Application and Admission

December 15, 2023 – Domestic and International Student application deadline to be admitted for Fall 2024 and be considered for funding.

Instructions and deadlines for submitting applications are available at: UIC Graduate Admissions.  Three to five days after submission, an applicant receives an e-mail notifying receipt of the application and logon information to an individual application file where required supplemental documents may be uploaded. Supplemental materials include academic transcripts, GRE scores (Optional), a personal statement, and 3 letters of recommendation.  International applicant files must include Toefl or IELTS scores.  Financial documentation will be requested of accepted international applicants. See UIC Office of International Services for information: www.ois.uic.edu.

Throughout the spring, completed application files are reviewed by the UIC Political Science Department Graduate Admissions Committee and then by the UIC Graduate College and UIC Office of Graduate Admissions. Applicants who have been recommended to the Graduate College for admission by the department will be informed by the department’s Director of Graduate Studies. Official letters of admission are subsequently sent by the Graduate College.  Rejected applicants are notified by the Office of Admissions.

Applicants are considered on a competitive basis. Applicants are admitted for fall semester only.  To be considered for admission, applicants must have a minimum grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study and all post-baccalaureate study.  Submission of GRE scores is optional, and scores above the 50th percentile rank are strongly preferred.

Application for fellowships and teaching assistantships is separate from admission.  If you are admitted and have been awarded financial aid, you will receive notice in a separate letter during the spring semester.  The University of Illinois at Chicago is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools https://cgsnet.org/  and follows their guideline for applicant acceptance of awards.

Admitted applicants should inform the department of their intent to register. Students are invited to meet with the Graduate Director or with the Graduate Advisor before registering. New student registration for Fall Semester is usually held during May.  Fall classes begin in late August.

Students may request deferred admission for one academic year.  Requests must be made in writing to the department before the first day of the original term of admission.

The non-degree graduate admission classification is designed for individuals who would like to enroll in graduate level courses for professional or personal enrichment and/or who are considering an application to the degree program. Non-degree status does not guarantee admission to degree-seeking status.

General, at-large non-degree application requires admission by the Graduate Office of Admission and Records.

Please note:  To register for political science graduate courses, general non-degree students must meet course prerequisites and are required to obtain consent from the instructor prior to enrollment.

Non-degree students who wish to apply for degree status must make formal application and follow the same procedures and meet the same deadlines as all other applicants (see application instructions). Eight semester hours of credit earned as a non-degree student may apply towards a political science graduate degree.  No grades lower than B are accepted.

International students must comply with the regular admission requirements as outlined in this packet.  A person who has completed studies outside the United States must present all post-secondary school credentials. Unofficial transcripts uploaded by the applicant are accepted for admission but official transcripts and grade sheets must be received by the end of the fall semester in order for a student to continue at the university. Documents not written in English must be accompanied by certified English translations.  In most cases, it is advantageous for applicants to have their credentials evaluated by a professional credential evaluation services such as AACRAO.  Copies may be considered acceptable when certified as authentic by the issuing institution.

Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language, administered by the Educational Testing Service within two years prior to admission.  The minimum TOEFL score accepted by the Graduate College is 550 (paper-based test) or 213 (computer-based test). The minimum TOEFL iBT scores accepted for admission to the Graduate College are: Reading 19, Speaking 20, Listening 17, Writing 21, and Total 80. The TOEFL is administered in regular intervals at testing centers throughout the world.  For information and test dates please visit the Educational Testing Services.

Students who have completed at least two academic years of full-time study in a country where English is the native language and in a school where English is the language of instruction within five years of the proposed date of enrollment at UIC, may submit a written request to the Office of Admissions for exemption from the TOEFL examination.

International students must be able to certify that they can finance themselves fully, including room and board, tuition, books, other expenses and travel to and from the United States.  Please see the Office of International Students website for information regarding estimated expenses. Applicants who are unable to show satisfactory evidence of adequate finances or who have not sent a notarized certified statement that verifies and documents their source of funding will not be granted admission.  Official admission letters and visa documents cannot be issued until certification is received.

Qualified international students may apply for fellowships, assistantships, and tuition waivers in equal competition with United States applicants.  This financial assistance is awarded on the basis of outstanding scholarship, the potential to undertake research, and departmental need.

The Office of International Services provides more information relating to finances, immigration regulations, and cross-cultural activities and programs.  Foreign students should report to the Office of International Services as soon as possible after their arriving in Chicago and are encouraged to participate in the orientation program held during the week to the start of the semester.

Campus Housing

Admitted students can obtain a housing application and information by clicking here.

English Language Study

The Tutorium in Intensive English is designed for international students who wish to improve their command of the English language. Completion of the course does not waive the TOEFL requirement.  For information please click here.

Various types of financial assistance are available each year to promising students in all fields of study in the Graduate College. Information below deals chiefly with aid administered by the University of Illinois at Chicago. Other fellowships are offered by foundations, industrial organizations, and individuals. Further information and application procedures for sponsored fellowships may be obtained by contacting the agency concerned.

The Political Science Department offers department fellowships, campus fellowship nominations, assistantships, and tuition and fee waivers to some of our graduate students. We also endeavor to locate financial aid opportunities in other university departments and through outside sources.

Campus Fellowship Nominations

Visit https://grad.uic.edu/funding-awards/graduate-funding-overview/  for information about college and campus financial aid opportunities.

Department Financial Aid

Assistantships, which include a monthly stipend and tuition and fee waiver, are awarded through the Political Science Department contingent on yearly funding.  Funding does not exist to cover all students in the program.  Although most teaching assistantship appointments are awarded to graduate students who have completed one or more semesters of study, a limited number of appointments are available for exceptional first-year students.  Graduate appointments are awarded based on academic merit. We do not assess financial need when awarding assistantships. The department awards the Doris A. Graber Award to outstanding first-year or continuing students, and the Ragsdale Award to an outstanding first year student.

Tuition and Fee Waivers are available each semester.  The Graduate College provides a few independent Board of Trustee Tuition and Service Fee Waivers to each department for talented full-time students.  These are awarded by the department based on merit.

Illinois Veterans Scholarships covering application fees, tuition and part of the service fees are available to persons who served in the Armed Forces on or before May 7, 1975.

University Administered Loans and Work Study opportunities are coordinated by the Office of Student Financial Aid from a variety of federal and state financial aid programs.  Graduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible for Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Direct Loans, and Federal Work Study.

The Student Employment Office Job Center, assists students in finding employment to help defray educational costs.  It maintains job listings of part- and full-time openings on the campus as well as in agencies and business firms in the Chicago area. https://studentemployment.uic.edu/