MA, PhD and 4+1 Accelerated MA applications should be submitted through the Graduate School using their online application.
The deadline for fall PhD and MA applications is December 15th. There is no spring admissions process for the PhD or MA programs. If you are interested in the 4+1 Accelerated MA, you must apply by December 15th or April 15th.
A complete graduate application will include:
- Graduate School application
- Three letters of recommendation
- Official transcript(s)
- Personal Statement of Interest
- Writing sample
- Short Essay
GREs. The Graduate School will waive this requirement under the following circumstances:
-A JD, PhD, or MD has been earned in the United States from a regionally accredited institution and the Graduate School has proof of the earned degree; or
-An applicant has earned an international MD degree and the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certificate has been obtained and documentation of both are on file with the Graduate Admissions Office.
-If you do not fall under any of these categories, waiving the GRE or GMAT requirement is at the discretion of the academic program to which you are applying. Please contact the academic program for more information about their GRE or GMAT requirement.
Applicants to the 4+1 Accelerated Master's program must have a minimum of 3.5 overall GPA from one of the Five Colleges. Hampshire College students are exempt from the GPA requirement since the College does not issue GPAs.
For other admissions questions and issues, please see the UMass Amherst Graduate School FAQ.
Yes. We offer incoming doctoral students five years of funding in the form of teaching or research assistantships, which come with a stipend, tuition waiver and waiver of most fees, provided the student remains good standing with the department. Many students receive funding beyond the fifth year. Foreign students are eligible for TA appointments. Funding is only available for PhD students.
No. You also do not need to apply for the MA program before pursuing the PhD program. The Department admits the vast majority of students directly to the PhD program without an MA. The MA is not a prerequisite for the PhD. Funding is only offered to PhD students.
Please specify in your application letter if you would like to be considered for both programs.
We expect personal statements to be around 2-3 pages single-spaced. Writing samples can be more flexible, but we encourage somewhere in the realm of 15-25 pages double-spaced.
The Department of Political Science has a limited number of application fee waivers it can grant to prospective students who have faced adversity, such as societal, economic or academic disadvantages. We will additionally consider application fee waiver requests from applicants who are first generation students and students who have been traditionally underrepresented in graduate education in Political Science.
Please complete this form by December 1, 2025 to apply for an application fee waiver. International students are welcome to apply.
All fee waiver applications will be reviewed after December 1. If your request is approved, you will be notified and will be able to file your application before our December 15, 2024 deadline.
The award of a waiver bears no relation to admissions or funding decisions.
PhD Admission
Deadline: December 15 for Fall admissions (no spring admissions)
Requirements:
- Application
- GREs
- Three (3) Letters of Recommendation
- Official Transcript(s)
- Personal Statement of Interest
- Short Essay (see SLATE application for prompt)
- Writing Sample
Master's Admission
Deadline: December 15 for Fall admissions (no spring admissions)
Requirements:
- Application
- GREs
- Three (3) Letters of Recommendation
- Official Transcript(s)
- Personal Statement of Interest
- Short Essay (see SLATE application for prompt)
- Writing Sample
4+1 Accelerated MA Admission*
Deadline: December 15 and April 15
Requirements:
- Application
- Three (3) Letters of Recommendation
- Official Transcript(s)
- Personal Statement of Interest
- Writing Sample
- GREs are *NOT* required
- Minimum of 3.5 overall GPA
*Only undergraduate students at UMass Amherst, Amherst College, Hampshire College, Smith College or Mount Holyoke College are eligible to apply
Contact Us
Department of Political Science
Thompson Hall
200 Hicks Way
UMass Amherst
Amherst, MA 01003
Graduate Admissions Committee Chair: Regine Spector
Associate Director of Academic Programs: Chris Scanlon
email: [email protected]