Graduate Program Admission Requirements
The Ph.D. program is designed for those with a career objective of conducting original research, whether in higher education or more applied settings.
Minimum Admission Requirements
You must have:
- A bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent) from an accredited institution. This degree must represent the completion of a program equivalent in the distribution of academic subject matter and scholarship achievement comparable to that offered by the University of California.
- A minimum 3.20 GPA for the last two years of undergraduate or graduate coursework. Admission may be justified if you have a GPA between 3.0 and 3.19, a high GRE score, and/or strong academic letters of recommendation. If your GPA is below 3.0, you are ineligible.
- The GRE is not required for application to the Ph.D. program. It is optional. However, we will still be looking for evidence of applicants’ ability to succeed in quantitative methods courses. You can demonstrate this through coursework, writing samples, or other evidence. If you do not have other evidence of your preparation to study quantitative methods, taking the GRE might still be a good idea.
- Demonstrated English language proficiency. For students who have not completed a university degree in a program taught in English, a language proficiency test (TOEFL or IELTS) is required. Details of the language requirements are at: https://graduate.ucr.edu/
admission-requirements# .english-language-requirement - Three academic letters of recommendation from faculty in your current program of study (written in English).
- A writing sample. We now require a writing sample. Submit your best and most polished work. A writing sample is especially useful when it offers information that is not apparent in your statement of interest. Thus, if it, for example, demonstrates your research skills, whether in terms of theoretical development, research design, or analysis (statistical or otherwise).
Remember:
- Admission to our program is competitive. Satisfying minimal standards does not guarantee admission.
- Admission decisions are based on many factors including your degree, grades, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, test scores, fit with faculty research interests, and relevant experience.
FAQ:
- Do I need to find a supervisor in the department before applying?
No, but you may want to review our faculty and consider who might fill that role. You do, of course, benefit from having a supervisor who shares your general interests within political science, but we are also more likely to admit applicants who would benefit from the department's expertise. - Do I need a master’s degree to apply to the PhD program? What if I didn’t major in political science?
No, and no. You can apply to start our PhD program straight after completing your bachelor's degree. You receive a master's degree after completing the MA requirements. You don't need to have majored in political science, and many of our students haven't. You may, however, want to familiarize yourself with some political science research before applying in order to be able to articulate your research interests in your application. - How do we evaluate statements of purpose?
Our PhD program trains students to conduct high-quality original research. Thus, we look for evidence of interest in and motivation to do research as well as prior experience with research. So, tell us about what you are interested in studying, your experience doing research, and any particular skills that you have that may make you a good researcher. One of the main reasons we are interested in research experience is that we look for evidence that you understand what conducting research involves. There are, of course, other ways of acquiring that understanding, e.g., by reading articles in political science journals. You can also show that in your discussion of research interests; for example, rather than just offering a research question, you could discuss how you might address it. Finally, we want to understand why you are applying to UCR. Are there particular strengths in the department you're interested in? Are there particular faculty that you want to work with? - I am still in working on my undergraduate degree but I am planning to go to graduate school for political science. How should I be preparing?
First, look for opportunities to gain research experience. It not only helps with your application, but also gives you a chance to see whether you enjoy it. Talk to your professors to see if they have projects that you can assist with and consider writing a senior thesis. Second, obtain skills that will be useful in your PhD study. Any good PhD program will, e.g., require you to take courses in research design and research methods. So you might want to take undergraduate courses on these topics, as well as courses in math, statistics, game theory, logic, and programming. Having some preparation in some (or all) of these areas will make your life a lot easier.
Application Deadlines
We begin accepting applications during the second week of September for the following fall quarter. The deadline for priority consideration for admission and fellowship funding is December 15th.
How to Apply
To complete your application, you will need:
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)/Résumé
- Graduate Statement of Purpose
- A writing sample
- Three academic letters of recommendation (from people familiar with your academic work)
- TOEFL or IELTS scores, if needed
- Official transcripts from all academic institutions attended
If you are ready to apply, please complete the official UCR Graduate School Application. This serves as the official application to UC Riverside’s Political Science Department’s Graduate Program.
Get Help
For general questions about the program and admissions, contact the Director of Graduate Admissions, Paul D'Anieri, at paul.danieri@ucr.edu.
For help with the application process or the status of your application, contact the UCR Graduate Division at graddiv@ucr.edu.
Our faculty members are happy to answer any questions about the program and their subfields.