DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

The online application portal will open in September 10, 2024. 

The deadline for Fall 2025 will be in December 16, 2024. 

Decisions will be complete by February 2025; we do not send all decisions simultaneously.  The decision on your application will be communicated to you through the online application portal. 

Once a decision has been reached, you will receive an email directing you to CollegeNet where a new ‘View Decision’ link will appear. If there is no decision yet, there will be no link.  

There is NO terminal master’s program in Political Science at Northwestern. The graduate program in Political Science is for students seeking to earn a Ph.D. 

No! We welcome applications from all over the world. Our 2017-2024 cohorts include students from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, France, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mexico, Namibia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Peru, Russia, Slovakia, Taiwan, Turkey, The Gambia, the United States.  

No, all admitted students are fully funded (stipend, tuition, and health insurance) for 20 quarters. 

Your writing sample should be something academic. This could be a term paper or chapter from a thesis, between 10 and 30 pages. Focus on content rather than page number, and remember that we get hundreds of applicants, so likely will not be able to read the entire sample.  Make your selection count!  

Be aware that some graphs or images may become distorted upon upload to CollegeNet.  This is no problem; our committee understands.  If we need additional information, we will contact you.  

Once submitted, your writing sample cannot be updated or edited, even for typos. 

All new graduate students must enter in the Fall quarter. Only under extremely special circumstances will The Graduate School allow otherwise.

Your application is only for admission in the following Fall quarter.

All new graduate students must enter in the Fall quarter. Only under extremely special circumstances will The Graduate School allow otherwise. 

Decisions to defer will be decided on an individual basis. They require the permission of both The Graduate School and the Department. Deferral can only be for up to one year. 

Submitting a GRE score is optional. If you choose to include a score (or scores) with your application, it will be considered supplemental material. Applications without GRE scores will not be reviewed differently or deemed incomplete. If your GRE score does not accurately reflect your abilities and potential, you may opt not to submit it. Submission of GRE scores is entirely voluntary. 

Should you choose to submit GRE scores, please follow the instructions here. If you are taking the test through ETS, please use 1565. There is no designated department code for the GRE -- if you are required to enter one, choose 'Undecided'. 

If you are taking the test through ETS, please use 1565. There is no designated department code for the GRE -- if you re required to enter one, chose 'Undecided'.

Remember, submission of GRE scores is NOT REQUIRED.  If you feel that your GRE score does not accurately reflect your best abilities and potential, simply do not submit it. 

Be aware that ETS takes 3-5 weeks to send us an official score report. If we receive your new score by the deadline, we will add it to your file. Please plan accordingly. 

No.  If your degree is from an accredited institution where the primary language of instruction is English, and your program was at least a year in length, you are exempt from taking the TOEFL exam and are not required to submit a TOEFL score. 

Please note that TOEFL waivers are updated manually in CollegeNet, so they will not appear immediately after you submit your application. Please contact our Program Coordinator to inform them of your need for a waiver.  

If you take the paper test, you must score at least 600. For the computer test, you must score at least 250, and for the Internet test, your score must be at least 100. 

For the IELTS, you must receive a score of 7.0 or higher. 

If you are taking the test through ETS, please use 1565. You should use department code 1565 for the TOEFL to ensure your results are sent to the Graduate School. 

You must have taken the TOEFL within two years of the intended admission date. If you are applying for admission in the Fall Quarter of 2025, you must have taken the TOEFL no earlier than September 2023. 

We must receive an official transcript provided electronically by your testing institution. 

This said, it is to your advantage to include your scores in your application.  This helps the admissions committee verify your scores quickly should there be any delay in receiving the official report. 

If you are taking the test through ETS, please use 1565. For the TOEFL you should use department code 1565 to ensure your results are sent to the Graduate School.

Visit The Graduate School’s FAQ page.

All of them! You should enclose unofficial transcripts from every post-secondary institution you have attended. They should list all courses taken, grades received and degrees earned. Transcripts from summer courses at other universities and study abroad programs also must be sent. 

We understand that you may still be studying for an undergraduate or graduate degree so your transcript may be incomplete. Evidence will need to be provided before admission that your previous studies have been completed. 

You should have an official translation made. You then need to send both the translation and the original transcript. We need both documents to properly evaluate your academic record. 

If an institution's transcripts are only available in a foreign language, please include an English translation completed by a verifiable, neutral third party (i.e. ATA translators, a transcript evaluation service, etc.) in addition to the original copy.   

Official transcripts are documents that are produced directly by the registrar's office of the awarding institution. For international transcripts, we will also require a diploma or certificate that lists the degree awarded and conferral date to accompany the transcripts for our verification process. 

Whether issued as secure .pdf documents or mailed hardcopy, official transcripts are required to assess authenticity and content accuracy and they should be submitted by the issuing institution either by mail in sealed envelopes or emailed as official, electronic transcripts to:  

Northwestern University, The Graduate School, Office of Graduate Admission, 633 Clark Street, Evanston, IL  60208-1113; tgsadmission@northwestern.edu.Emailed transcripts must be sent from the issuing institution via a password protected, e-transcript delivery service. Please check with your institution’s Registrar's Office to see if they offer an e-transcript service. 

Please do not submit your official transcripts until all degrees you will earn prior to enrolling at Northwestern University are listed. 

We require three (3) letters of recommendation.

Anyone who can properly and fairly assess your academic and research abilities. 

Your letters of recommendation should be submitted online. Within the application portal, there is an option to have your letter writers upload their letters directly from any word processing software. You will need to provide your recommender's email address. A message will be sent to them containing a link for them to use to upload their letter. 

We also accept letters through Interfolio if necessary – you should be able to enter the email address that Interfolio generates into our application, and the two systems will talk to each other directly. If that doesn’t work, you can have Interfolio send letters to pol-sci@northwestern.edu.  

We accept letters through Interfolio if necessary – you should be able to enter the email address that Interfolio generates into our application, and the two systems will talk to each other directly. If that doesn’t work, you can have Interfolio send letters to pol-sci@northwestern.edu.  

Your letters of recommendation should ideally be submitted simultaneously with your application.  Please give your recommenders plenty of time to prepare your letter; we advise contacting them at least two weeks before you plan to submit your application.  

We begin the review process immediately after the deadline; however, we understand that some writers may need more time.  Letters will be due one week after the application deadline by 11:59 pm CT. Letters that arrive later may not be considered.