Admissions and advising

Admission to the M.A. program in political science is based upon the completion of the general admission requirements of the Office of Graduate Studies. Applicants must have completed a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or similar undergraduate degree, such as a Bachelor of Science, from an accredited university or college. A BA in Political Science is not required; many of our students come from other departments and programs.

Application materials consistent of three components:

• Online application form: ApplyUTA
• Official transcripts from all previous university or college courses and degrees. These should be sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies.
• Three letters of recommendation. These should favorably assess the applicant’s potential success in a graduate program and in the field of Political Science. Letters should be sent by the letter-writers directly to the Graduate Adviser, either via email or hard copy. At least two letters should come from university/college faculty.

International students must meet or exceed the minimum university standard on the TOEFL (550 for paper examination, 213 for computer examination), TOEFL iBT (total score of 79 with sectional scores that meet or exceed 22 for the writing section, 21 for the speaking section, 20 for the reading section, and 16 for the listening section), TSE (40), or the IELTS (6.5).

The Graduate Adviser and the Department will review the application package in its entirety. If an applicant has already earned an advanced degree, the Graduate Adviser and the Department will evaluate the applicant’s academic performance in obtaining that degree equally with the undergraduate performance.

Several factors matter for a decision to accept or deny an applicant. To this end the department has three categories of acceptance: unconditional admission, probationary admission, and provisional admission.

Unconditional Admission

An applicant may be accepted for unconditional admission if all of the above components of the application package are properly submitted, and all three of the following criteria are met and all three give strong indication of likely success in the program.

1. An undergraduate GPA of 3.00 or greater (as calculated by the Office of Graduate Studies) in the last 60 credit hours of completing an undergraduate BA or BS degree from an accredited institution (as verified by the Office of Graduate Studies).
2. Adequate preparation and satisfactory performance in Political Science courses or courses in related disciplines.
3. Three letters of recommendation (including at least two from university/college faculty) that indicate satisfaction with the applicant’s work and demonstrate a strong likelihood for success in the program and in the field of Political Science.

Provisional Admission

An applicant unable to supply all required documentation prior to the admission deadline, but otherwise appears to meet admission requirements, may be granted provisional admission. Provisionally admitted students must adequately satisfy any incomplete documentation by the end of the semester in which they are admitted. If the applicant fails to do so, the Department may then reclassify the applicant’s admission status as probationary or ask the student to leave the program.

Probationary Admission

Students who do not qualify for unconditional admission may be considered for probationary admission if they satisfy any two of the three requirements for unconditional admission listed above as well as demonstrate potential for success in line with the necessary application materials. Applicants with a reported grade point average below 2.70, however, will not be eligible for probationary admission.

Students on probationary status must earn a B or better in the first 12 hours of graduate coursework at UT Arlington in order to remain in the program.

Deferral

A deferred decision may be granted when a file is incomplete, when a student wishes to reapply in the next semester, or when a denial decision is not appropriate.

Denial

An application will be denied if it does not meet the criteria listed above, does not demonstrate potential for success, or the applicant’s grade point average is below 2.70.

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact the graduate advisor, Brent Boyea, at boyea@uta.edu.