Admissions Information

Questions? Please call the Government Department at (202) 687-6130 or email the Program at maag@georgetown.edu

Tuition and Fees

For the 2026-2027 school year, the Graduate Studies tuition rate is $2,758 per credit hour.  All graduate students, with the exception of Biomedical students, will be assessed tuition charges based on the number of credit hours for which the student is enrolled. Learn more.

Please note that full-time Georgetown students are required to carry health insurance, either through a Georgetown or an equivalent plan. For further information, please consult Georgetown’s Student Affairs website.

“Yates” Recreational Fee: All full-time students are also required to pay a recreational facility fee (known as the “Yates” fee). This fee is optional for part-time students. For further information, please consult the Yates website.

Application materials 

• Online application
• Resume or CV
• Statement of purpose
• Academic transcripts
• Three letters of recommendation
• Academic writing sample
• Demonstration of English language proficiency
• Non-refundable application fee ($90)
• GRE scores (Optional)
• Diversity, personal background and contributions statement (Optional)

Online application

Applications are submitted through our online application portal.

Resume or CV

You must upload a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) to your online application. It should describe your work experience, extracurricular or volunteer activities, academic institutions attended, list of published work and any academic honors or awards. There is no page limit, though we recommend a one- to two-page resume.

Statement of purpose

Your statement of purpose should be approximately 500 words. Use it to address your intellectual interests, academic and professional objectives and proposed topic of graduate study. A strong statement of purpose will clearly demonstrate your interest and ability to contribute to the field of American Government and political science in general, and the Georgetown M.A. Program in American Government in particular. Avoid simply listing your accomplishments and previous academic or work experiences.

Academic transcripts

Transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended are required. Review the University Office of Graduate Studies transcript FAQs for more information.

Academic transcript submissions

• Step 1: Request a copy of your official transcript from your institution(s).
• Step 2: Upload the transcript to your application.

An acceptable transcript is a copy of an official transcript produced by the institution, including:

• Scanned copies of paper transcripts issued by the institution.
• Electronic transcripts issued by the institution (not a download from your institution’s web portal).

We do not accept screenshots, photos or downloads of the “student’s view” from your institution’s website.

Non-U.S. college or university academic transcripts 

Applicants who have attended institutions outside of the United States are strongly encouraged to upload their transcripts in the form of World Education Services Credential Evaluations or to utilize other credential evaluation services that are members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. If the evaluation does not include a copy of the evaluated transcripts, you must upload both the transcripts from the institution and the credential evaluation as one document to the application.

• Transcripts not in English must be accompanied by an English language version provided by the academic institution. If your institution does not provide English language copies, you must provide a certified or notarized translation with a copy of the original transcripts. You may upload an evaluation from a credential evaluation service that must include course and grade information. Both the evaluation and the original transcript should be submitted in the application as one document.
• If you have study abroad and/or transfer coursework listed on your undergraduate transcripts with the grades earned, you do NOT need to list these institutions separately or upload transcripts. If courses are not listed on your primary institution’s transcript or the transfer courses do not show course grades, please list the institution(s) separately and upload the transcript(s).

Admitted students 

If you receive an offer of admission, you are required to submit official transcripts, which are transcripts submitted directly to Georgetown by the institution you attended, for verification before enrolling. Do not send electronic or paper copies of your official transcripts before receiving an offer of admission. Georgetown reserves the right to request any missing transcripts or an official copy of a transcript at any point during the application and/or admission process. Georgetown also reserves the right to withdraw any offer of admission already made if there is any discrepancy between a transcript uploaded in the application and the final official transcript received.

Letters of recommendation

You must submit three official recommendations from people who can assess your potential for graduate study, including professors or professional supervisors. We encourage you to choose at least one academic source to write a recommendation.

The University Office of Graduate Studies utilizes a secure online recommendation system that will:

• Email your recommendation providers with instructions for online submission of the recommendation.
• Allow applicants to track recommendations received or not received and follow up with recommenders who still need to submit their appraisals.
• Expedite the processing of the recommendations, which will be included in the online application once submitted.
• Automatically notify you when recommendations have been received.

Academic writing sample

You must submit an academic writing sample that is 10-20 pages. It should demonstrate your ability to conduct scholarly research, construct a well-formed argument, and cite sources appropriately . If you have work experience, you may submit a professional writing sample. You should be the sole author of any writing sample.

Demonstration of English language proficiency

All applicants are required to demonstrate a level of proficiency in the English language in order to be eligible for admission. Proficiency can be demonstrated by the receipt of a bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction. All other applicants must demonstrate proficiency by submitting an official TOEFL or IELTS score. Our program requires a TOEFL score of at least 100 (original TOEFL iBT score scale) or 5 (new TOEFL iBT score scale beginning January 21, 2026), or an IELTS score of at least 7.5.

Non-refundable application fee ($90)

You must submit a $90 non-refundable application fee, payable online via credit card or e-check. Please do not send a personal check or money order.

GRE scores

Optional 

While we do require you to submit official GRE test scores, we do recommend that you do so. Official scores must be sent by the testing agency and be received by the application deadline to be considered. Our GRE institutional code is 5244. 

Diversity, personal background, and contributions 

Optional statement 

As Georgetown is a diverse, global community, we encourage you to upload a brief statement of up to 500 words to help the Admissions Committee understand the contribution your personal background and individual experiences would make to our community. As appropriate, you may wish to address any educational, economic and social experiences that have helped to shape your educational and professional goals, or how your background (e.g., first-generation student, travels outside the U.S.) or activities (e.g., community service and leadership) will contribute to the diversity of perspectives and ideas at Georgetown University.

Experiencing issues with the application?

If you experience any issues uploading the application materials to the online application portal, please contact Georgetown’s Office of Graduate Admissions by emailing gradmail@georgetown.edu or calling +1(202) 687-5568.Send us an email