Admissions FAQs

A. Do not send materials to the Department of Political Science. Send all supplementary application materials to:

Admissions Office
Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Boston University
705 Commonwealth Avenue
Suite 112
Boston, MA 02215

A. The department does not have a minimum required GRE score, since the admissions committee looks at many other factors, such as letters of recommendation and transcripts.

A. Yes, it is. Please upload it with the online application.

A. Aside from the following exception, all applicants whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). This requirement is waived only if an applicant has received, or expects to receive, an undergraduate or graduate degree from a college or university in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand.

The minimum TOEFL score requirement is 600 on the paper based test and 100 on the internet-based test.

In addition to the TOEFL, the IELTS is also accepted as proof of English proficiency. The band score of 8.0 is required for admission to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

For more information please visit https://www.bu.edu/cas/admissions/phd-mfa/international-students/.

A. Beginning in January, the admissions committee meets every two or three weeks to consider all complete applications. The committee will inform applicants who are admitted of its recommendation after the entire review process is completed. Those who are not accepted will generally receive official notification from the Graduate School shortly after that. Consideration of your application may be delayed if any credentials are missing.

A. We usually admit around 15 students between initial offers and those accepted later from the waitlist.

A. All students admitted to the Ph.D. program receive a financial aid package.

A. A deadline will be stated in the letter offering admission.

A. You will receive a welcome e-mail from the Graduate School confirming the fact that your acceptance has been processed. In early summer the department’s Director of Graduate Studies will be in touch with more details regarding orientation and registration.

A. No, you do not need to secure an advisor before applying to the program.

A. You should include the following in your statement of purpose:

• The statement should be between 1-3 pages in length
• Explain your research interests
• State faculty members with which you would like to work
• Discuss your previous professional, academic, or personal experiences that have spurred your research interests
• Explain what you would like to do with your Ph.D. and why you believe our program is best suited to you