Political Science > Prospective Students > Admissions
Admission (M.A. & Ph.D.)
Students with baccalaureate degrees from accredited U.S. institutions of higher learning or with foreign baccalaureate degrees equivalent to the U.S. bachelor's degree may apply to be admitted to the department if their academic records meet UHM Graduate Division standards. Normally this means a grade point average of 3.0 or better on a four-point scale.
The evaluation of applications involves two phases. An initial screening is done by the University's Graduate Division to ascertain whether the applicant meets minimum entry criteria specified in the current University of Hawai`i at Manoa General and Graduate Information Catalog. Applications are then forwarded to the department for review by three faculty members. Their recommendations then go to the department's Admissions Committee for final decisions.
Applications for admission are considered only for the fall semester. The deadline for applications is February 1 for U.S. residents and January 15 for foreign students (due to extra time required for processing foreign documents) for admission in the fall of the same year.
- Graduate Application and Application fee (online or hardcopy)
- Supplemental Information Form and Statement of Objectives
- 3 Letters of Recommendation
- Official Transcripts from all institutitions attended [one copy sent to the department and one copy sent to the Graduate Admissions Office]
- Writing Sample (such as an article or term paper to demonstrate your writing ability)
- TOEFL Scores sent directly from ETS (International Students only. TOEFL minimum: 540)
- Confidential Financial Statement Form for International Applicants
- Residency Declaration Form for State of Hawaii Residents
Graduate Division Pacific Asian Scholarship Application
Graduate Division Tuition Waiver Application
Teaching Apprenticeship Application
January 15 for Foreign Applicants
February 1 for U.S. Applicants
The GRE is no longer required for admission. However, students may elect to take the exam as many University scholarships still require it. [Note: Only official transcripts are accepted. There is no spring admission for political science].
Students who are currently enrolled in the master's program and wish to apply for the doctoral program should follow the procedure described in the department's Policy Guideline of February 24, 1995, on M.A. Applicants to Ph.D. Program.
Applying for Reconsideration: You may apply to the Graduate Division for reconsideration after you have fulfilled the requirements as specified on your denial letter. Your application will then be reviewed along with all others who are being considered for that particular semester. Please understand that admission is not guaranteed. Further information and application forms may be obtained from the Graduate Admissions Office , 2540 Maile Way, Spalding 354, Honolulu, Hawai`i 96822, Telephone: (808) 956-8544. Application deadlines are listed in the Graduate Admissions Application & Information Forms.
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