How to Apply

Submission of the electronic application form will activate your application to the Graduate School. All hard-copy documents submitted in support of the application should be submitted according to the guidelines outlined in the sections below. Start your application!

The application fee is waived for applicants who apply by January 15, 2024. After January 15th, the application must be submitted with a non-refundable $90 application fee. An application cannot be submitted if the application fee is not paid. The fee can be paid by Visa or MasterCard only.

An academic statement of purpose should be prepared and submitted online with the application. The personal statement should address your intellectual interests, academic and professional objectives, and proposed topic(s) of graduate study.

Please upload a pdf file of a minimum 1-page writing sample. You may upload a file containing excerpts from multiple documents.

Include publications list, if applicable.

Applicants are required to upload to the application system copies of official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. We consider these uploaded transcripts to be “unofficial” as they are submitted by the applicant.

Transcripts from both degree and non-degree coursework provide the admissions committee with a more complete picture of academic preparation for graduate study. Only transcripts that have been uploaded to the application by the student are required for the application review. Applicants who receive an offer of admission will be required at that time to submit official final transcripts (transcripts that have been submitted directly to Georgetown University by the institution) for verification prior to enrolling. Do not send electronic or paper copies of your official transcripts before receiving an offer of admission.

• Step 1: Request a copy of your official transcript from your institution.
• Step 2: Upload the transcript to your application. 

An acceptable transcript is a copy of an official transcript produced by the institution. This includes:

• Scanned copies of paper transcripts issued by the institution
• Electronic transcripts issued by the institution (not a download from your institution’s web portal)

We do not accept screen shots or photos, and we do not accept downloads of the “student’s view” from your institution’s website. 

• International Transcripts: Applicants who have attended institutions outside of the United States are encouraged to upload their transcripts in the form of World Education Services (WES) ICAP evaluations or may utilize other credential evaluation services that are members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Applicants should upload this evaluation directly to the application. If the evaluation does not include a copy of the transcripts that were evaluated, applicants must upload both the transcripts from the institution and the credential evaluation as one document to the application. 
• For transcripts not in English: These documents must be accompanied by an English language version provided by the academic institution. If your institution does not provide English language copies, applicants are responsible for providing a certified or notarized translation along with a copy of the original transcripts. Applicants may upload an evaluation from a credential evaluation service. This must include course and grade information. If not included in the evaluation, the transcript from the institution must be included as well. Both the evaluation and original transcript should be submitted in the application as one document.
• Study Abroad and/or Transfer Coursework: If your undergraduate transcripts contain study abroad courses and/or transfer credits showing grades earned, you do NOT need to list these institutions separately or upload transcripts.  If courses are not listed on your primary institution’s transcript or the transfer courses do not show course grades, please list the institution(s) separately and upload the transcript(s).
• If an offer of admission is granted and accepted, admitted students will be required to submit final official transcripts from all institutions where a degree has been earned and other institutions as designated in their admissions letter. Additional details for which can be reviewed on our admitted students page. Georgetown University reserves the right to request any missing transcripts or an official copy of a transcript at any point during the application and/or admission process. Georgetown University also reserves the right to withdraw any offer of admission already made if there is any discrepancy between a transcript uploaded in the application and the final official transcript that is received.

Review our Transcript FAQs (new window) for additional details regarding the required content, format, and submission. 

Three official recommendations are required by the Graduate School. These recommendations must be from persons in positions to appraise the applicant’s potential for graduate study. Some programs have specific requirements for recommendation providers.

The Graduate School requires the use of the online recommendation system, which utilizes a secure online recommendation system that will:

• email your recommendation providers with instructions for online submission of the recommendation.
• allow applicants to track recommendations received or not received and follow up with recommenders who still need to submit their appraisals.
• expedite the processing of the recommendations, which will be included in the online application once submitted.
• automatically notify you when recommendations have been received.

All applicants are required to demonstrate a level of proficiency in the English language sufficient to meet the admission requirement of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Proficiency can be demonstrated by the receipt of a bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction (please note that applicants receiving degrees at universities in U.S. territories, such as Puerto Rico, are required to submit the TOEFL or IELTS unless the primary language of instruction at the institution is English).

All other applicants must achieve at least a minimum score on either the TOEFL or IELTS test. Test scores must be received by the application deadline date. Applicants should allow six to eight weeks from the test date for the reporting of scores to the institution. Applications will not be considered without TOEFL/IELTS scores.

• TOEFL: A minimum score of 80 or 100, dependent on program requirements (some programs require a score of 100), on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Georgetown University’s score reporting code is 5244. TOEFL information: http://www.ets.org (new window)/toefl/
• IELTS: A minimum score of 7.0 or 7.5, dependent on program requirements, from the International English Language Testing System. IELTS Information: http://www.ielts.org (new window)/

Georgetown University’s Score Reporting Code for the GRE is 5244

When you apply online (new window), you have convenient access to an application status portal. You can verify your address, upload missing materials and review your application checklist to verify what application items have or have not been received. The status page is available after you submit your application and is updated as materials are received. Online recommendations are automatically updated to a status of “received” when submitted by the recommender.

Please note that your online checklist is a tool for you to see what has been received.