Prospective Students

The Department of Political Science and International Relations establishes admissions requirements. Our decision to admit an applicant to the graduate program is primarily based on:

• Online application

• Unofficial transcript containing GPA (recommended GPA is 3.5 or above or equivalent).

• Three letters of recommendation that speak to your academic performance and potential

• Statement of purpose articulating why you are interested in a PhD in Political Science, what you hope to do with that degree and the reasons you are applying to our program.

• TOEFL (minimum 600/250/100) or IELTS (7.5) for international students

• GRE scores are optional for the current admissions cycle. If you wish to apply without a GRE score, please enter a future GRE exam date into the application when prompted. This need not be an actual exam date. Entering any future date will allow your application to be sent on to our review committee where it will receive full consideration. Reporting your scores is entirely optional. If you chose to not submit a GRE score, this will have no bearing on the competitiveness of your application. If you have any questions regarding this process, email lberry@udel.edu

• Writing sample: An academic piece from a course or thesis is required.

• The ETS University of Delaware institution code is 5811. If your goal is to receive a PhD, please apply to the PhD program (whether you have a BA or an MA). Application deadline is December 15th

​TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is required. A score of at least 600 for the paper-based test or a score of 100 on the internet-based test is preferred for consideration for admission.

Note: English proficiency scores are valid for two years. Official scores are only marked as received when received directly from the testing service. The ETS University of Delaware code is 5811.​

TOEFL waiver information:

A waiver of proof of English Proficiency is allowed when:A bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree has been or will be earned from a university recognized the ministry of education in a country where English is the primary language. Our list of approved countries includes Anguilla, Antigua, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Cameroon, Canada (except the province of Quebec), Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Ghana, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Liberia, Montserrat, New Zealand, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos, The United Kingdom, Zambia and Zimbabwe.A bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree has been or will be earned from a college or university located in the United States and accredited by a regional accrediting association.​

​No, the Political Science and International Relations graduate program does not accept students for Spring admission. All of our students begin their coursework in September, in the Fall semester.

The department funds the majority of graduate students through graduate assistantships, usually in the form of Teaching Assistantships and Research Assistantships. All applicants are considered for these assistantships at the time of their application. In addition, the department offers a Soles Fellowship for an incoming student interested in civic engagement or public service.​