SCHOOL of INTERNATIONAL SERVICE

American University · Washington, D.C.

REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATE ADMISSION

To be considered for admission, all applicants must:

Possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution;
Submit a completed application form [PDF];
Submit a resume;
Submit a Statement of Purpose;
Submit official transcripts (with translation if applicable) from each institution previously attended;
Submit two letters of recommendation [PDF] (at least one of which must be from an academic source) evaluating undergraduate academic performance and suitability for graduate study in international affairs, three letters are required for PhD applicants; all of them have to be sealed and signed by the recommender;

* If recommenders are unable to submit recommendations by mail, it is possible for them to submit the recommendations from a professional e-mail address (e.g. @american.edu, @peacecorps.gov) to sisgrad@american.edu. However, applicants should draft an e-mail, to our attention at the Office of Graduate Admissions, stating that they waive their right to view the letters. This should be done in one e-mail that includes the names and contact information of the recommenders who will be submitting recommendations via e-mail.

Submit results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), except for the JD/MAIA, BA/MA, MIS candidates, and international master's applicants who do not hold a higher education degree from an institution where English is the primary language of instruction; GRE is required of all PhD applicants, (institution code 5558); and
Pay a $50 application fee.

International students: Please click here to learn about application and admissions requirements.

Applicants are highly recommended to have the following:

At least 24 hours of social science course work relevant to international studies,
A college GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale,
Course work in micro- and/or macro-economics prior to their graduate studies,
Foreign language skills,
Substantial work experience.

* For NRSD applicants, please visit the University for Peace Web site and be sure to indicate your interest in both the School of International Service and UPeace in your statement of purpose.

* For BA/MA applicants, completion of a minimum of two 300-plus level SIS courses, inclusion of at least one letter of recommendation from a full-time SIS faculty member, a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 and a 3.5 grade point average in SIS courses, as well as completion of at least 90 credits prior to applying are highly recommended.

Deadlines:

To be considered for merit-based financial aid, all complete applications must be received by the following dates:

Sept 15 -- International Students, Spring term
Oct 1 -- Domestic Students, Spring term
Jan 1 -- Ph.D. candidates, Fall admission only
Jan 15 -- All non-Ph.D. students, Fall admission

Following these deadlines, applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the close of each cycle. Please send all application materials to:

Office of Graduate Admissions
School of International Service
American University
4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington D.C. 20016-8071
Tel. 202-885-1646
Fax. 202-885-1109