Department of Political Science: University of Colorado at Boulder

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Department of Political Science

(Application Deadline: December 31)

The application process for admission to the graduate program consists of four major steps:

Step 1: Preparation and Submission

The admissions committee considers the following as minimal criteria for admission:

A cumulative undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 (out of 4.0) from an accredited university in the United States, or equivalent credentials from a non-U.S. institution, or a graduate cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale
A cumulative score on the Graduate Record Examination of at least 1100 (verbal + quantitative), with a score of at least 500 on the verbal examination. Students not meeting the GRE requirements are advised to resubmit their application after retaking the examinations and obtaining satisfactory scores.
Three official copies of all transcripts. Transcripts must be issued to this University or Department. They may not be issued to the student.
Three letters of recommendation from members of the profession who can judge the student's ability to participate in a graduate program.
A statement of professional and academic goals and intent.

You must complete an online application via the CU Application System.

With a view toward enriching the cultural diversity of the graduate student body, the admissions committee may -- in exceptional cases - consider waiving one of the above criteria, when the applicant's overall credentials clearly suggest an ability to excel in graduate school.

Applications from students who contribute to the goal of ethnic and cultural diversity are strongly encouraged.

Two of the primary documents you will need to apply are available online:

The University of Colorado at Boulder's Graduate School Application can be completed online. You can also opt to download, print and mail in the application. International applicants should fill out the International Prospective Student Application.
If you are interested in an assistantship in the department, you will need to download, print and fill out the Political Science Assistantship Application

Step 2: Admission Decisions

The deadline for the submission of completed applications is December 31st. The Graduate Studies Committee, a committee comprised of five faculty members (including the Director of Graduate Studies) and a graduate student representative, serves as the admissions committee for the graduate program. This committee reads and evaluates all applications that arrive by the deadline. Admission decisions normally fall into three categories: rejection, unconditional admission and provisional admission. Provisional admission, which is the exception rather than the rule, requires the admitted student to fulfill certain individually tailored requirements.

Applicants will be notified of the admission committee's decision throughout the spring and by March 30th at the latest.

Step 3: Financial Assistance

Recommendations regarding financial aid are also made by the admissions committee. Offers for employment as a graduate teaching assistant are generally made at the time of admission though assistantships do become available over the summer. Students admitted but not initially awarded funding often receive assistantships on a semester-by-semester basis. A graduate teaching assistantship includes a stipend, a tuition waver, and partial health insurance. As a condition of funding all students appointed as graduate assistants are required to (a) take the two-part teaching seminar (namely, PSCI 5008/7008 and PSCI 5018/7018) and (b) complete a minimum of nine credit hours per semester. To be considered for continued funding students must continue to make satisfactory progress in the program (see below).

Additional financial opportunities are available in the form of scholarships, grants, and work-study awards. Each year the Graduate Committee nominates the best applicants to compete for the university's Chancellor's Fellowship, a prestigious award won by three Political Science applicants in the past 8 years. Students are also eligible for work-study appointments; these appointments are based on financial need. To qualify for work study students must write to the financial aid office (Campus Box 106, Telephone number: 303-492-5091) and complete the FAFSA. There is no charge for this evaluation of financial need. This form should be filled out as early in the application process as possible to ensure full consideration.

Step 4: Acceptance

If the student is accepted to the program of graduate study in Political Science it will be necessary for a written acceptance to be mailed to the Department of Political Science and for the "intent to register" form to be completed and returned to the Graduate School. Prior to enrolling, each new student must pay a $200 deposit to the university. This deposit will be refunded at the termination of the student's degree program.

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