benefit you in doing so?
- Application
Those interested should apply online. When you select philanthropic studies, you will be asked to select a format from the following: Online Option, Executive Option, or On-campus Option.
The application will ask for three recommendations and GRE scores. The official scores should be forwarded to IUPUI, school code 1325. YOU DO NOT NEED TO PROVIDE GRE SCORES if you have a minimum of five years work experience in the field of philanthropy.
A personal statement is a required part of this application. Applicants whose native language is not English must have passed the TOEFL with a score of 550 or higher within the last two years. Please submit a résumé to apsop@iupui.edu or upload it with the application.
- Résumé
Please send your updated résumé to apsop@iupui.edu or upload it with the application.
- Are you an international student?
We welcome students from around the world to study with us. If you are an international student, your application begins at the IUPUI Office of International Affairs.
Learn how to apply as an international graduate student
Please submit all required documentation to apsop@iupui.edu by the appropriate application deadline.
If you do not meet all of the requirements listed above, you may be admitted to the program on a conditional basis and will be reviewed after a fixed period of time to determine whether you may continue in the program.