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Visitation Day Visiting the Campus. Those interested in visiting the campus should email us at polgrad@uga.edu and we will be happy to arrange a time for you to come and meet with faculty, current students, staff and see our facilities. Q: When is the application deadline? We admit applicants for Fall semester only. All of an applicant’s materials must be received by May 1st in order to be considered for admission. Q: How do I know whether to apply for the M.A. or the Ph.D.? Students who will have been awarded a master’s degree in political science or a related field by the Fall in which they plan to enroll can apply directly to the Ph.D. program. Those with only a bachelor’s degree completed must apply for the M.A. degree. Those who will have
completed professional degrees (J.D., M.B.A., M.Ed., etc) should
apply to the Ph.D. If there is any concern about your
qualifications given the nature of the professional degree, the
Graduate Committee may require you to complete the M.A. at UGA
before applying to the Ph.D. program. This track is an
option for highly qualified students who have or who will have
obtained a bachelor’s degree and allows for direct entry into
the Ph.D., bypassing the MA degree altogether. It is offered to
a very limited number of strongly qualified individuals. They
are expected to complete the Ph.D. program in four years and are
eligible for a four-year assistantship that will fund their
studies for the duration of their graduate career. Q: What kind of recommendations should I get? Your references (at least three) should fill out the recommendation form required by the Graduate School and attach a letter to it. The references – not you – should mail these directly to our office. We require letters from professors who have taught you. Their letters should describe your academic work in detail so that the Graduate Committee can be assured that you can complete a rigorous graduate program. If you have done significant independent research, such as a thesis, the committee normally expects a letter from the professor who supervised that work. Letters from elected officials or “personal” references tend to be less valuable in determining your academic capability. Letters from work supervisors are of little value unless your job entailed research. In addition, letters from counselors, student affairs officers, and other non-faculty personnel on your campus generally provide little useful information for the committee. For those applicants who have been out of the academic setting for some time, getting letters from prior instructors can be difficult, but should be pursued nonetheless. In this instance, the committee will grant some flexibility, but once again, references must be able to address your academic and related abilities to some degree. Q: What should I include in my personal statement? We are most
concerned with your academic background, intellectual interests
and professional plans. Please do not include material that is
not relevant to your academic background or interest. Q: How are admissions decisions made? The six-member Graduate Committee considers your entire application file: previous academic record, GRE scores, personal statement, resume, and recommendations. There are no “automatic” acceptance factors – we have both accepted and rejected applicants whose Verbal and Quantitative GRE scores were 1400 or above. The committee’s main concern is the likelihood that you will do well, not only in the graduate program you are applying for, but as a scholar and teacher once that degree is in hand. We also consider whether your interests are a good “fit” for the faculty, courses, and research centers available in the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) and, to a lesser extent, elsewhere at UGA. Q: When will I hear whether I’ve been accepted for admission? The Graduate Committee meets occasionally during the Fall but almost every week during the Spring semester. Once your file is complete, it will be considered at the next committee meeting. The committee will discuss and vote on your application and then send its recommendation to the Graduate School, which makes the official decision on your application. The Graduate School normally contacts you one to two weeks after your recommendation. If you are accepted, you must submit final transcripts from your previous college or university before you may enroll. You are also required to attend orientation the week before classes begin in August. Those receiving assistantships have other obligations that are detailed in their award letters. Q: How are assistantships awarded? You must apply for all assistantships through the Political Science and International Affairs Graduate Program office. Do not contact the Graduate School about financial support. Students who receive support from the Graduate School must be nominated by their department and go through a competitive process. The Graduate Committee assigns scores to all those who apply for financial support. Those whose files are complete by February 1 are guaranteed consideration for the first round of awards. Students not receiving support during the first round are still eligible for funding in subsequent rounds. Awards follow the following timetable:
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