Apply to the Ph.D. Program

What we would like to see addressed in your “Academic Statement of Purpose” (no more than 3 pages):

• What is your academic background? 
• What question(s) and/or topic(s) are of interest to you – do you have specific (or broad) ideas about what you would like to study in graduate school?
• Are there specific faculty members in SGPP with whom you would like to work? How do their academic interests complement your own? 
• What methodological approaches do you want to use to address these questions? For example, what kind of data, cases, and/or methods are of interest to you? Discuss your previous preparations for this aspect of the research process. That could include one or more of the following, but it is certainly not limited to these options: 
  • Successful completion of academic coursework or training programs/certificates in research methods.
  • Relevant analytical skills developed and employed through your work experience. 
  • Your quantitative GRE score. (Note that, as with other items on this list of suggestions, this is optional. We do not require the GRE for admission, and we will not assume anything if you choose not to discuss it in this document.) 
  • One or more academic articles/books that adopt an empirical approach that you find compelling.

What we would like to see addressed in your “Personal Statement” (no more than 2 pages):

• Why do you want to pursue a PhD? How will this degree help you to achieve your career goals?
• Why do you want to pursue a PhD at UArizona, specifically?
• How have your identities and past experiences shaped your academic interests and prepared you for graduate school? This might include discussing some or all of the following:
  • How have your cultural, geographical, financial, and/or educational backgrounds and experiences presented opportunities and/or challenges for you?
  • How have these backgrounds and experiences motivated you to pursue a PhD, and how might they help you succeed in our program?
  • If you have written a senior or master’s thesis or conducted some other major independent or collaborative research project, how did that experience influence your PhD goals?
  • Do you have experience as a research and/or teaching assistant?
  • Did you work in a position that made you want to explore some process more deeply?

The Personal Statement must be uploaded in the supplemental questions section of the application.

A bachelor's degree with an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.00 is required for admission. Please upload unofficial transcripts from all institutions where you have received college credit to your GradApp profile.

International applicants are required to complete the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) if your native language is not English or if you have not received an undergraduate degree from an institution where English is the exclusive medium of instruction.

If you wish to be considered for financial support via an assistantship, you must score a minimum of 24 on the speaking element of the TOEFL IBT or a minimum of 7.5 on the speaking section of the IELTS. Scores should be submitted through ETS using institution code 4832, or as a PDF document in the supplemental question section of the application.

Applicants may qualify for an exemption of this requirement of admission per the Graduate College, however, scores are still required for the eligibility of receiving a graduate assistant position.  Additional information can be found at https://grad.arizona.edu/admissions/requirements/international-applicants#english-proficiency. 

Three letters of recommendation are required from three individuals who can speak to your academic potential, including knowledge and creativity, communication skills, and ability to complete projects.  Letters of recommendation are submitted by the letter writers through the online application system.

Applicants should submit a writing sample that represents your original research/work. The writing sample should not exceed 25 pages in length and must uploaded in the supplemental questions section of the application.