Our MPA in Sustainable Management program offers a rigorous core curriculum taught through the lens of sustainability. Presidio students have a passion for making a difference and bringing new leadership to business, nonprofits and government organizations.

Our students are eager to find common ground — between earning a living and living a quality life; between utilizing resources and sustaining the environment; and between creating successful organizations that integrate the health of people and planet into the bottom line.

Application for Admissions
The Presidio MPA program enrolls cohorts in both fall and spring semesters.

Application Materials
Candidates should submit all of the following application materials, in one package, directly to Presidio School of Management for review. Though Alliant International University, our accredited affiliate, provides final approval on admissions decisions, all communications about your application should occur directly with Presidio School of Management.

Please submit, by mail or in person, the seven parts of the application together in one package.

1. The 2-page MPA Application Form

2. Non-refundable $75 application fee. Please make your check or money order payable to Alliant International University, but mail it to Presidio with your application package.

3. Resume. Please submit a resume or CV of no more than two pages.

4. Two copies of official sealed transcripts from every undergraduate post-secondary institution previously attended. If you've completed graduate level course work, submit one copy of your graduate transcripts. All transcripts should be in original, sealed envelopes.

If your bachelor's degree transcript was conferred from an institution outside of the United States, you must have your transcripts evaluated by a foreign education credential evaluation service agency. For additional information on this requirement, please visit the transcript section of the International Applicants page.

5. Three letters of reference. Any combination of professional, academic or personal letters that provide a well-rounded perspective of you. Please have at least one of them be a recent professional or workplace reference, ideally a supervisor. Ask your references to briefly describe in what capacity they know you and to address your strengths and weaknesses in as many of the following areas as possible:

• the values and ethics demonstrated in your professional and/or personal life
• your ability to work in teams
• your ability to lead initiatives and manage projects
• your communication skills
• your ability and willingness to persist in graduate-level coursework

Letters should be printed on organizational or personal letterhead and be no more than one page each. Your references should provide the letters in sealed and signed envelopes for you to include with your application package.

6. Admissions Essay. Please address the following questions in two-to-three pages total:

• Describe one or two questions, ideas or projects that you are interested in exploring through your participation in the Presidio MPA program.
• Briefly, how you would contribute to the Presidio learning community?
• How would you balance school, work and personal commitments?

7. Analytical Assessment: Applicants have two options for the quantitative assessment piece of the MPA application. Please choose one of the options below and include it with your full application.

• Submit the results of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) taken within the last five years.
• Submit a one-page history and assessment of your analytical skills. This includes (1) a list of any college-level quantitative courses taken, e.g. math, statistics, economics, finance, accounting, or operations, and the resulting grades; (2) quantitative and analytical skills regularly used in your professional life; and (3) any plans you may have for refreshing your math/quantitative skills prior to enrolling in the Presidio MPA program.

Please mail all application materials, in one package, to:

Admissions
Presidio School of Management
Presidio Building 36 - 1st Floor
Lincoln Blvd. and Graham Street
San Francisco, CA 94129

International Applicants
Please see the International Applicants page.

Admissions Policy
We care about our applicants' academic and professional credentials — as well as their personal commitment to creating change. Presidio puts a premium on attracting a diverse student body, with a wide range of ideas and backgrounds. We welcome applicants with differences of race, gender, socio-economic background, religion, sexual orientation and those who are differently-abled. We also encourage applications from every sector — public, private and nonprofit.

The Presidio MPA admissions process is highly selective. Students must have completed a bachelor’s degree (no specific major required) from an accredited institution. High intellectual capacity and leadership capability are expected and should be demonstrated in the application materials.

Presidio highly values professional experience. Most of our MPA students will have at least 10 years of work experience before joining the program. Though we believe applicants should have a minimum of four years of work experience in order to be accepted into our program, we'll consider applicants with fewer years if they offer distinct strengths.

Successful applicants should demonstrate the following qualities in their application materials:

• Proven history of self-motivation and direction
• Experience collaborating in teams and managing projects
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Facility with numbers and quantitative analysis
• Effective use of business software and internet technology
• Aspiration to bring greater ethics and sustainability values into organizational leadership

Applicants without significant experience in the above areas who are otherwise excellent candidates for the program may be encouraged to prepare for the program by gaining more work experience or taking additional classes.

It will take support, skill and passion to live in the tension between the current reality of business and the vision for a more sustainable future. We believe it will take patience, wisdom and a sense of humor to complete a program that is both idealistic and practical at the same time.

Presidio School of Management is non-discriminatory in its admissions, accepting qualified applicants regardless of age, gender, religion, marital status, disabilities, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.

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MPA Application (PDF)