How to Apply and FAQ

The Duke Department of Political Science is a top-ranked research department with an approximate student to faculty ratio of 2:1. Our graduate programs include; 

MAPE applicants: Please refer to the Department of Economics Info for Prospective Master’s Applicants for application requirements and instructions specific to the MAPE program.

Application Overview

We welcome applications from students with prior study in a variety of major fields, especially those related to adjacent social science fields, quantitative and computational methodology, or philosophy. 

Applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, political affiliation, sex, age, or physical handicaps. Competition for admission is very strong and admissions decisions are made by a committee of the Department, in consultation with the Graduate School, on merit and promise and with a view to diversity of interests and backgrounds.

Application deadlines vary by program.  Admission policies and requirements are set by the Duke Graduate School, as well as the Department of Political Science.  All applications and supporting materials are submitted through the Duke Graduate School.

CLICK HERE TO START YOUR APPLICATION THROUGH THE DUKE GRADUATE SCHOOL

 A brief summary of the Department of Political Science graduate application requirements and policies are provided below.  For a detailed list of required application materials and instructions, visit the Duke Graduate School Admissions website.


Application Deadlines 2025:

  • PhD applicants – Due Wednesday, December 18, 2024 
  • MA applicants – Due Monday, February 17, 2025
  • MA (spring start) – Due Tuesday, October 1, 2024
     

General Admissions Information by Program

How big is the program? When can I start?

We typically receive more than 300 applications to our PhD program each year, however our typical target class size is only 8-12 students.  This means we must regretfully refuse admission to a large number of otherwise qualified applicants. 

We only offer a fall start for the PhD program. Applications for PhD Admissions are due in December of the calendar year prior to admission. 

How long does it take? 

Completion of the PhD program may vary by student. Refer to the Graduate Admissions statistics on time to degree and completion rate of the program.

Do you offer an online degree?

Duke Graduate School policies require that Ph.D. students maintain local residency for at least one year and our department does not offer online courses. Therefore, our Ph.D. Program is only offered full-time, in-person. 

Please Note: Duke does not accept applications for transfer into the PhD or MA programs from other institutions.

How big is the program? When can I start?

We accept applications for both a fall and spring start (when space allows), and typically receive over 50 applications to the MA program each year. Our target fall class size is typically 7-10 students, while our target spring class size is no more than 2-3 students. 

  • Applications for spring admission are due October 1 of the calendar year prior to admission.  
  • Applications for fall admission are due in February of the calendar year of admission. 

How long does it take? 

The Master of Arts in Political Science program is typically completed in 2 years. Graduate-level courses are not typically offered in the summer, so the shortest possible time to completion would be 1.5 years.

Do you offer an online degree?

The Duke Graduate School requires all master's students to be enrolled full-time for at least 3 semesters.  Our department does not offer online courses, therefore the MA program is only offered in-person. 

Please Note: Duke does not accept applications for transfer into the PhD or MA programs from other institutions.

Required Materials

Applications for both the PhD and MA programs require the following application materials: 

  • Transcripts from each institution previously attended
  • GRE scores, including verbal, quantitative and writing aptitude scores
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • A writing sample of up to 12,000 words.
  • A résumé or curriculum vitae (CV)
  • You will be select a subfield as part of your application
  • English language proficiency test scores (if English is not your first language)
  • Payment of the $95 application fee

For detailed list of required materials and instructions on how to submit them, please visit Duke Graduate School Application Instructions.

As part of your online application, you must upload a copy of a scanned unofficial transcript from each undergraduate and graduate institution where you:

  • Earned (or will earn) a degree
  • Studied for one semester or more
  • Earned 12 or more hours of credit
  • And/or took classes that relate to your graduate study. 

Official transcripts are not required during the application process, however admitted students will all be required to request official transcripts from each institution listed in the Education section of their application.

Please refer to the guidelines provided by the Graduate School Application Policies regarding Transcripts.

Do I have to submit GRE scores? Can the GRE requirement be waived?

Our Department requires ALL PhD and MA applicants to report GRE Scores as part of the application process. 

We do not allow waivers or exemptions to the GRE requirement. We also cannot accept scores from another standardized test in place of the GRE.

How do I send my GRE scores to Duke?

The code number for Duke University Graduate School is 5156. Because you are applying for admission to the Graduate School at Duke University, you do not need a department code.

Further detailed instructions on submitting GRE scores can be found in the Application Instructions on the Graduate School admissions website.

Your three letters of recommendation should come from people qualified to speak to your ability to engage in academic work at the graduate level.

Remember to give your recommenders plenty of notice ahead of the application deadline.

Ideally, applicants should obtain letters of recommendation from faculty members, especially those within the political science field. If you are not currently a student, one of your letters of recommendation should come from your current employer (if applicable), in addition to the recommendation letters from faculty members.

All letters of recommendation must be received through the electronic online recommendation system as part of your application. See the Graduate School website for instructions on requesting and submitting letters of recommendation

Submission of a writing sample is required for all Political Science Department Ph.D. and master’s program applicants. This is generally a seminar paper written for a political science class or an article you have written/co-written and/or published/co-published.

  • Writing samples should be limited to fewer than 12,000 words.  
  • Works Cited and appendices do not count towards this limit.  
  • Samples should be uploaded to the Departmental Requirements section of the application. 

Your résumé/curriculum vitae (CV) document should demonstrate your preparedness for graduate study, particularly as it relates to research.

This document should summarize your education, academic achievements, work history, and professional accomplishments, but may also include a list of skills, publications, research experiences, and other credentials.

As part of your application, you will be asked to identify at least one subfield or "specialization" that describes to your area(s) of interest.

Our department is organized around six research fields of study within political science:

  1. Normative Political Theory & Philosophy
  2. Political Behavior and Identities
  3. Political Institutions
  4. Political Economy
  5. Political Methodology
  6. Security, Peace & Conflict

The Duke Graduate School requires that any applicant whose native language is not English submit scores from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the academic modules of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Duolingo English Test with subscores.

English Language Proficiency Test Waivers

You may be eligible for a TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo English Test waiver if you studied full-time for two years at a college or university where the sole language of instruction is English and if the college or university was located in a country where English is the primary spoken language. The two years of study must be completed prior to the start of the program.

For more information, please refer to the Graduate School Application Policies regarding English Language Proficiency Test Scores.

The Duke University Graduate School application fee is $95. 

In order for your application to be considered for review, the application fee must be submitted prior to the posted application deadline for your intended program.

The application fee is nonrefundable and is payable using Visa, Discover, or Mastercard. 

Application Fee Waivers

A limited number of application fee waivers are available to help support prospective students experiencing economic stresses. Fee waiver requests are “first-come, first-serviced” so, we strongly encourage you to apply early.

US Citizens and Permanent Residents: 

Application fee waiver requests for US Citizens and Permanent Residents are processed by the Duke Graduate School Admissions office. Visit the Graduate School Admissions website for information about fee waiver eligibility and instructions for submitting a request. 

All other applicants

Non-US Citizens and other applicants who do not qualify for an application fee waiver through the Graduate School may contact our department directly to request an application fee waiver.  Please note that Department fee waivers are also very limited. 

To request an application fee waiver, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies for your intended program:

Director of Graduate Studies PhD 
Melanie Manion
melanie.manion@duke.edu 
Director of Graduate Studies MA
Kyle Beardsley
kyle.beardsley@duke.edu 

Frequently Asked Questions

All deadlines indicate the date by which ALL application materials a supporting documents must be received, including the application fee, unofficial transcripts, letters of recommendation, GRE scores, English language proficiency test scores, and writing sample. 

To receive full consideration, all application materials must be submitted via the online application portal NO LATER than the posted deadlines.

Incomplete applications will not be considered until all supporting documents are received. Late applications will not be processed until all on-time applications have been handled.

No single factor determines whether an applicant is admitted or not. It is our practice to review all of the information included in admissions files before reaching a final decision.

Our Admissions Committee screens each application for several factors:

  1. Does the applicant's academic background indicate the applicant's ability to successfully complete the degree program? What courses has the applicant taken, how many, and what grade did they receive?
  2. Does the applicant's statement of purpose indicate the applicant's ability and desire to successfully complete the degree program? 
  3. Do the applicant's letters of recommendation indicate that the applicant has an outstanding aptitude, knowledge and record of performance?
  4. Is the applicant's writing sample of the highest quality?
  5. Is there a faculty match? Does the applicant’s academic background, field of interest, goals and/or ideas around theories & literature fit with the resources and needs of the Department?
  6. Do the applicant's test scores indicate strong analytical, quantitative and writing abilities?
  7. If the primary language of the applicant is not English, does the applicant demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency?

Our Admissions Committee also looks at the needs of the Department (e.g. how many students in a given subfield is desirable) and ranks the applicants accordingly.

Our Department requires ALL PhD and MA applicants to report GRE Scores as part of the application process. 

We do not allow waivers or exemptions to the GRE requirement. We also cannot accept scores from another standardized test in place of the GRE.

While performing well on the GRE is important for a competitive application, we consider GPA and GRE scores just part of your overall application.   Neither Duke nor the Department of Political Science require a specific minimum GRE score or GPA for admission. 

The following links from the Graduate School provide statistics on the average GRE scores and GPAs of admitted applicants from past years.

The Duke Graduate School requires any applicant whose native language is not English to submit scores from an approved English Language Proficiency test.

English Language Proficiency Test Waivers

You may be eligible for a TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo English Test waiver if you studied full-time for two years at a college or university where the sole language of instruction is English and if the college or university was located in a country where English is the primary spoken language. The two years of study must be completed prior to the start of the program.

For more information, please refer to the Graduate School Application Policies regarding English Language Proficiency Test Scores

A limited number of application fee waivers are available to help support prospective students experiencing economic stresses. Fee waiver requests are “first-come, first-serviced” so, we strongly encourage you to apply early.

US Citizens and Permanent Residents: 

Application fee waiver requests for US Citizens and Permanent Residents are processed by the Duke Graduate School Admissions office. Visit the Graduate School Admissions website for information about fee waiver eligibility and instructions for submitting a request. 

All other applicants

Non-US Citizens and other applicants who do not qualify for an application fee waiver through the Graduate School may contact our department directly to request an application fee waiver.  Please note that Department fee waivers are also very limited. 

To request an application fee waiver, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies for your intended program:

Director of Graduate Studies PhD 
Melanie Manion
melanie.manion@duke.edu 
Director of Graduate Studies MA
Kyle Beardsley
kyle.beardsley@duke.edu 

Our department does not offer online courses, therefore all our degrees are in-person only.

Duke Graduate School policies require PhD students to maintain local residency for at least one year and master's students to be enrolled in a full-time course load for at least 3 semesters.  

You are welcome to contact a relevant faculty member before applying, but it is not required.  It can help both you and our admission committee gather more information, but we do not disqualify applicants who have not contacted faculty members.  

  • If you do reach out to a faculty member before applying, you will have an opportunity to list their name in your application.

Prospective PhD program students: Please refer to PhD Financial Support on the Duke Graduate School website.

Prospective MA program students: The department does not offer direct need-based financial assistance. Please visit The Graduate School Master's Financial Support for further information. 

Congratulations! Please refer to the Duke Graduate School Admitted Students page for further information.

Also note that our orientation begins in mid-August, two weeks before classes begin. It is mandatory for all new students to attend the Orientation Session.