Deadlines & Required Materials

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Application Deadlines

Applicants must submit the online application and all required admission materials (found in the Required Materials section below) no later than the stated deadlines to be considered for admission. Please note that some programs only accept students in the fall term.

Fall Term

December 15: PhD program
June 15: Master’s applicants (international)
August 15: Master’s, Certificate and Special Status applicants (non-international)

Spring Term

October 1: Master’s applicants (international)
December 15: Master’s, Certificate and Special Status applicants (non-international)

Summer 1 Term

April 15: Special Student applicants and all School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs programs, except PhD Public Policy and MA International Affairs (non-international)

Summer 2 Term

June 15: MPA (non-international)

Required Materials

All required application materials must be uploaded and/or received by the stated deadlines in order for the application to be considered.

Certificate applicants only need to provide items 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 and one letter of recommendation.

Please note that because CSSH certificate programs do not meet compliance eligibility requirements for F-1 and J-1 visa classifications, international students are ineligible to complete stand-alone certificate programs. However, certificate programs are available to currently enrolled graduate students, providing the certificate program requirements are completed at the same time.

Special Student applicants only need to provide items 1-4. Special Student applicants should include the graduate-level CSSH course/s of interest in their personal statements.

Required Materials

1.    Application – Submit your online application and all required admission materials no later than the stated deadlines to be considered for admission. Please note that some programs only accept students for the fall term.
2.    Application fee – US $100.00
3.    Personal Statement
4.    Unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended *

Please note that some programs only accept students for the fall term.

5.    Three Letters of Recommendation for all degree programs submitted online via this online application link.

6.    Writing Sample

  • Criminology and Criminal Justice – all degree applicants
  • English – all applicants (including non-degree, Special Students)
  • History – all degree applicants
  • Political Science – PhD and MA
  • Sociology – PhD

7.    Résumé – all programs

8.    Special Questions – as noted on the Supplementary Section

9.    English proficiency for all international applicants

  • Proof of degree earned from a U.S. institution, or
  • Upload unofficial test scores then send official exam scores from either the TOEFL iBT (ETS institution code is 3682),  IELTS, IELTS Indicator*, Duolingo or PTE exam
    • 100 TOEFL iBT (or 7.0 IELTS or PTE equivalent): Department of Political Science (PhD, MA, MS) and all programs in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Target score for all programs in the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs.
    • 90 TOEFL iBT (or 6.5 IELTS or PTE equivalent): All programs in the Department of English and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology
    • 85 TOEFL iBT (or 6.5 IELTS or PTE equivalent): Department of Economics
    • 79-80 TOEFL iBT (or 6.5 IELTS or PTE equivalent): All programs not previously mentioned
    • 120 Duolingo: Target score for all programs in the Department of English and for all programs in the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs.
    • 110 Duolingo: Minimum score for all programs in the Department of English and for all programs in the Department of Economics.
    • 105 Duolingo: All programs not previously mentioned.

Optional Materials

1.    GRE General Exam (upload unofficial copies and then request ETS send official scores to institution code 3682)

  • Test scores may be helpful for applicants with little or no experience beyond the undergraduate degree.

*Language Test Score Announcement

For answers to Frequently Asked Questions, click here.