To be considered for admission to the School of International Affairs, all applicants must complete The Graduate School's online application, which includes:
Two (2) Letters of Recommendation
Recommendation letters should be written by individuals well placed to discuss your academic qualifications for graduate study (unless you are five or more years removed from your undergraduate studies).
Recommendations that come from former supervisors should comment on and provide examples of your performance as an intern and/or an employee, including the nature of your work and what you contributed to the company or organization.
Please note that letters from personal acquaintances or those who are not familiar with your academic or professional qualifications are not helpful to the admissions committee.
Current R'sum or CV
Provide a current r'sum or curriculum vitae, which includes your education, employment history, awards and accolades, international exposure, publication credits, and leadership roles in any volunteer and/or extracurricular activities.
Transcripts
You are required to upload copies of official transcripts/records/degree certificates from all institutions you've attended. All transcripts and academic records uploaded to the application are then considered unofficial and will be used for application purposes only.
Official/original transcripts/records/degree certificates are required for any degree or diploma earned, as well as any and all institutions attended that are listed on your application to the Graduate School. If you are recommended for admission to a graduate degree plan of study, you will be notified with detailed instructions on how to submit the documents.
GRE Scores (optional)
GRE scores are optional.
Applicants do not need to submit GRE scores to be considered for admission or merit-based scholarships.
Applicants wishing to submit GRE scores are welcome to do so should they choose. However, not submitting GRE scores will not negatively impact your application in any way.
Statement of Purpose- The Admissions Committee seeks students that show promise for success in graduate school. As such, the statement of purpose is a critical part of the application.
All applicants are required to submit an essay that answers one of the two questions below:
As part of your statement of purpose, describe your academic and research interests, career objectives, how a degree from SIA will enable you to achieve your goals, and what unique skills, talents, and/or perspectives you will bring to our program. Please be specific.
-OR- Please discuss an issue of global importance you wish to address in your professional career. Please include how SIA will prepare you to address this global issue.
Applicants whose native language is not English must submit either an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score report demonstrating an adequate knowledge of English. The Institutional TOEFL (ITP) and Duolingo Exam are not accepted.
The minimum scores considered acceptable for admission by the Graduate School are:
TOEFL80 on the Internet-based test (iBT)
IELTSAn overall band of 6.5 on the Academic Examination
Paper-based test (taken prior to July 2017) the minimum acceptable score is 550.
Paper-based test (taken July 2017 or later) a combined total of the 3 sections evaluated must be 60 or greater.