PhD Admissions | Department of Political Science

Graduate Admissions Information: PhD

The online application can be accessed here.The deadline to apply for admission for the academic year 2023-24 is January 13th, 2023. The application system closes at midnight (Eastern Time Zone).

All application materials must be uploaded with your application.

Admission

The department of Political Science only reviews applications for students that will be entering our program during the fall semester.

The Political Science Doctoral Program admits admit students who intend to complete the Ph.D., although students are eligible to receive the M.A.

Applicants who apply for the PhD but are not offered admission, may contact the department to be considered for the M.A. in Political Science program (an additional application fee will not be required).

Application Requirements

A complete application consists of the following documentation:

Stony Brook University online application including statement of purpose.
Applicants must have an earned baccalaureate degree with a grade point average of 3.0 or better (on a 4.0 scale) equivalent to a U.S. baccalaureate degree.
Three letters of recommendation. These letters should be academic, but consideration will also be given to non-academic letters. Letters must be uploaded online by the recommender using the link which will be sent via email.

Transcripts should be uploaded as part of your application. Additionaly, upon acceptance, official transcripts are required. Official e-transcripts sent directly from the Office of the Registrar at your institution are acceptable. E-transcript orders should be sent to gradadmissions@stonybrook.edu. Please note that all physical mail is being forwarded to an imaging service and sent back to our office digitally; therefore, receipt of physical mail may be delayed. Mail should be sent using United States Postal Services (USPS), not other mailing services.

Please mail official materials to :

Office of Graduate and Health Sciences Admissions
Health Sciences Tower
Stony Brook University
Level 2, Room 271
Stony Brook, New York 11794-8276

Phone:    (631) 444-2111
Fax:    (631) 444-6035
General E-mail:       gradadmissions@stonybrook.edu

TOEFL scores reported directly to Stony Brook (code 2548).
GRE scores are waived for the 22-23 admissions cycle.
Proof of Permanent Residency is required for students who declare themselves as Permanent Residents
Application fee of $100 (credit Card).

Statement of Purpose

The Statement of Purpose should sufficiently describe your reasons for applying to the PhD program in Political Science program at Stony Brook University. Your statement should address:

Research Interests
Background in Political Science
Career plans
Additional interests or information that can assist the admissions committee in evaluating your application.

The Statement of Purpose should not exceed two double spaced pages (approx. 500 words).

TOEFL or IELTS

These scores are required for applicants who declare a language other than English as their native language. The Graduate School will not accept any test scores that are more than 2 years old based on the application deadline date. For example, TOEFL exams taken prior to January 2016 will not be accepted for applications due on January 15, 2018.
The Department of Political Science does not waive the TOEFL/IELTS/ Duelingo requirements under any conditions.

Minimum Scores:

IELTS: Overall score of 6.5, with no subsection recommended to be below 6
TOEFL: 90 for admission to a doctoral program and to be eligible for consideration for TA/GA support
There are no exceptions for these minimum score requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Some of my letters of recommendation might arrive after the deadline. Is this acceptable?

Please note that as soon as you enter your recommender’s e-mail address in your application and save it, they will be sent a link (even if you have not submitted your application). It is therefore recommended that you do this as early in the application process as possible.

Your letter writers should submit their letters by the posted deadline: January 15th. Applications with missing letters of recommendations will still be reviewed by the committee for consideration. While recommenders may upload outstanding letters after January 15th , there's no guarantee they will be read by the committee.

Can letters of recommendation be submitted via snail mail or Interfolio?

No. Letters of recommendation should be submitted through the online application system.

Att: Carri Ann Horner
Political Science
Stony Brook University
S707 Social and Behavioral Sciences
Stony Brook, NY 11794-4392

Can you tell me if you received my transcripts/test scores/letters of recommendation?

We will update all applicant application status pages online (weekly). Please note that due to the volume of documents we receive, it can take several business days for updates of materials to be reflected.

If you have uploaded your transcripts, but we have not received the official mailed versions, your status will show it as either “missing” or “received unofficial.” The system will not show the status of your application as “complete” however your file can still be reviewed.

Test scores usually take longer as they enter a central database before being manually applied to applications.

I asked ETS to send my GRE scores in a previous year. Do I need to resubmit my GRE or TOEFL scores?

As long as the scores are within the time frame listed above, we should be able to retrieve them.

Can I contact someone before applying to discuss my interest in the program?

Applicants are welcome to contact our PhD Recruitment Director, Dr. Andy Delton.

E-mail: andrew.delton@stonybrook.edu

If you have additional questions or issues with application process, please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator, Carri Horner. Please note that during admission season, e-mail is preferred.

Phone: 631-632-7667
E-mail: carri.horner@stonybrook.edu

Will I have a chance visit before I accept an offer of admission?