Department of Political Science University of Missouri-Columbia College of Arts and Science

Graduate Program - Admissions

For admission to graduate study, an applicant should provide the following:

  1. a completed application form (including the application fee as appropriate),
  2. a one to two page statement of purpose, describing the applicant's interests and goals in graduate study in Political Science,
  3. an application for a graduate assistantship (if desired),
  4. three letters of recommendation (from those who can judge academic potential),
  5. official transcripts from all universities attended,
  6. official results from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE),
  7. writing sample, and,
  8. for international students only, official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Each applicant for admission is evaluated independently and on the basis of all information in the application packet. No single criterion determines admission, the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Studies Committee, composed of Political Science faculty, evaluates the potential of the applicant for graduate study at Missouri. Students may apply to either the M.A. or Ph.D. program. While most M.A. recipients continue graduate study and pursue a doctoral degree, students may apply directly for admission to the doctoral program.

While most applicants have an undergraduate major in Political Science or a similar field of study, an undergraduate major in another area may be appropriate. An applicant should have at least twelve hours of upper-level course work in political science. Failing to meet this requirement, an applicant may be required to take a number of hours of upper-level work as an admission requirement. Such work shall not be included in any graduate degree program, although it usually will be taken during the first semester the student is in residence.

An applicant for graduate study should have at least a 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) overall, in undergraduate political science courses, and during the last two years in college.

All applicants must take the Graduate Record Examination and have the official results reported to the Director of Graduate Studies at the time of applying for admission. For an applicant to the master's program, a minimum combined score of 1000 of the verbal and quantitative should be attained. For an applicant to the doctoral program, the expected combined verbal and quantitative score is 1200. Applicants should take the examination early in the year before planning to enter the graduate program.

International students admitted to graduate study in Political Science must have a minimum TOEFL score of 570 (paper) or 240 (computer). There are no exceptions to this minimum requirement.

Application process

Applications

To be considered for a teaching or research assistantship, an applicant must submit a complete application packet to the Department of Political Science by February 1.

Application deadlines
Generally, applications should be received by February 1 to ensure full consideration by the Graduate Studies Committeef for university fellowships. Late applications will be considered, but admission may be contingent on space availability. First-year departmental assistantships are rarely available for late applicants.

February 1: For those applying for graduate teaching, research assistantships and University wide Fellowships

Applications after February 1 are reviewed at the discretion of the Department.

The Graduate Catalog contains general information regarding graduate facilities, fees, procedures and requirements for various degrees, fields of study, course lists for all departments, the academic calendar, and a graduate school admission form and more information on the Graduate School generally.

International students seeking more information on the admission process should contact the Graduate School.