Please note: Admission to the Political Science Graduate Program at the University of Kentucky is competitive. We strongly encourage applicants to apply for the entering class in the Fall semester (rather than Spring or Summer semesters). Applicants should submit all of their materials by January 15th to ensure a complete review and consideration for departmental assistantships. Applications will be accepted and decisions will be continued after the January 15 date, but later applications may miss financial aid decision deadlines. The admissions process is detailed below.
Students must complete and submit two application forms.One application for the Department of Political Science and another application for the Graduate School.
For assistance with the Departmental application process, please contact Naomi Norasak (nnora0@uky.edu), Graduate Program Assistant.
For assistance with the UK Graduate School Application, please contact Maureen Barker directly at 257-7129 or email her at: maureen.barker@uky.edu
To check your Graduate School Application status online, please click here.
Political Science Admissions Requirements
The Political Science Department requires the following information be sent directly to the department for your application:
1. Three letters of recommendation (Download or Print Form)
2. Your official GRE score (Political Science Dept code is 1902)
3. One official transcript from all universities attended (an undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.75 and a graduate grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale are required as minimums)
4. A one to three page statement explaining why you wish to pursue an MA or a PhD degree and the area of study you are interested in.
5. The Political Science Department application Click here to apply
6. Resume
7. A statement requesting consideration for a Teaching Assistantship or other department assistantship or fellowship if the applicant wishes to be considered.
8. Writing sample (optional - strongly recommended)
All the documents must be sent by mail. The documents will be kept for 2 years and will not be returned to the applicants. Please make copies of them for your own references.
Please send all the documents to:
Department of Political Science
Attn: Naomi Norasak, Graduate Program Assistant
1613 Patterson Office Tower
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506-0027
Phone: (859) 257-1771
Fax (859) 257-7034
Email: nnora0@uky.edu
UK Graduate School Admissions Requirements
The Graduate School requires the following additional information, which must be sent directly to the Graduate School:
1. The Graduate School application and fee Click here to apply
2. Your official GRE or GMAT scores (University of Kentucky code is 1837)
3. Two official transcripts from all universities attended (an undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.75 and a graduate grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale are required as minimums)
4. Official TOEFL scores (for international students only). Click here for more information.
Please send all the documents to:
Graduate School Admissions
Attn: Maureen Barker, Admission Officer
201 D Gillis Building
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506-0033
Phone: (859) 257-7129
Fax (859) 323-1928
Email: maureen.barker@uky.edu
Website: http://www.gradschool.uky.edu/
Financial Assistance
Teaching and Research Assistantships
Our graduate student stipends are highly competitive and include tuition and health care. The duties of Teaching Assistants (TAs) may include full classroom responsibilities, instructional assistance in a laboratory or discussion session, or other related activities. Research Assistants (RAs) receive valuable hands-on experience in areas such as data collection, survey design, and database management. TAs and RAs receive a bi-weekly stipend and may be eligible for tuition scholarships.
Students wishing to be considered for assistantships should apply and make sure that all materials are received by the department by January 15th to be fully considered for financial assistance for the following academic year. Applications will be accepted and decisions will continue after the January 15 date, but later applications may miss financial aid decision deadlines. Decisions are usually made between February and April.
For more information about graduate assistantships through the Graduate School, please click here.
Fellowships
Fellowships are non-service awards made to students with superior academic credentials. Recipients of fellowships receive monthly stipends, and most receive full-tuition scholarships and health insurance. Graduate programs nominate students for fellowships by February and award recipients are notified by early May.
For more information about the fellowship, please click here.
Loan
U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens may apply for federally supported loans through the UK Student Financial Aid Office. To be considered, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available in the UK Student Financial Aid Office, 127 Funkhouser Building, Lexington, KY 40506-0054, (859) 257-3172. Students may also apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov
Health Insurance
University-funded health insurance coverage is available for recipients of assistantships and fellowships. Please click here for more information, or contact Emily James at: emily.james@uky.edu, (859) 257-3261.
Deadlines, Qualifications: Please check the UK Graduate School website for more details.
Assistantships:
* Students wishing to be considered fully for assistantships should complete their application by January 15th for funding for the next academic year.
Application Deadlines
*Domestic Students - (including all transcripts and official scores) must be received by the Graduate School no later than one month prior to the start of the term the applicant intends to begin graduate work. Please refer to the Academic Calendar for typical semester starting dates.
Please note that July 23, 2010 – Friday is the deadline for applying for admission to the Graduate School and to the Department of Political Science for the 2010 Fall Semester.
* International Students - International applications (including all transcripts and other supporting documents) should reach the Admissions Office of the Graduate School and Dept. of Political Science at least six months before the beginning of the semester that that you wish to begin graduate work Deadline to apply for Fall 2010 semester is February 1st, 2010. Deadline to apply for Spring 2011 semester is June 15th, 2010.
* GRE/TOEFL Educational Testing Service (ETS) Code: University of Kentucky 1837, Department of Political Science 1902
The University of Kentucky requires a minimum score of 550 on paper-based for the Test of English as a Second Language (TOEFL) for all applicants whose native language is not English. (The equivalent score on the computer version of the TOEFL is 213 and the internet-based test is 79). * Please visit the following Graduate School sites for more information:
http://www.research.uky.edu/gs/bulletin/current/bull09_Part1.pdf
International Applicant Menu, International Application Deadlines.
Applications are welcome from qualified persons anywhere in the U.S. or abroad; an undergraduate major in political science is not required. Students who have already completed a master's degree or who have undertaken graduate study in political science are also encouraged to apply.