The School maintains a formal advising structure to ensure that each individual course of study both satisfies degree requirements and maximizes opportunities for mastery of core analytical skills. In the beginning of the fall semester, first-year students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists in designing a program of study. This may involve planning a tentative four-semester schedule of courses, which is then updated as the student progresses through the M.P.A. curriculum. In addition to the counsel they receive from faculty members, each new student is assigned a second-year M.P.A. student adviser for informal advice.

By the second year of the program, the commitment to one of the four fields of study is confirmed, so the faculty field coordinator serves as the principal academic adviser for second-year students.

The Assistant Dean for Graduate Education is also available to provide academic advice to all students during the two-year program, and the Director of the Graduate Program Office serves as an informal adviser on both academic and non-academic issues. While the M.P.A. program is quite academically demanding, in recent years 98 percent of entering students have earned their degrees.