The Department of Political Science admits approximately 7-9 new graduate students each year, selected from approximately 200 applications.

The deadline for application for admission to graduate study and the award of financial assistance is December 15 (most years). Decisions are made in late February or early March and announced by March 15.

A bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) is required for application. Inclusion of a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score is optional. Each applicant must have three letters of recommendation. Students whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL examinations or provide other evidence of fluency in English (such as a degree from an institution in which the language of instruction is English). A broad background in the liberal arts and sciences is preferred.

More information on applying can be found on the Krieger Graduate Admissions and Enrollment site.

All applications should be submitted online.

We recognize that it can be financially burdensome to relocate to a new city to attend a Ph.D. program. Students who are accepted to Ph.D. programs at JHU can apply to receive a $1,500 need-based grant to offset the costs of relocating to JHU. These grants provide funding to a portion of incoming students who, without this money, may otherwise not be able to afford to relocate to JHU for their Ph.D. program. This is not a merit-based grant. Applications will be evaluated solely based on financial need.

Financial Support

The department ordinarily provides financial aid to all students admitted to the graduate program unless they hold fellowships from sources outside the university. Departmental fellowships cover full tuition and an annual stipend. Assuming satisfactory progress toward the PhD, students can normally expect to receive funding for five years. All students receiving financial aid are expected to serve as teaching assistants for one semester of each academic year beginning their second year at the university.