Step 3

Prepare the remaining materials required by the Department of Government and manage them through the Status Check website. These include:

• CV/Resumé
• Statement of purpose
• Writing sample
• Three letters of recommendation

Your CV/Resumé should follow the model set out in the department template. Your CV/resumé does not have to mimic the template precisely, but we are looking for this information. Sometimes applicants submit two resumés: one they have on hand, and one more closely modeled after the department template. Other applicants have found creative ways to incorporate the information, while others follow the template exactly.

You must pick at least one field (and up to three) from the following seven: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Methodology, Political Theory, Public Law, or Public Policy. Consult the department’s field pages for more information on each field.

Your statement of purpose should clearly explain what you intend to study and convince the committee that you will excel at The University of Texas at Austin. We recommend statements to be between 500 and 1000 words (or 1-2 pages single-spaced).

Your writing sample should demonstrate your potential – i.e., the necessary technical and communication skills – to conduct political science research.

Your three letters of recommendation should attest to your ability to excel in a top-tier Ph.D. program in political science and come from writers qualified to make this assessment.