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How to Apply

The Department of Political Science at Southern Illinois University Carbondale accepts applications for admission to every term of the year. Applicants with backgrounds in social science or related disciplines should apply for admission to the M.A. program. An appropriate M.A. degree is usually required for admission to the doctoral program. For information about exceptions to this rule, contact the Director of Graduate Studies.

The Department must receive completed applications from domestic students three months, and from international students six months, prior to the term for which they seek admission. Applicants who wish to be considered for Graduate School Fellowships must submit completed applications for admission no later than January 15. Applicants who submit completed applications for admission by February 15 will be considered for graduate assistantships. No separate application for assistantship support is necessary.

Application for admission requires official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, three letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose that describes how your interests will be advanced through study in our program, GRE scores, and a $45 application fee. International students must additionally supply a TOEFL result, a confidential financial statement, and official certification of degrees and dates awarded, issued in the original language. ETS Codes for taking the TOEFL and GRE: Institution R1726, Department 1902.

We encourage you to submit the Graduate School application form electronically, but you will still need to obtain other forms and instructions from the Department to complete the process. To download all forms and instructions in .pdf or Microsoft Word format for printing, click on the appropriate item below. You will need Acrobat Reader to open and print the downloaded .pdf files. To obtain a free Acrobat Reader, click here.

Domestic applicants: File will open in .pdf or Word.
International applicants: File will open in .pdf or Word.

If you want only to know whether you are eligible to apply before you pay the application fee, use this preliminary application form (.pdf / Word). After printing this form, send it to us and, if you meet the minimum requirements for consideration, we will send you a complete application packet.

To receive an application packet with all forms and more detailed information in the mail, write to:

Dr. Tobin Grant
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Political Science
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, IL 62901-4501 USA

Or you may send an e-mail request to the departmental email. (Don't forget to include your mailing address!)