International Students

The Department of Public Administration welcomes and regularly admits international students into its MPA and PhD programs. International students who benefit most from our MPA and PhD programs generally come to the University of Kansas with some administrative and/or academic experience in their home country. Those admitted to the MPA program are assigned to the Public Service Leadership option. This option does not provide for an internship or practical experience which is very difficult to provide for international students. International students should be aware that required courses taught in Lawrence are oriented towards local government. Electives may be customized to suit the student's interest.

International MPA student graduates include Peter Voitsekhovsky (Ukraine), Alexi Trochev (Russia), Tingrong Gong (China), Leva Lazareviciute I (Lithuania), Maris Sprindzuks (Latvia) and Urmat Tynalyiev (Kyrghyzstan). Most of the international students attend on government scholarships. For example, Urmat Tynalyiev was a Freedom Support Act Fellow (USIA grant). He has a diploma in teaching Russian studies from Bishkek University for Humanities, and a diploma for Building technician from Frunze Engineering college in Bishkek. He graduated in May 1998. Alexei Trochev was a Freedom Support Act Fellow (USIA grant) and graduated cum laude from the Syktyvkar State University (Syktyvkar, Russia) with the degree in Russian Law (1995). He received his MPA degree in May 1997. He is now a doctoral student in political science at the University of Toronto. Olena Kotlayarska (Ukraine) was funded by the Muskie/FSA Graduate Fellowship Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the American Councils for International Education (ACTR/ACCELS). She earned a Master of Economics from Kyiv State Shevchenko University in 2000 and completed her KU MPA in December 2003.

Other international students have included Otilia Iancu (Romania), Dhurata Ikonomi (Albania), and Andrei Marusov (Ukraine). Our international students typically have rich backgrounds in their home countries. For example, Otilia and Dhurata are Ron Brown Fellows. Dhurata has extensive experience working with technical assistance programs in Albania. Andrei is a Muskie Fellow .

International doctoral students include Vitaly P. Plotnikov (Ukraine), who is studying through the Edmund S. Muskie Ph.D. Fellowship Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the American Councils for International Education (ACTR/ACCELS). He earned degrees his Masters of Public Affairs from Indiana University in 1998 and his Bachelor of Arts in 1993 from Kiev State Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages. Taras Senyuta (Ukraine) is also studying through the Edmund S. Muskie Ph.D. Fellowship Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the American Councils for International Education (ACTR/ACCELS). He received a Masters of Public Administration from the Ukrainian Academy of Public Administration in 1998.

Go to the University of Kansas International Students page for further information on general enrollment requirements for international students. In addition to general University of Kansas admission requirements, international students must also meet admissions requirements of the Department of Public Administration.