Admission Requirements and Application Procedure
Admission Requirements
- Applicants should have an upper second class honor degree or higher undergraduate degree from an established college or university. GPA scores of at least 3.3 out of 4, or equivalent, will be expected from international applicants. A background in a social science will be an advantage but not a necessity. Applications are expected from candidates with a single or joint honours degree in Political Science, Economics, European Studies, History, Sociology, Business and Law. Other subject areas will also be considered.
- All applicants must fulfil the College entry requirements
- International applicants must fulfil the international student entry requirements
- Applicants whose first language is not English and who have not been educated through the medium of English must fulfil the College Postgraduate English language requirements
Application Procedure
Applicants must upload the following documentation via the online application portal (all documents must be supplied in English, or the original document plus official translation submitted):
- Official transcript(s)
- (Or unofficial/partial transcript(s) if you have not yet completed your undergraduate course. The final transcript must be submitted before an unconditional offer can be made). A transcript is a full list of all course components taken, along with grades/marks achieved in each.
- Copy of degree certificate(s)
- Two letters of recommendation
- Once an application is submitted, automatic emails are sent from the Academic Registry department to the nominated referees with a request to complete and upload their reference letters to the application portal.
- Two academic references are preferable but where two are not available, one academic reference and one professional reference will be accepted.
- Curriculum Vitae
- Writing sample
- The writing sample can be a paper written for a previous course, or a chapter from an undergraduate thesis if you are writing one. It is expected to be somewhere between 12 and 20 pages long. A sample of academic or research-related writing - an essay or term paper, for example - is much preferred, but where the applicant cannot provide a sample of academic writing, other writing samples will be considered.
- Motivation letter/personal statement
- There is no required length for the motivation letter, a single page would suffice.
- Valid English language test result (if applicable - see above)
Applications for 2025-26 are now open. The application deadline is 30th June 2025.
Once all application documentation is in place, the application will be assessed within the Department of Political Science, and a recommendation will be made (generally within 3-4 days). This recommendation will then be reviewed by the Academic Registry department and a decision will be listed on the application portal. If a place on the course is offered, the applicant will have three weeks to accept the place and make their deposit payment. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis during the admissions process (November to June) until the course is full.
Enquiries
Course enquiries may be directed to the Course Administrator or the Associate Director of the M.Sc. in International Politics, Dr Matthias Dilling. We strongly advise that you read the page on Frequently Asked Questions before emailing.
Enquiries regarding application portal functionality, including related fees, should be directed to Academic Registry.