Graduate Admission

The master's program generally attracts students with undergraduate degree in political science, but is open to students with a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds. Some of our best students have entered with degrees from another social science discipline or the humanities.

Application for Admission

Applicants submit two different packets of materials, one to the University's Office of Ad­missions, Registration, and Records and the other to the Political Science Division. Although the University admits students for post-baccalaureate study four times per year, the Political Science Division admits new students into its master's degree program only twice per year. For Fall admission, application packets are due to the Admissions Office on April 1 and to the Political Science Division on May 1. For Spring admission, the due dates are November 1 for the Admissions Office and December 1 for the Political Science Division.

Materials for the Admissions Office (P.O. Box 901, Portland, OR 97207-0901) are:

• University Application for Graduate Admission
• $50 application fee (no cash)
• One official transcript (in an envelope sealed by the issuing institution) from each college attended
• Official TOEFL scores if the applicant does not speak English as a native language and has not received a graduate or undergraduate degree in an English-speaking territory

Materials for the Political Science Division (Hatfield School of Government, P.O. Box 751, Portland, OR 97207-0751) are:

• Departmental Graduate Admission Application
• Application for Graduate Assistantship
• One transcript (official or unofficial) from each college attended
• Official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller’s Analogy Test. The Office of Graduate Studies provides information about taking these exams at PSU.
• TOEFL scores (official or unofficial) if required
• Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can evaluate the applicant's potential for success in the master's program
• Personal essay (about 500 words) describing academic and professional career goals, including the political science subfields of primary interest. The statement may also be used to provide any other additional information pertinent to the applicant's qualifications.
• Curriculum vitae or résumé (optional).

Although the Admissions Office allows online submission of the University application form and online payment of the application fee, all other materials must be submitted in hardcopy.