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General Requirements

Applicants must have a completed bachelor's (BA) degree from an accredited college or university. While previous exposure via coursework hours in the political science field (or social science generally) is valued, it is not mandatory for consideration of an application.

Deadlines

January 15 is the deadline for priority consideration for Ph.D. applicants seeking funding; files that are complete by this date will be considered for our initial funding offers. March 15 is the final deadline for consideration for funding; files that are complete by this date will be considered for funding offers if any of the initial offers are declined. June 1 is the final deadline for consideration for admission without funding (including all Master’s and Grad Track applicants, who are not eligible for university funding); files that are not complete by this date will not be considered for the coming academic year.

We begin reviewing completed applications in January, make initial decisions about admissions and funding in February, and continue admitting students through June for graduate degrees and coursework beginning in August. Due to the sequencing of the courses in our graduate curriculum, we only consider applications for fall semester admissions.

The department has limited resources to fund PhD students (e.g., teaching assistantships), and we do not offer funding for Masters students. Applications submitted after the deadline for priority consideration run the risk of these resources being exhausted upon admittance.

Application Procedure

For step-by-step instructions on the application process, please visit the Graduate Admissions website. This will include details on how to submit materials including transcripts, letters of recommendation and other items. Grad Track students don’t apply through GradCAS — they need to follow the application proceedures outlined on the Grad Track website.

The applicant must submit the following materials for an application to be considered complete and reviewable:

  • Three letters of recommendation from individuals qualified to evaluate the applicant's academic potential (letters from academic instructors are preferred, but letters from employers or others may be submitted if academic references are unavailable);
  • A 500-word statement of purpose detailing the applicant's primary area of interest within political science and career objective after completing the degree;
  • One sample of academic writing (e.g., a course paper or similar document);
  • A resume or curriculum vita listing academic background, accomplishments, awards, and honors; and
  • A completed Application for Teaching Assistantship (optional).
  • We do not require GRE scores, although you are welcome to send them if available.

The letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, writing sample, and resume/CV must be submitted through the university's GradCAS application system. The application for teaching assistantship must be sent to claire.henry@unt.edu. Please note that the $75 application fee is required by the university, so our department is unable to waive this.

Information for International Students

International applicants should become familiar with the International Admissions page on the TGS website. This page includes information about transcripts, proof of financial support for visas, and other important information. Information on English language proficiency, including which countries are automatically approved and various ways to demonstrate proficiency, can be found here.

Please note that our department is unable to waive English proficiency requirements or transcript requirements for international students.

For More Information

Please contact both Graduate Advisors, Drs. Paul Hensel and Jacqueline DeMeritt, with any questions. Dr. Hensel can be reached by email at Paul.Hensel@unt.edu, and Dr. DeMeritt can be reached by email at Jacqueline.DeMeritt@unt.edu.