Admissions
Undergraduate Admission
All students interested in applying to the University of Kansas should visit the KU Admissions website for full details on requirements for admission. If you are a current KU student and ready to declare your major or apply for the minor, please contact College Advising & Student Services at collegeadvising@ku.edu
Graduate Admission
To be considered for admission to the Political Science graduate program, all domestic and international degree-seeking students must submit an online admissions application and application fee.
The graduate application fee is $65 for domestic students and $85 for international students.
MA Program Application Requirements
The MA in Political Science will not be accepting students for the upcoming semester. Please check back on this page for more information in Fall 2024.
MA Program Application Requirements
Applicants should provide a copy of an official transcript from all colleges and universities attended. Upload a copy of each transcript to your application.
If you are admitted to the program and accept the admissions offer, you will be required to submit an official, final transcript from your bachelor's degree institution as well as any post-bachelor's coursework or degrees. For those with degree conferral pending, we recommend you wait until your institution has posted degree conferral to your official transcripts before initiating the process of providing the document to KU.
To send an official transcript:
- Via mail
Transcripts must be sent directly from your institution, in a sealed envelope, to:
Graduate Admissions
University of Kansas
1502 Iowa St.
Lawrence, KS 66045
- Electronically
If your institution offers a secure electronic transcript delivery service, you may have transcripts sent to graduateadm@ku.edu.
The department requires an essay stating your research interests and career goals while also describing your intellectual development, previous academic training, and areas of academic interest. We hope this essay will describe some of your intended research topics. The quality of this statement is an especially important factor in the decisions of our admissions committee. The statement should be a maximum of two pages, single spaced.
Your resume or CV may include your education, employment history, volunteer experience, internships, scholarships/fellowships, and/or academic awards.
All applicants to graduate study at the University of Kansas who are self-identified non-native English speakers must provide proof of English proficiency. See the Graduate Studies website for more information regarding verification of English proficiency.
MA Application Deadlines
Upcoming Deadlines: TBD
PhD Program Application Requirements
PhD Program Application Requirements
These letters should be from former or current instructors and/or those able to recommend you on the basis of professional experience. Provide names and email addresses for each recommender on your application. The recommender will receive a notice from the Office of Graduate Admissions instructing them to upload a recommendation letter. The applicant must assume responsibility for ensuring that the department receives these letters by the application deadline.
Applicants should provide a copy of an official transcript from all colleges and universities attended. Upload a copy of each transcript to your application.
If you are admitted to the program and accept the admissions offer, you will be required to submit an official, final transcript from your bachelor's degree institution as well as any post-bachelor's coursework or degrees. For those with degree conferral pending, we recommend you wait until your institution has posted degree conferral to your official transcripts before initiating the process of providing the document to KU.
To send an official transcript:
- Via mail
Transcripts must be sent directly from your institution, in a sealed envelope, to:
Graduate Admissions
University of Kansas
1502 Iowa St.
Lawrence, KS 66045
- Electronically
If your institution offers a secure electronic transcript delivery service, you may have transcripts sent to graduateadm@ku.edu.
The department requires an essay stating your research interests and career goals while also describing your intellectual development, previous academic training, and areas of academic interest. We hope this essay will describe some of your intended research topics. The quality of this statement is an especially important factor in the decisions of our admissions committee. The statement should be a maximum of two pages, single spaced.
Your resume or CV may include your education, employment history, volunteer experience, internships, scholarships/fellowships, and/or academic awards.
The department requires that all applicants submit Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores. The scores may not be more than five years old. Only the general test is required (verbal, quantitative and analytical portions). To register for the GRE, please see the GRE website or call 1-800-967-1100. For score reporting, KU's institution code is 6871.
All applicants to graduate study at the University of Kansas who are self-identified non-native English speakers must provide proof of English proficiency. See the Graduate Studies website for more information regarding verification of English proficiency.
Admission to the graduate program in Political Science is based primarily on the applicant's academic record, standardized test scores (GRE for all applicants; English proficiency exam scores for non-native English speakers), references from instructors, and statement of purpose.
The Graduate Studies Committee considers all elements of the application when deciding admission. While GRE scores and GPAs are a very important part of the total application package, there are no strict minimum criteria. Recently admitted students have had an average GRE score of around 148 for the quantitative section, 156 for the verbal section, and 5.0 for the analytical section. Recently admitted students have had an average GPA of around 3.5. Recently admitted international students have a score of at least 20 for each section of the TOEFL.
An undergraduate major in Political Science is not required, but PhD applicants are expected to have completed at least 15 semester hours of graduate-level courses in Political Science and (except in cases of specific exemption by the Graduate Studies Committee) hold a master's degree or its equivalent in Political Science or a closely related field from an accredited U.S. institution.
PhD Application Deadlines
Fall 2024 Priority Deadline for Admission with Funding: February 3, 2025
Fall 2024 Final Deadline: April 1, 2025
Applications for the Fall semester are due no later than February 3 to be considered for departmental funding in the form of a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA). Applications for the fall semester will be accepted until April 1 but will not be considered for departmental funding if submitted after February 3. The PhD program does not admit students for the spring or summer semesters.
Non-Degree Seeking Admissions
If you completed a bachelor’s degree with a demonstrated academic competence in political science or a related discipline and wish to take an upcoming graduate-level course in the Department of Political Science ad hoc, you may apply as a non-degree seeking (NDS) student. Please note undergraduate prerequisite course completion is typically necessary to succeed in graduate-level coursework. Not all courses in our department are open to NDS students; please contact our graduate academic advisor before applying to inquire about your eligibility to enroll in specific courses. Any applicant seeking to be admitted as a non-degree seeking student must submit an application. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Non-Degree Seeking Application Requirements
Applicants should provide a copy of an official transcript from all colleges and universities attended. Upload a copy of each transcript to your application.
If you are admitted to the program and accept the admissions offer, you will be required to submit an official, final transcript from your bachelor's degree institution as well as any post-bachelor's coursework or degrees. For those with degree conferral pending, we recommend you wait until your institution has posted degree conferral to your official transcripts before initiating the process of providing the document to KU.
To send an official transcript:
- Via mail
Transcripts must be sent directly from your institution, in a sealed envelope, to:
Graduate Admissions
University of Kansas
KU Visitor Center
1502 Iowa St.
Lawrence, KS 66045
- Electronically
If your institution offers a secure electronic transcript delivery service, you may have transcripts sent to graduateadm@ku.edu.
The department requires an essay stating your research interests and career goals while also describing your intellectual development, previous academic training, and areas of academic interest. We hope this essay will describe some of your intended research topics. The quality of this statement is an especially important factor in the decisions of our admissions committee. The statement should be a maximum of two pages, single spaced.
Questions?
For any questions regarding the application process or required materials, contact the Graduate Program Coordinator, Kara Kopchinski at kara.kopchinski@ku.edu