FAQ

No.

No. GREs are optional depending on your subfield of interest. Applicants interested in political theory must have their GRE scores sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Applicants interested in comparative politics, international relations, political methodology, or public law are strongly encouraged to submit scores. Scores do not have to be official; they may be uploaded as “Miscellaneous Admissions Documents.”

Of course! What is more important is whether you have been doing something in school or since you left school that might prepare you – with evidence to show – to succeed in doing political science research.

Probably not. Generally, we expect students to take our seminars as part of their normal program of work. Any exceptions would be made on a case-by-case basis and at the discretion of the graduate advisor in consultation with the relevant field chair. This is a decision that would be made after you are already in residence and taking courses. In any event, transferring credits is not likely to significantly affect your progress toward a degree.

Yes.

We expect our students to be full-time and available to attend classes during normal business hours. The program is not designed or particularly well equipped to accommodate part-time students.

Yes! We support our students who are interested in careers outside of academia. In fact, we offer summer fellowships to support students who are interested in non-academic internships. In recent years, our students have secured jobs with the government as policy researchers and data analysts; with survey and consulting firms; and with big tech companies as data scientists, UX experts.

We are looking for applicants who show promise of a scholarly career in teaching and independent, original research – which is quite a different thing than being a very good undergraduate student. The typical successful application (1) describes a particular interest in political science research that the student wishes to pursue in the PhD program and (2) matches the interests of our faculty. Moreover, a strong application will contain letters of reference from academics who are knowledgeable about the applicant’s academic performance and/or capabilities. Letters from non-academic supervisors, while they may be easier for some applicants to secure, are typically less persuasive and less helpful to an application.

Giving very rough averages, a typical year might see us receive 200 applications, admit 40 students, and enroll 15.

Please see our financial aid web page.

Yes. US citizens/permanent residents must apply first for a waiver based on demonstration of financial need: http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/admissions/fee_waiver.html

For non-US citizens/permanent residents and US citizens/permanent residents who did not qualify for the university waiver but have financial need, we offer department waivers on a case-by-case basis. Before submitting your application (which includes paying the application fee), please submit a statement detailing why a waiver is necessary and include your email address. The statement and any supporting application material is due November 15 to the UT Box folder: https://utexas.app.box.com/f/226958802dff49249368cb4fc212a55c. Please submit all the material as one single document labeled in the following format: Last Name(s), Given Name(s) (e.g., McConaughey, Matthew David). We will notify you within a week whether your application fee has been waived and give you additional directions (including how to submit your application). Note that we cannot retroactively waive fees that have already been paid.

Yes, your letters do need to be uploaded electronically.

We are happy to answer your questions! If you have questions about the technical requirements, contact Chaz Nailor, the Graduate Program Administrator (cnailor@austin.utexas.edu). If you have substantive questions about the PhD program, please contact Dr. Amy Liu, the Director of Graduate Admissions and Placement (amy.liu@austin.utexas.edu).