Apply to the Ph.D. Program
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Deadline: December 15, 2023
Application for Admission
All applicants must submit the Graduate School Application for Admission online. All required materials must be uploaded to the application; no paper materials will be accepted for consideration. Applications must be completed and submitted by December 15, 2023 for Fall 2024 admission.
Required Materials
The Graduate School Application for Admission requires the applicant to provide the following materials:
- Statement of Intent;
- Writing Sample;
- Curriculum Vitae or Resume;
- Three Letters of Recommendation;
- Unofficial Transcripts;
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test;
- TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores (for international applicants only);
-
Application Fee ($75).
The statement of intent should not exceed 2 pages, single-spaced. Typically the statement describes the applicant’s research interests, reasons for applying to Notre Dame, preparation for the subfield of study, future career plans, and other aspects of the applicant’s background that may aid the admissions committee in evaluating the applicant’s aptitude for graduate study. The statement will be considered by the Department of Political Science Admissions Committee.
The writing sample should represent academic or scholarly writing. Applicants in the past have included portions of master’s thesis, honor’s thesis, research and seminar papers, or academic articles. There is no required length for the writing sample, but most range from 10-25 pages, double-spaced. Bibliographic references are not counted toward the 25 pages.
See more details about our application requirements on our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Eligibility
Applicants must hold at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, domestic or international, to be eligible for admission to a graduate program at the University of Notre Dame. It is also anticipated that applicants will have related training or research experience in Political Science. Previous graduate work is not required.
Financial Support
Tuition and Fellowship Stipend: Guaranteed Support
Political Science offers generous financial aid packages to its Ph.D. students and is committed to maintaining comfortable and productive assistance for entering students.Our guaranteed support, tuition plus fellowship, lasts for five full years to Ph.D. students who are making satisfactory progress toward the degree.
A number of Notre Dame centers and institutes offer grants for students' research and professional development, as well as conference presentation.
Funding through programs in the College of Arts & Letters like the the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts (ISLA) support and promote the research, scholarship, and creative endeavors of graduate students, as well as faculty and undergraduates.
Questions?
- Review our frequently asked questions about admissions and the program here!