Admission to the graduate program in Political Science is based primarily on the applicant's academic record, standardized test scores (GRE for all applicants, English proficiency exam scores for non-native English speakers), references from instructors, and statement of purpose.
The Graduate Studies Committee considers all elements of the application when deciding admission. While GRE scores and GPAs are a very important part of the total application package, there are no strict minimum criteria. Recently admitted students have had an average GRE score of around 148 for the quantitative section, 156 for the verbal section, and 5.0 for the analytical section. Recently admitted students have had an average GPA of around 3.5. Recently admitted international students have a score of at least 20 for each section of the TOEFL.
An undergraduate major in Political Science is not required, but PhD applicants are expected to have completed at least 15 semester hours of graduate-level courses in Political Science and (except in cases of specific exemption by the Graduate Studies Committee) hold a master's degree or its equivalent in Political Science or a closely related field from an accredited U.S. institution.
Students who just completed a M.A. in Political Science from this department at the University of Kansas can provide a statement and three letters of recommendation from faculty to apply to the Ph.D. program without having to submit a formal online application. If some time has passed since the student received the degree, and they are not enrolled at the university, then they will still have to apply online to the program. The courses taken in this department toward the MA also apply toward the PhD.
Minimum overall score 6.0 with no part score below 5.5, Reading, TOEFL IBT- Listening, and Writing part scores at least 20