harvard political science phd acceptance rate

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Information for prospective graduate students

Like all of my colleagues, I receive a large number of email queries from prospective students about the application process to Harvard's Government Department. In case it's helpful, then, a couple of pieces of advice specific to the graduate program here at Harvard, before some more general advice about graduate school applications, including some thoughts from friends and colleagues in the discipline:

You may wish to consult the information posted on the Government department website , which has more details about the program and admissions process, as well as descriptions of research interests of current graduate students and faculty members. Unlike PhD programs in other disciplines/countries, our admissions process does not rely on faculty sponsors: that is, if you’re admitted, you’re admitted to the program more generally, rather than to work with a specific faculty member. In this sense, because the admissions process is centralized, and there aren't particular slots reserved for particular supervisors, you don’t need to go through the hassle of contacting individual faculty members to tell them that you're applying, ask them if they're taking graduate students (we are!), or ask them to sign off on your application or research interests. (There is a misperception that contacting faculty of interest increases your odds of getting in; it does not. The application website at Harvard includes a box where applicants can indicate which faculty they've been in touch with, but to my knowledge, no one looks at this.) Similarly, the sheer number of applications we receive (in a 1993 PS article, King, Bruce and Gilligan report the Government department was receiving ~700 applications a year) means that it's logistically impossible for us to meet with all of the prospective applicants who might wish to do so. The good news is that because the admissions process is centralized, this isn't something you need to do anyway! If you're admitted to the program, we'll fly you in to meet with us, so you'll have ample chance to meet with us then, figure out if the program is a good fit, and so on.

General advice about graduate school applications in political science

One of the challenges about offering more general advice about applying to PhD programs in political science is that the process is so idiosyncratic, both across subfields (a competitive file in political theory might look very different than in American politics), across institutions (some schools care a lot about subfield divisions, and others don't believe in subfields altogether), across time (who happens to be on the admissions committee that year often determines which files make it to the top), and across space (the information below is probably the most useful for applications to schools in the United States). Moreover, given structural changes in post-secondary education that have shrunk the size of the academic job market, there are plenty of good arguments against doing a PhD! The advice below, then, is focused less on the question of whether you should apply to PhD programs (though some of the advice from colleagues below speaks to this point), and more on demystifying the admissions process itself. In general you can think of graduate school applications as a signaling problem. Admissions committees are looking through hundreds upon hundreds of applications spanning thousands upon thousands of pages, trying to predict from your file whether you'll be able to succeed in their graduate program. At many of the top PhD programs, then, it's not about trying to figure out whether you're smart, but about trying to figure out if you're ready. So, committees are going to be looking for signals to help gauge how ready you are, both in your materials, and in letters from your letter writers. Here are a couple of things I wish I knew about this process when I was applying to graduate school.

Signaling you understand the field

Sometimes advisors will tell you about the importance of asking an interesting question in your research statement, but this isn't very actionable advice, because few of us deliberately study things we think are boring — and how do you know if your question will count as interesting to admissions committees? A better way to think about this is as an encouragement to do some reading. Academic disciplines are collective enterprises, in which scholarship is produced in conversation with others. Your research statement is a chance to show that you understand where the conversation is going. If you take a look at the recent books published in your subfield of interest at Princeton University Press or Cambridge University Press , for example, and read the first chapters of the ones that interest you (often times the first chapters are available free online!), what sorts of questions are they about? Take a look at articles published recently in the journals where the faculty you want to work have published. If some of them seems interesting to you, read them, along with some of the other articles they cite. Read pieces written by the faculty you want to work with too. The more you read, the better the sense you'll have of the landscape of the field, and the better sense you'll have about how to "sell" your interests. This is also helpful because sometimes the way we're exposed to the field in the introductory undergraduate classes that first hook us on the topic may not represent the state of the discipline. Similarly, when I was applying to PhD programs, the field looked very different in Canada, where I was from, than in the United States. You should ask one of your advisers to take a look at your research statement to solicit their feedback before you send off your application. Signaling you understand the field also matters in other ways: in your statement of purpose, if all of the faculty members you indicate you're interested in working with are outside of your subfield of interest, or who do work of a very different style (e.g. you want to do game theory, and they do critical theory, or vice versa), or are all in a different department, that can be a sign to admissions committees that you haven't done your homework.

Signaling you understand how to do research

If being a successful undergraduate student is typically about being a skilled consumer of research, being a successful graduate student is typically about being a skilled producer of research. Having previous research experience is valuable not only because it will teach you whether you really want to apply for grad school in the first place, but also because it will help you better understand the field , help you produce a strong writing sample , and help you get stronger letters . Not everyone gets the chance to do a lot of research in college, but research experience can take a variety of forms, from writing a senior or master's thesis, to working as a research assistant, either in college or afterwards. The kind of research experience you'd want to have is likely is going to vary based on the kind of work you're interested in doing (e.g. in parts of comparative politics, many applicants often have spent a year working as an RA or predoctoral associate running studies and analyzing data, which isn't necessarily the norm in quadrants of the field that don't rely as heavily on field experiments), but more experience is usually better than less. There are also a number of programs that offer research opportunities to college graduates from historically underrepresented groups. If this applies to you, you should speak to one of your advisers.

What makes an informative writing sample?

Some writing samples are more informative than others. If possible, your writing sample should be a solo-authored piece (i.e., isn't coauthored with one of your advisors, whereupon admissions committees might be unsure about how much of the work you did, even if you did the whole thing!), written in the subfield you're interested in studying (i.e. if you want to study American politics, your writing sample should ideally be about American politics, not IR). Ideally, it should also be consistent with the norms of academic research in whatever subfield you're studying (for most subfields, it shouldn't just be a literature review, political commentary, or a book report, say).

What makes a useful letter of reference?

The most helpful letters come from faculty members who can speak to your ability to conduct academic research in the discipline you want to study. Letters from celebrities, politicians, your boss in a non-research-based job, and so on, are going to be less useful to you, since they can't credibly speak to what you need your letters to speak to. This is another reason why having research experience before applying to graduate school is useful, since letter writers who you work as a research assistant for are well positioned to speak to your abilities in this front. Similarly, although it's not at all the case that you need to be a political science major in college in order to get into political science PhD programs, you do want to have at least one of your letters come from a political scientist, ideally in the subfield you want to study. (Chemists and comparative literature professors, say, can speak to your ability to do research, but not necessarily your ability to conduct research in political science).

Strong GRE scores

When I was applying to graduate school, I assumed that everyone understood that standardized tests were noisy and imperfect measures and that admissions committees wouldn't place much weight on them. Suffice it to say, the admissions committees at the schools I applied to disagreed! Regardless of how much weight committees should place on the GRE (although many critiques of the diagnostic value of the GRE suffer from some methodological flaws ), however, many do take them into account (although some departments have made them optional in recent cycles). For those programs that do require GREs, these scores are useful because they provide one of the few metrics in common across files that typically differ from one another along a large number of dimensions. (When I'm on admissions, I might not know how to compare a 3.9 GPA at school X with a 3.7 GPA in a different program of study at school Y, but I know how to compare a 168 GRE with a 160). You're unlikely to get into a graduate program just because of your GRE score (we reject applicants with 170/170 GREs all the time!), but doing well on the GRE (especially the quantitative score, since that's the part of the test that applicants tend to perform the most poorly on in relative terms) will be helpful. What counts as doing well will depend on the program to which you're applying (see some of the suggestions below for details).

Skills relevant to your proposed program of study

To some extent, your GPA matters less than the courses you've taken, or skills you've acquired. Admissions committees want to know whether you have the skills you need to do the research you're interested in. If you're interested in doing political economy-style work, a 4.0 GPA without any economics or math classes will be less helpful than a lower GPA that includes more technical coursework. Similarly, it's hard to study East Asian politics if you don't speak or have never studied any East Asian languages.

Additional resources

Finally, a number of friends and colleagues in the discipline have put together some helpful resources with advice about applying to PhD programs in political science in general, and in international relations in particular: "Should I Get a PhD?" is an interview-based site run by Tim Hopper that isn't specific to political science, but offers lots of helpful suggestions more generally about the more fundamental question of whether you should apply for a PhD in the first place. Dan Nexon has helpful advice at the Duck of Minerva on applying for a PhD in political science, and how to make your application more competitive. Nuno Monteiro has great advice both on how to decide whether to go to graduate school, and the tradeoffs between PhD programs (like those offered by the Government department) and MA programs (which the Government department doesn't currently offer as a standalone degree). Erica Chenoweth has similarly helpful advice; her discussion of the difference between policy-oriented degrees (like those offered at the Harvard Kennedy School ) versus academic degrees (like those offered in the Government department) is especially valuable. Steven Wilkinson has useful advice especially relevant for international applicants. Terri E. Givens has a series of helpful articles at Inside Higher Education on her graduate school experiences, especially relevant for first-generation students, and students of color. Duke's Sociology Department has a helpful FAQ page that's technically about applying to sociology PhD programs, but many of its suggestions apply to social science PhD programs more generally. Dan Drezner has a series of helpful posts at Foreign Policy on PhD programs in political science: see here for advice for undergraduates , here for advice for students who have already graduated , and here for advice on PhD applications for aspiring policymakers . Erin Simpson and Andrew Exum have helpful advice on the CNAS blog from the perspective of policymakers. Bradley Potter, Nathaniel Allen, and Torrey Taussig have helpful advice at War on the Rocks about good and not-so-good reasons to pursue a policy-oriented PhD. Chris Blattman has extensive advice on many of the above topics from a political economy perspective. Cyrus Samii has helpful advice on much of the above; his advice about applying to "boutique" departments is also particularly helpful. Justin Esarey has a helpful post on The Political Methodologist about how to know whether to apply to grad school in the first place, and if so, how to choose where to apply. Austin Carson has helpful advice on whether to go to grad school, along with what to do when you get there. Once you've been admitted to a PhD program, Chris Kennedy has useful advice about how to prepare for your first semester. Finally, here's some advice for early career researchers I was asked to put together by International Society of Political Psychology's Early Career Committee .

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Harvard University - acceptance rates of all degree programs

By cclangdell August 7, 2009 in Applications

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This is what I have found thus far from the open sources on the web.

Is there anyone who can fill in the blanks below?

I'm piling up Harvard's acceptance rates, partly for fun, partly for curiosity.

Just acceptance rates, please. (I know there are so many deeper issues than the rates, but, please. Rates.)

Harvard University - acceptance rates

English (PhD) - 2%

Clinical Psychology (PhD) - 2%

Medical School (MD) - 4.7%

Kennedy School (PhD) - 4.7%

Psychology (PhD, General)- 5%

Sociology (PhD) - 5%

Linguistics (PhD) - 5%

Philosophy (PhD) - 5%

Economics (PhD) - 5.7%

Business School (DBA, PhD) - 6.5%

College (AB, SB) - 7.1%

History (PhD) - 7.5%

Public Health (DSc) - 8%

Education School (EdD) - 8.9%

Political Science (PhD) - 9.2%

Divinity School (ThD) - 9.5%

Statistics (PhD) - 10%

Law School (JD) - 13%

Physics (PhD) - 13%

Business School (MBA) - 13.5%

Near Eastern Studies (PhD) - 15%

East Asian Studies (PhD) - 15%

Statistics (AM) - 25%

Divinity School (MDiv, MTS) - 27%

Kennedy School (MPP/MPA, etc.) - 35%

Kennedy School (MCMPA) - 50%

Education School (EdM) - 55%

East Asian Studies (AM) - 60%

Law School (SJD) - N/A (chosen from LLM)

Architecture (MArch) -

Architecture (DDes) -

Computer Science (PhD) -

Russian Literature (PhD) -

Biology (PhD) -

Chemistry (PhD) -

Mathematics (PhD) -

Dental School (DMD) -

* These rates are obtained from, and thus verifiable at, various internet websites.

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Cute, but not particularly useful until you cite your actual sources.

• abolitionista

Well, you can easily look up the numbers when you google with several key words. Also the majority of them are already up on their degree programs websites such as http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/programs_of ... ograms.php

Is there anyone who wants to (or can) add to the list?

purplepepper

those numbers seem to be pretty standard. i bet you'd get a 2% acceptance rate and any top English program, be it harvard or not.

The misleading thing is, for the most part you compete against people only in your subfield. so between 30 applicants who want to study the same thing--they'll take only 1 or 2.

circumfession

For the most competitive programs, the numbers might also be somewhat misleading because the sample size is so small, and there are so many factors that can affect the results. I know that Harvard English made far fewer offers this spring than usual, in part because far more students from the previous year accepted the offer than they had anticipated, so they cut the cohort size the next year to compensate. The acceptance rates--especially for those programs that matriculate fewer than 15 students a year--can vary widely, and can double or drop in half from year to year.

Top English programs tend to accept anywhere between 2-10% of their applicants (2-5% is more common). In reality, however, many applicants at these top programs really don't have much of a chance to begin with. Rather than a pool of 500, a strong applicant is really competing with, say, perhaps 100 well qualified peers for 10-25 offers. And as others have noted, the situation is even more complicated since at some programs (some, not all!) you're actually competing for certain fields and/or topics. It's pretty absymal, but not *quite* as bad as it seems.

"Fit," however, does make a huge difference. One ivy league English program did not accept *any* student who worked in either of two fields last year. Any applicant in those fields who paid close attention to the faculty list probably would not have applied in the first place, since this school was no longer a strong place for it, but a less observant student who was applying blindly to all the Ivy's wouldn't have stood a chance.

Is there any chance you remember where you got the statistics for the Kennedy School? They are not published online. From what Kennedy's admission committee suggests, its admission rate for its MPP program is 20%, for their MPA 25%, and for their PhD (Government/Public Policy) 7%.

I remember their old official website (when it was KSG, not the current HKS) clearly stated in the FAQ section that the average acceptance rate for their master's programs is about 1/3 (confirmed by various websites), and the doctoral program less than 5%. Government/Public Policy PhD is a GSAS program, I believe, which I labeled as Political Science in the original post. The exact rates for every year will be fluctuating slightly around the average. I'm pretty sure about KSG's rates.

• 1 month later...
• balderdash , at249 and expressionista

• 4 weeks later...

i think the information up there is quite reliable. I heard from the admission director of the Kennedy School that their acceptance rate for the PhD program has been lower than 5% for the past several years.

• 2 months later...
• expressionista and balderdash

Engineering is 15% over all disciplines

Engineering Majors (PhD) - 15+%

The acceptance rate for Harvard is actually 4.1% if I am to believe the Admission Committee.

• 7 months later...

DrFaustus666

Harvard University - acceptance rates English (PhD) - 2% Clinical Psychology (PhD) - 2% Medical School (MD) - 4.7% Kennedy School (PhD) - 4.7% Psychology (PhD, General)- 5% Sociology (PhD) - 5% Linguistics (PhD) - 5% Philosophy (PhD) - 5% Economics (PhD) - 5.7% Business School (DBA, PhD) - 6.5% College (AB, SB) - 7.1% History (PhD) - 7.5% Public Health (DSc) - 8% Education School (EdD) - 8.9% Political Science (PhD) - 9.2% Divinity School (ThD) - 9.5% Statistics (PhD) - 10% Law School (JD) - 13% Physics (PhD) - 13% Business School (MBA) - 13.5% Near Eastern Studies (PhD) - 15% East Asian Studies (PhD) - 15% Engineering Majors (PhD) - 15+% Statistics (AM) - 25% Divinity School (MDiv, MTS) - 27% Kennedy School (MPP/MPA, etc.) - 35% Kennedy School (MCMPA) - 50% Education School (EdM) - 55% East Asian Studies (AM) - 60% Law School (SJD) - N/A (chosen from LLM) Architecture (MArch) - Architecture (DDes) - Computer Science (PhD) - Russian Literature (PhD) - Biology (PhD) - Chemistry (PhD) - Mathematics (PhD) - Dental School (DMD) -

could you add Musicology to the list?

It's a tiny field, but extremely competitive -- all 4,000 or so of us in the entire USA want to get into Harvard or Princeton or Stanford, each of which accepts about 3 persons per year. I'd like to extrapolate from the %-accepted how many people actually apply.

This is what I have found thus far from the open sources on the web. Is there anyone who can fill in the blanks below? I'm piling up Harvard's acceptance rates, partly for fun, partly for curiosity. Just acceptance rates, please. (I know there are so many deeper issues than the rates, but, please. Rates.) Harvard University - acceptance rates English (PhD) - 2% Clinical Psychology (PhD) - 2% Medical School (MD) - 4.7% Kennedy School (PhD) - 4.7% Psychology (PhD, General)- 5% Sociology (PhD) - 5% Linguistics (PhD) - 5% Philosophy (PhD) - 5% Economics (PhD) - 5.7% Business School (DBA, PhD) - 6.5% College (AB, SB) - 7.1% History (PhD) - 7.5% Public Health (DSc) - 8% Education School (EdD) - 8.9% Political Science (PhD) - 9.2% Divinity School (ThD) - 9.5% Statistics (PhD) - 10% Law School (JD) - 13% Physics (PhD) - 13% Business School (MBA) - 13.5% Near Eastern Studies (PhD) - 15% East Asian Studies (PhD) - 15% Statistics (AM) - 25% Divinity School (MDiv, MTS) - 27% Kennedy School (MPP/MPA, etc.) - 35% Kennedy School (MCMPA) - 50% Education School (EdM) - 55% East Asian Studies (AM) - 60% Law School (SJD) - N/A (chosen from LLM) Architecture (MArch) - Architecture (DDes) - Computer Science (PhD) - Russian Literature (PhD) - Biology (PhD) - Chemistry (PhD) - Mathematics (PhD) - Dental School (DMD) - * These rates are obtained from, and thus verifiable at, various internet websites.

My field is the highest. Is it good news?...

• 4 months later...

According to the Harvard Crimson in April 2010, the Kennedy School MPP program had an acceptance rate of just under 20% for the class that entered in Fall of 2010. As for who gets funding, that's where the real competition comes in. With financial aide at the Kennedy School it is either feast or famine.

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2010/4/15/kennedy-percent-school-number/

English (PhD) - 2% Clinical Psychology (PhD) - 2% Medical School (MD) - 4.7% Kennedy School (PhD) - 4.7% Psychology (PhD, General)- 5% Sociology (PhD) - 5% Linguistics (PhD) - 5% Philosophy (PhD) - 5% Economics (PhD) - 5.7% Business School (DBA, PhD) - 6.5% College (AB, SB) - 7.1% History (PhD) - 7.5% Public Health (DSc) - 8% Education School (EdD) - 8.9% Political Science (PhD) - 9.2% Divinity School (ThD) - 9.5% Statistics (PhD) - 10% Law School (JD) - 13% Physics (PhD) - 13% Business School (MBA) - 13.5% Near Eastern Studies (PhD) - 15% East Asian Studies (PhD) - 15% Engineering Majors (PhD) - 15+% Statistics (AM) - 25% Divinity School (MDiv, MTS) - 27% Kennedy School (MPP/MPA, etc.) - 35% Kennedy School (MCMPA) - 50% Education School (EdM) - 55% East Asian Studies (AM) - 60% Law School (SJD) - N/A (chosen from LLM) Architecture (MArch) - Architecture (DDes) - Computer Science (PhD) - Russian Literature (PhD) - Biology (PhD) - Chemistry (PhD) - Mathematics (PhD) - Dental School (DMD) -

Pretty sure that this is bogus. Where does this data comes from? For instance, how were you able to find the admissions rate for these GSAS programs? As an example, I tried looking at East Asian Studies (masters and PhD) and found nothing online, not even a suggestion.

Pretty sure that this is bogus. Where does this data comes from?

Not to be a pain, but I always wonder what it means to say that Harvard's acceptance rate is 5% and, say, the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople accepts 25% of applicants ...

I mean, uh, ..., by extrapolation, does anyone really think that 1/5 of U-SND-H applicants would be admitted into Harvard if they chose to apply there? The whole thing seems misleading at the very least.

Not to be a pain, but I always wonder what it means to say that Harvard's acceptance rate is 5% and, say, the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople accepts 25% of applicants ... I mean, uh, ..., by extrapolation, does anyone really think that 1/5 of U-SND-H applicants would be admitted into Harvard if they chose to apply there? The whole thing seems misleading at the very least.

What? I don't see the correlation between the two at all.

That's my point. There's no correlation. Thus the statistic "Harvard accepts 5% of applicants in x field, while U-SND-H accepts 25% of applicants in the same field" is all-but totally meaningless.

Unless I'm missing something. If I am, please enlighten me. I've wondered what this "percentage of applicants accepted" statistic means, for decades.

The only use I can see is in the service of the universities' marketing strategies. For example, U-SND-H may publish a statistic like that as a means of saying, "You have a shot here, give us a good look" ... while Harvard may use the statistic to say, "Don't even bother unless you're REALLY well qualified, and maybe not even then."

That's how I see it, but is there something I don't see? Honest question. I'm trying to understand this, and why it even matters to anybody.

That's my point. There's no correlation. Thus the statistic "Harvard accepts 5% of applicants in x field, while U-SND-H accepts 25% of applicants in the same field" is all-but totally meaningless. Unless I'm missing something. If I am, please enlighten me. I've wondered what this "percentage of applicants accepted" statistic means, for decades. The only use I can see is in the service of the universities' marketing strategies. For example, U-SND-H may publish a statistic like that as a means of saying, "You have a shot here, give us a good look" ... while Harvard may use the statistic to say, "Don't even bother unless you're REALLY well qualified, and maybe not even then." That's how I see it, but is there something I don't see? Honest question. I'm trying to understand this, and why it even matters to anybody. [/quote/] Think of it in terms of applicant pool. Not sure what real numbers would be, but hypothetically, I can see that Harvard might get more applicants than say U-SND-H....obviously a lot of applicants are looking for prestige, and apply to Harvard (or some place similar) as a long shot just to do it. So, if there are say 10 slots in each program, and 200 Harvard applicants, that would be 5% of applicants getting admitted. But for U-SND-H, say there are also 10 slots open but only 40 applicants - hence 25% admitted. This is a very crude representation, but its 'misleading' because some schools might not explicitly explain the nature of their stats. Its really comparing apples to oranges. Look back at the degree areas with high acceptance rates. They are probably the areas with the least amount of applicants, thus increasing the odds. So yes, the numbers do mean something, it does allow students a snap shot into how competitive admission is to school X. But you can't really make direct comparisons.

• 2 weeks later...

does anyone have any knowledge about the admission rate for the film and visual studies program at harvard?

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Gre prep online guides and tips, graduate school acceptance rates: can you get in.

Even the most qualified and confident applicants worry about getting into grad school. But don’t panic! Graduate school acceptance rates, which give the percentage of applicants that were admitted to a particular school or program in an academic year, can help you determine how likely you are to get into a given program.  But where can you find grad school admissions statistics?

In this article, we’ll first investigate the trends and factors associated with graduate school acceptance rates. Then, we’ll take a look at some of the current acceptance rates and give you expert tips on how to find acceptance rates for your programs. Finally, we’ll show you how to determine your odds of getting into grad school.

Graduate School Acceptance Rates: Factors and Trends

Grad school acceptance rates are the same as any other acceptance rate: the lower the acceptance rate, the more selective the school or program is. Similarly, the higher the acceptance rate, the less selective the school or program is. As with undergrad acceptance rates, grad school acceptance rates vary widely, from extraordinarily selective (less than 5 percent) to incredibly lenient (nearly 100 percent).

Unlike undergrad rates, though, grad school acceptance rates are usually calculated for specific programs or departments and  not for entire universities. This is because with grad school, you are essentially applying to an individual program rather than an overall institution (as you did for undergrad).

Now that we’ve covered all of the basics, let’s look at a few key trends. Our research indicates there are three major factors that help determine grad school acceptance rates:

• School or program prestige
• Degree type
• Amount of funding

Let’s look at how each of these factors influences grad school acceptance rates.

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#1: School or Program Prestige

How prestigious a particular grad school or program is can affect its overall competitiveness and selectivity. In general, the more prestigious a program is, the more competitive it’ll be and thus the lower acceptance rate it’ll have.

An easy way to determine school or program prestige is to consult official rankings, such as those listed on  U.S. News . (Grad schools are typically ranked by field or program and   not by overall institution.)

For example, a 2017  U.S. News  list of the best political science grad programs  ranked Duke’s political science program at #7 and Northwestern’s at #23. Because both of the programs have fairly high rankings, it’s safe to assume they’re probably quite selective.

And this is true: in 2016,  Duke  reported a mere 10 percent acceptance rate to its political science doctoral program, while  Northwestern  reported a 12 percent acceptance rate.

#2: Degree Type

Another major factor is degree type. Generally,  doctoral programs tend to be more selective than master’s programs (though this isn’t always the case as I’ll explain in a moment). This trend is likely due to the fact that doctoral programs often look for higher-quality applicants with proven academic track records and more relevant experience in their fields.

For example, in 2016  University of Michigan’s math doctoral program  had a 17.2 percent acceptance rate, whereas its master’s program  had a much higher 31.8 percent rate. In this case, the doctoral program is clearly tougher to get into than the master’s program.

Still,   master’s programs can have lower acceptance rates than doctoral programs. If we were to take the University of Michigan’s grad programs in computer science and engineering, we’d find that the doctoral program has  a 15 percent acceptance rate  and the master’s  an even lower 8 percent acceptance rate .

Additionally, M.F.A. programs are particularly cutthroat. In 2015, the creative writing M.F.A. program at UT Austin’s James A. Michener Center for Writers only admitted 12 out of 678 applicants — that’s a mere 1.8 percent acceptance rate !

#3: Amount of Funding

Funding, too, plays a big role in how selective a grad program is.

Well-funded  programs typically receive more applications than those offering little to no aid, thereby raising their selectivity. Competition is especially fierce for fully funded programs — possibly because fewer people are willing to go into debt for grad school.

Compared to fully funded doctoral programs, fully funded master’s programs are somewhat rare and thus pretty competitive. UT Austin’s Creative Writing M.F.A. program, for instance, is not only a prestigious program but also one of the most well-funded Creative Writing M.F.A. programs in the country: it  offers full tuition remission and a $27,500 stipend per academic year . It’s no wonder, then, that its acceptance rate is below 2 percent!

What Are the Current Graduate School Acceptance Rates?

For this section, we’ve scoured the internet to bring you a robust assortment of acceptance rates for popular U.S. grad schools.

Before we dive in, note that not all institutions calculate grad school acceptance rates using the same methodologies. Some offer only a single acceptance rate for all of their grad schools put together, while others offer individual rates by school, field, or program.

Now, let’s see how selective these schools really are!

*Statistics for NYU are based on the number of enrolled students and not the number of admitted students. Therefore, expect actual acceptance rates to be slightly higher.

How to Find Graduate School Acceptance Rates: 4 Methods

Unfortunately, grad school admissions statistics tend to be more difficult to find than undergrad acceptance rates.  But there are ways to search for them — you just have to do a lot of digging and possibly a little reaching out.

Below are our top four methods for finding grad school acceptance rates for the programs you’re applying to.

#1: Consult School Websites

By far the most reliable resources for grad school admissions statistics are  school websites.

Start your search by consulting program and departmental pages, particularly admissions and FAQ pages. Look out for any statistics-related keywords or phrases, such as “admission(s) rates,” “acceptance rates,” “enrollment,” “facts and figures,” etc. Use ctrl+F to move swiftly through large chunks of text.

Not all schools publish grad admissions information online, and those that do don’t always report it in the same way as others. For example, Princeton offers a handy PDF  containing acceptance rates for all academic fields of study. On the other hand,  Notre Dame  gives separate admissions charts for each of its grad programs (which you can access by selecting a program and then clicking “Admissions Statistics”).

Additionally, many schools release admissions statistics without explicitly publishing acceptance rates.  In this case, it’s your job to take the statistics provided and use them to calculate an acceptance rate. To find the acceptance rate of a school or program, you’ll need the following information:

• The total number of applicants in a year
• The total number of applicants granted admission  that year

The acceptance rate equals the total number of applicants offered admission divided by the total number of applicants and then multiplied by 100, or:

$$\acceptance \rate = {\number \of \applicants \offered \admission}/{\total \number \of \applicants}100$$

Be sure to  avoid conflating the number of students who were  offered admission   with the number of students who accepted their offers of admission. These two concepts sound alike but are actually different. What you’re looking for is the first statistic — that is, the number of admitted students (regardless of whether they decided to enroll).

If you’re having trouble finding admissions statistics by browsing school websites, search on Google for “[Your School] graduate acceptance rate” and see if any relevant school pages appear. While searching for acceptance rates to use in the table above, I consistently swapped “acceptance rate” with similar phrases, such as “admission(s) rate,” “facts and figures,” “student statistics,” “admittance rates,” and “admission(s) statistics.”

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Don’t be afraid to get creative! You can also use phrases like “Ph.D. admissions statistics” or “master’s admissions statistics” to narrow your search even further. Try to think outside the box as you do your research. What are other ways people talk about acceptance rates?

#2: Check  U.S. News

If your school or program doesn’t offer any admissions statistics on its website, go to  U.S. News . This website offers official rankings of grad programs as well as lists of the most (and least) selective programs in various fields.

For example, I found a 2016 list of the most competitive online M.B.A. programs  and a 2015 list of the most competitive online graduate engineering programs .

If U.S. News doesn’t offer any relevant lists for you to use, try skimming the current grad school rankings to gauge how competitive your program is compared with others in the same field.

#3: Search Other Websites

One less reliable method for looking up grad school admissions statistics is to  look for (unofficial) websites discussing acceptance rates for your school or program.

The Grad Cafe’s  admissions results  section is a solid place to start. Here, applicants post whether they’ve been accepted, rejected, or waitlisted for grad programs.

Search for your program to get a rough feel for how many acceptances and rejections go out each year. You might notice that certain types of applicants are more active than others. Creative Writing M.F.A. applicants, for example, are prolific posters in winter and spring (during admissions season).

Occasionally, Google itself will provide you with grad school acceptance rates, but this only appears to work consistently for well-known law schools, medical schools, and business schools.

Additionally, while using Google, don’t assume that any acceptance rates that pop up are directly connected to your search terms. For example, when I searched “stanford graduate acceptance rate,” Google gave me this result:

This 4.8 percent acceptance rate is  not  the acceptance rate for Stanford’s grad programs (what I searched for) but rather the acceptance rate for undergrads. So always cross-check any statistics Google gives you.

You can also consult grad school data websites such as  Peterson’s and StartClass . Take their grad school acceptance rates with a grain of salt, though — their data isn’t always verifiable online. If possible, try to compare any data you find on these types of websites with the school websites themselves or U.S. News .

#4: Contact Schools

If the internet isn’t giving you the help you need, call or email your schools. Be polite but upfront: ask whether the school calculates acceptance rates for grad programs and where you can find this information online (if available).

If a school refuses to divulge admissions statistics or simply doesn’t report acceptance rates, see if they can give you estimates for how many applications they receive each year, or for how many acceptances they usually extend to applicants in your program.

Graduate School Acceptance: What Are Your Odds?

By this point, you might be wondering how likely it is you’ll actually get into the grad program you wish to attend. After all, acceptance rates are pretty broad — they tell you what everyone’s odds are but not your odds specifically.

Below are three easy steps for determining your odds of getting into grad school, including advice on when it’s better to go for it or choose another program.

Step 1: Check Program Requirements

First, go to your program’s website and pinpoint the admissions requirements page. Now, ask yourself:  do you meet all of the program’s basic requirements? If not, you’ll likely wind up with a rejection (and might not even be able to apply).

However, if you’re still interested in applying, contact the program and ask if they’ll make an exception for you. Your chance of getting accepted is still low, but you’ll at least have your application considered.

If your program strongly recommends qualities you lack, don’t interpret this as an automatic rejection. Sometimes, applicants can make up for deficiencies in other ways. For example, if your undergrad GPA is 3.1 and your program recommends applicants have a minimum 3.2, don’t write off the program — you might still have a shot at getting in as long as the rest of your application is solid.

On the other hand, even if you meet all of a program’s requirements, you’re not necessarily a shoo-in. Remember, all other applicants have met these requirements, too, so you’ll need to find a unique way to make your application stand out.

Step 2: Find Average GRE Scores and GPAs

Your next step is to look up your program’s average GRE scores and GPA  to see how your own scores and GPA compare with those of previously admitted applicants.

You can usually find GRE score information on admissions requirements or FAQ pages. You can also search on Google for “[Your School] [Your Program] average GRE scores.” For step-by-step instructions on how to find average GRE scores, check out  my article on average GRE scores by school .

For GPAs, you can use the same basic methodology. Check admissions requirements and FAQ pages and use ctrl+F to search for “GPA.” If GPA information is available, you’ll most likely come across minimum GPAs or average GPAs (or both). For more tips on how to find GPA information for your grad schools, read our guide .

Now, compare your own GRE scores and GPA with the averages you’ve found. Below are all possible scenarios and what they mean for you and your odds of getting into the program:

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• Your GRE scores and GPA are both  higher than your program’s averages:  Congratulations! You have an excellent chance of getting accepted, especially if the rest of your application is equally impressive. Keep up the great work!
• Your GRE scores and GPA are both  about the same as your program’s averages:  You’re doing pretty well! You are just the type of applicant your program is looking for. The only drawback is that you probably won’t stand out as much from other applicants who have similar GRE scores and GPAs. So take time to make your application sparkle (I’m looking at you, statement of purpose).
• Your GRE scores and GPA are both lower than your program’s averages (or just one of the two is lower):  It ain’t over ’til it’s over! You can still make up for your deficiencies in other ways. While you can’t change your GPA, you can retake the GRE . If your GPA is low, a great strategy for combating this is to discuss it in your statement of purpose, taking care to highlight any external factors that contributed to the low GPA as well as any attributes of yours that prove you’re indeed ready for grad school.

Step 3: Decide Whether to Apply

Now, we get to the final question: do you apply to the program or not?  This is a vague question that’s difficult to answer as is. The real questions you should be asking yourself are as follows:

• Do I meet all of the program’s basic requirements?
• Do I meet most or all of the program’s expectations of applicants (in terms of GRE scores, GPA, etc.)?
• Is the program’s acceptance rate extremely low?
• Do I really like this program?

Although acceptance rates and GRE/GPA comparisons are helpful, don’t base your decision to apply solely on how difficult the program is to get into. We can’t know for sure what kind of applicant a grad program is looking for or who they’re willing to make an exception for.

Take a moment to think deeply about how interested you are in this particular program. Be realistic about your chances of getting in — but don’t cross the line into pessimism. If you don’t meet most or all of a program’s expectations and you’re not super invested in it, consider applying elsewhere.

But if you meet some, most, or all of a program’s expectations and you’re extremely interested in enrolling, give the application a go. Remember, it’s totally normal (and even encouraged) to have a few reach schools. Plus, you’ll never get in if you don’t apply!

Key Takeaways: Graduate School Acceptance Rates

Grad school acceptance rates quantify for us the selectivity of grad schools and programs. More specifically, acceptance rates tell us  what percentage of applicants were offered admission to a particular grad school or program. 

With grad school, acceptance rates are often reported for individual schools or programs,  not  entire universities. Acceptance rates can vary widely depending on program prestige, the type of degree you’re seeking, and how much (or how little) funding a program offers.

Unlike undergrad acceptance rates, grad school acceptance rates are somewhat difficult to locate online. You can look for them using any of the following four methods:

• Peruse school websites
• Check grad school facts and lists on  U.S. News
• Browse other websites and forums such as The Grad Cafe
• Call or email your schools

When trying to determine your  odds of getting into a program, look at your program’s requirements as well as the average GPA and GRE scores of previously admitted applicants to your program. If your GRE scores and GPA are comparable to those of your program, you have a decent shot at getting accepted. If one or both are lower than your program’s averages, however, you can always try to  raise your GRE score  with a retake or address your GPA in your statement of purpose.

At the end of the day, what ultimately matters isn’t that you get accepted to a highly competitive grad program but that you make the right decision for you and you alone!

What’s Next?

Need help with your grad school application?  Learn about the most common grad school requirements  and get tips on how to write a grad school CV or resume !

Is your GPA good enough for grad school ?  Read our in-depth guide to learn how you can make up for a less-than-stellar GPA and ultimately raise your chances of getting into the school of your dreams.

Do you have to take the GRE for grad school ? When are grad school deadlines ?  Check out our guides for answers to these questions and more.

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Hannah Muniz

Hannah graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in English and East Asian languages and cultures. After graduation, she taught English in Japan for two years via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel. View all posts by Hannah Muniz

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Discussion forum for current, past, and future students of any discipline completing post-graduate studies - taught or research.

Gauging my chances for a good PhD program in Political Science

Hello, I am fresh out of my undergraduate degree in Government with a minor in History. I really excelled in the classes that involved political ideas, theory, and history, and my professors are encouraging me to enroll in a PhD program for Political Science. While the deadlines have passed for enrollment in one this coming fall, I will need to be weighing my options for the Fall 2018 semester. Though it is probably unnecessary to include my entire resume, I'm wondering if you all have any idea whether I'd be in shape to get into some of my top choices, such as Duke, Notre Dame, maybe even Harvard.

*Undergraduate GPA = 3.73 This was a disappointing GPA to me. I was a straight A student in my last two years of college as I got into the meat of my degree and improved as a writer / researcher, but the Bs that I got early on stayed with me. Regrettably, I did not make Latin Honors because my University had what was in my view an obscenely high requirement for the minimum cum laude, at 3.85.

*My big senior thesis project was very successful. It won first place in Regent University's Annual Student-Faculty Research Conference, and the paper was presented at Virginia Commonwealth University to positive feedback. I am currently working to get it published in a reputable journal of American political thought.

*Three political internships, two of which were in the D.C. area, one was a campaign job during the 2016 cycle.

*At my alma mater, I worked as a Writing Tutor in the Academic Support Center.

*I was the president of my school's chapter of the National Political Science Honors Society (Pi Sigma Alpha)

*Lastly, I made a very strong impact on my Government professors and I am certain that they will write me powerful Letters of Recommendation.

Do you all think that I have a chance of admittance to places like Duke, Notre Dame, or Ivy Leagues?

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Harvard Political Science Phd Acceptance Rate

Prospective students interested in studying political science should apply to the  graduate program in government . Need more information concerning Harvard Political Science Phd Acceptance Rate, harvard political science graduate program, harvard political science phd gre & harvard political science undergraduate. Check us at collegelearners.com

Do you want to gain access to Harvard Political Science Phd Acceptance Rate or you want to learn about the latest findings on harvard political science phd admissions, princeton political science phd acceptance rate and harvard political science undergraduate? Get ready! Find out all the information you need on Harvard Political Science Phd Acceptance Rate and so on right here on Collegelearners.com so you don’t have to go looking again.

Harvard Political Science Doctorate Program

A PhD usually involves students engaged independently in original and significant research in a specific field or subject prior to the production of a publication-worthy thesis. By undertaking a PhD, you will become an expert, possibly an international expert, in your chosen field. A doctorate is the highest academic degree that can be awarded by a university. In Germany, studying for a doctorate means working intensively on a specific subject or research project over a long period of time. The duration of the doctorate also varies. Three to five years is typical. If you decide to take a doctorate, you can choose between different forms of study.

If you plan to study a political science Phd degree in Harvard, then you will need to equip yourself with Harvard’s admission statistics and Harvard political science admission requirements. Graduate admission is a popular admission at Harvard as well as many colleges and for Harvard, the process is still traditional and the selection is stiff. If you are interested in knowing about Harvard political science acceptance rate for Phd, well it won’t be surprising since Harvard is reputed has one of the eight (8) Ivy League research universities in the USA. Ivy League universities are universities in the USA that are renowned for their history, influence, wealth, and academic reputation. Harvard University is not just the dream of students in the United States but students globally.

However, the competition for admission to Harvard graduate school is very stiff as you’ll be competing with some of the best students in the world. This is not just because of the weight of the name ‘Harvard.’ It is because, through Harvard’s academic curriculum, they have consistently produced exceptional graduates. This reason, amongst many other reasons, is why students chase after Harvard University like mice to cheese. So, learn about Harvard Political Science Phd Acceptance Rate, GPA, and admission requirements to increase your chances of gaining admission to Harvard school of graduate studies.

Harvard Political Science Admission Requirements

Harvard political science faculty is very selective, which is why it has an acceptance rate of 9.2. What makes it more selective is that it selects students based on growth and potential; interests and activities; personal character; and contribution to the Harvard Community. When you are ready to apply, access our online application by clicking the apply button on the right side of this page (please note that there is no paper application). All supporting materials must be submitted electronically through the online application system.

If you are applying to a program that is part of the Harvard polit, please review these  additional instructions .

If your program’s admissions committee determines that another graduate program is well-matched to your academic interests, it may forward your application to that program for consideration.

The application for admission, including all supporting materials, becomes the property of GSAS. No materials will be returned to the applicant or forwarded to other schools or agencies.

Required Application Materials

A complete application consists of:

• Online application form
• Application fee payment* ($105)
• Transcripts
• Letters of recommendation
• Statement of purpose
•  Required: You must submit GRE General Test results.
• Optional: You may submit GRE General Test results if you wish.
• Not Accepted: Do not submit GRE General Test results. GRE General Test scores will not be considered when applications are reviewed.
• Demonstration of English proficiency, where required
• Writing sample, where required

GSAS may request additional academic documents, as needed.

*GSAS is committed to ensuring that our application fee does not create a financial obstacle for prospective applicants. Application fee waivers are available to those for whom payment of the application fee would be financially challenging. Applicants can determine eligibility for a fee waiver by completing a series of questions in the Application Fee section of the application. Once these questions have been completed, the application system will provide an immediate response regarding fee waiver eligibility.

TRANSCRIPTS

Applicants are required to upload transcript copies from each college/university they attended into our online application system: official hard copy/paper transcripts are not required at the time of application. 

Please note that transcripts from international institutions —records of all courses, seminars, and examinations, including grades, scores, grading scales, and confirmation of degree conferral— must be in English . If records are not available in English, original records must be accompanied by certified English translations. All translations must be literal and complete versions of the original records.

Applicants currently enrolled in a college or university may be required to submit fall grades: Visit your program of interest in  Degree Programs  for more information. Should you wish to update your submitted application with fall grades, you may do so using the Fall Grade Report section of the online application.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Before applying, confirm that three faculty members or others qualified to evaluate your potential for graduate study have agreed to submit letters of recommendation on your behalf. At least one letter should be from a faculty member at the school where you earned your most recent degree, unless you have been out of school for more than five years.

You must provide the email addresses of three recommenders when you apply. GSAS requires your recommenders to submit their letters via an online recommendation system. By law, enrolled students have the right to view their letters of recommendation, unless they indicate otherwise at the time of application. Please note on your application whether you are waiving your right to see these letters. Learn more about your  right to inspect letters of recommendation .

We regret that we are unable to accept letters submitted through a recommendation dossier service. All letters of recommendation are due by the application deadline.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The statement of purpose is very important to programs when deciding whether to admit a candidate. Your statement should be focused, informative, and convey your research interests and qualifications. You should provide a vivid picture of your intellectual profile: how you formulate research topics, how you pursue them, and how you articulate any interesting findings. As you convey this information, it is important to emphasize how these experiences have influenced both your decision to undertake graduate study and your goals within a graduate program.

GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATION (GRE)

Many GSAS programs require that prospective students present scores of the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Scores from either the computer-delivered, the paper-delivered test, or the GRE At-Home are acceptable. Many programs also require GRE Subject Tests. Visit your program of interest in  Degree Programs  for more information.

It is essential that you arrange to take the GRE in sufficient time for score reports to reach us by the application deadline . GRE scores are valid for five years (i.e. scores must be from no earlier than September 1, 2015, for fall 2021 admission). If you have personal score reports available from tests taken within the last five years, you can upload them to your online application for consideration by the admissions committee. However, you will still need to ensure that  Educational Testing Service  (ETS) sends an official score report. Be sure to register for the tests well before the application deadline and request that your scores be sent to Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences using code  3451  (department code is not required).

DEMONSTRATE ENGLISH PROFICIENCY, WHERE REQUIRED

Adequate  command of spoken and written English  is essential to success in graduate study at Harvard. Applicants who are non-native English speakers can demonstrate English proficiency in one of three ways:

• Receiving an  undergraduate degree from an academic institution where English is the primary language of instruction.
• Earning a minimum score of 80 on the Internet based test (iBT) of the  Test of English as a Foreign Language  (TOEFL)
• Earning a minimum score of 6.5 on the  International English Language Testing System  (IELTS) Academic test.

Some programs may require a higher score on either the TOEFL or IELTS. Applicants who took tests more than two years ago (i.e. before September 1, 2019, for fall 2021 admission) must retake them. No test other than the iBT TOEFL, TOEFL Home Edition, the IELTS Academic or IELTS Indicator will be accepted as proof of English proficiency; a master’s degree is not accepted as proof of English proficiency.

NOTE:  GSAS is aware that due to pandemic-related restrictions, not all applicants will be able to provide IELTS or TOEFL scores at the time of application. Students in this situation should submit the application for admission without test scores and provide the scores as soon as it is feasible to do so. Admissions committees are able review applications and make offers of admission without these scores, but admitted students must have official scores on file with the GSAS Office of Admissions prior to beginning their programs. Please note that even though the online application system may indicate that your application is incomplete, it will still be reviewed by the appropriate admissions committee.

For those students planning to submit TOEFL scores, please arrange to have an official score report sent to the Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences using code 3451 (department code is not required). If you have a copy of your Score Confirmation Report, you can upload it to your online application for consideration by the admissions committee. However, you will still need to ensure that  Educational Testing Service  sends an official score report.

For those students planning to submit IELTS scores, please note that we will only accept official IELTS Academic scores submitted electronically by the IELTS test center via the E-Delivery service. Scores from the IELTS General Training module are not accepted. At the time of test-taking, please specify Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences as a score recipient. We do not accept IELTS paper Test Report Forms nor do we verify Test Report Forms (TRFs).

Applicants with scores from other English proficiency examinations may upload them in the Additional Materials section of the application for consideration by the Admissions Committee, but admitted students will still be required to submit official scores from one of the required examinations prior to beginning their programs.

Harvard Political Science PhD Admissions

The graduate program of the Department of Government is designed to train students for ­careers in university teaching and advanced research in political science. The department does not offer an independent master’s program, the master of arts in political science being reserved for PhD candidates on the way to their final degrees.  Click here  to visit the Graduate School of Arts and Science’s page on admission to the Government Department to learn more about the application process. 

Harvard Political Science Program Requirements

Requirements Prior to General Examination

Candidates for the PhD in Government are expected to complete the required coursework during their first two years of graduate study and take the General Examination at the end of the second year. A typical schedule consists of these two years, followed by three or four years of work on a dissertation, combined with supervised teaching.

REQUIREMENTS

Courses  — A student must successfully complete at least twelve four-credit courses, of which eight must be in political science. At least ten of these twelve four-credit courses and seven of the eight four-credit courses in government must be listed in the catalogue as 1000- or 2000-level courses. Courses cross-registered with Harvard’s Divinity and Law Schools, the Fletcher School, or MIT can be used toward these requirements. Prior approval from the Director of Graduate Studies is needed for courses from the Harvard Kennedy and Business Schools.

Students must complete six four-credit courses by the end of their second term in residence and nine by the end of their third.

Course Requirements for Students Admitted for Fall 2021 and beyond

Beginning Fall 2021, the three-course requirement in Political Philosophy, Quantitative Methodology and Gov 3001: Approaches to the Study of Politics is replaced with a choice of three out of the four field seminars: American Politics (Gov 2105), Comparative Politics (Gov 2305), International Relations (Gov 2710), and Political Philosophy (Gov 2093) and one course in Quantitative Methods.  Students in Political Theory will have the option to be exempted from the methods course requirement.

Course Requirements for Students Admitted prior to Fall 2021

Every first-year student must enroll in the government department graduate seminar, Gov 3001: Approaches to the Study of Politics. The course, offered each fall, is to be taken SAT/UNSAT for a full semester of credit.

Quantitative Methods Requirement — During their first or second year every student must successfully complete, with a grade of B or better, at least one graduate-level course in quantitative social science methods relevant to political science, from a list of appropriate government department and other Harvard/MIT courses regularly updated by the Curriculum and Educational Policy Committee.

Political Theory Requirement  — During their first or second year, every student must take a minimum of one graduate-level four-credit course (or section) in Political Theory, chosen from a list of courses approved by the Curriculum and Educational Policy Committee.

Additional Requirements

Incompletes  — A grade of Incomplete can be converted into a letter grade if the student completes the work before the end of the term following the one in which the course was taken. If an Incomplete has not been completed within the period, the student must have the instructor and DGS approve the petition for an extension. No grade of Incomplete can be used to satisfy any departmental requirement.

Seminar Papers  — In order to ensure that students secure adequate training in research and writing, at least three seminar-style research papers must be completed. The usual means is through enrollment in seminars, but the requirement may also be satisfied by reading or lecture courses in which papers of this type are written. Only one of the three papers may be co-authored. Only one of the three papers may be written outside the Department. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain written verification from the instructor that the completed paper is of seminar quality.

Research Tools Requirement  — By the end of his or her first year, every student must submit to the director of graduate studies a written Research Tools Plan outlining intentions to acquire tools and methodological expertise connected to his or her areas of research interest. The Tools Plan also should list the courses, modules or workshops the student intends to take in order to meet the research tools requirement.

Every student must complete a minimum of 3.5 four-credit course-equivalent units of research tools and methods courses, modules or workshops by the end of their seventh term in residence (middle of the fourth year). The seminar, “Approaches to the Study of Politics,” and the graduate course in quantitative social science methods count for two units within this total. Students may count language training in various formats (e.g. semester courses; intensive summer sessions) toward fulfillment of this requirement. The Curriculum and Educational Policy Committee will determine what counts for 1.0 or 0.5 units.

Research Workshops  — The government department offers a series of research workshops, in each of the four fields (American Government, International Relations, Comparative Politics, Political Theory), Applied Statistics, and Political Economy, for graduate students to present and discuss work in progress. Every student should attend at least one research workshop, each semester, when in residence. Research workshops do not count toward the requirement to complete twelve four-credit courses.

The General Examination

Every student will sit for a General Examination in May of their second year, with the exam administered orally by faculty not known in advance. The ninety-minute exam will cover two of the four major substantive fields in political science (chosen by the student from among American Government; Comparative Politics; International Relations; and Political Philosophy), plus an additional focus field defined by the student. For the focus field, each student will submit by a date designated by the director of graduate studies a five-to-eight-page statement outlining a special area for examination. This area may encompass a special literature; an area of the world; a realm of special interest spanning subfields or disciplinary boundaries; or a research approach. Political Philosophy and Social Policy students are not required to submit focus field memos.

Students are allowed a “course-out” option instead of taking a minor field oral exam in either Quantitative Methodology or Formal Theory by taking four (4) courses from our methods sequence with an overall grade of B+ or higher. At most, one course outside the methods sequence may count toward the course-out requirement, but those who want to use outside classes should consult with a member of the methods faculty (such as the methods field coordinator) before taking those courses for approval. Students who choose to course-out will sit for the other two 30-minute exams as usual.

The department regularly offers “field seminars” introducing each of the four major fields of the discipline. However, no examination field is co-terminus with any one course, or even with any group of courses. The student is responsible for preparation in the field and should not assume that satisfactory completion of a course or courses dealing with the material in the field will constitute adequate preparation for the examination. The student should consult faculty members in each field to ensure such preparation. All students who choose a field are responsible for the same range of materials.

Progress toward the Degree after the General Examination

Requirements relating to courses and seminars (research) papers, should normally be completed before the General Examination, that is, during the first two years of graduate work. In special circumstances, a student may defer fulfillment of two four-credit courses or one four-credit course and one seminar paper until after the General Examination.

Within six months of passing the General Examination, the student must have fulfilled one of these deferred requirements. Within twelve months, he or she must have completed both deferred requirements.

Following completion of the General Exam, each student will engage faculty advisors through a two-stage process of research exploration and prospectus approval, marked by two meetings as follows:

An initial “ Research Exploration Meeting ” must convene in the fall semester of the third year, to discuss an approximately ten-page statement from the student, which, as appropriate, may either present a potential research question for the dissertation, or set forth alternative possible research questions for consideration and development. The student may consult the director of graduate studies to identify three or four appropriate faculty consultants, if these are not readily apparent.

Involving the same three or four faculty, or a different set where appropriate, the second “ Prospectus Evaluation Meeting ” will convene to discuss and approve the student’s written dissertation prospectus. These faculty members are chosen by the student with the approval of the director of graduate studies. The evaluation meeting will preferably be held in the spring semester of the third year and in no instance later than October 1 of the fourth year. Whenever this meeting is held, there may be a one-month follow-up period for final changes in the prospectus. To be in good standing, therefore, all students must have an approved prospectus, with the dissertation title and name(s) of the advisor(s) registered with the Graduate Program Office, by no later than November 15 of the fourth year.

First- and second-year students are not permitted to serve as Teaching Fellows.

Students in their third year and beyond are eligible for teaching fellowships, which enable them to participate in Harvard’s undergraduate tutorial program, teach sections in the introductory government courses, or assist undergraduates in middle-group courses by leading discussion sessions or directing senior theses. All graduate students will normally be required to teach a minimum of two sections in departmental courses sometime during the period that they are in residence.

In the third year, most teaching fellows devote two-fifths time to teaching, the remainder to work on the dissertation. The fourth year may be devoted entirely to writing the dissertation or to a combination of teaching and research. Students who have passed the general examination may teach three-fifths time for four years, with the following exception: those who have taught fewer than sixteen term-fifths may be appointed in a fifth year up to that total.

All first time Teaching Fellows must enroll in  Gov 3002: Teaching and Communicating Political Science.  This is a required course for Government PhD students who are teaching in the department for the first time (typically G3s). The course has five required meetings and three optional sessions in the fall semester. Between meetings, you will have the chance to apply what you learn through peer observation, having your section videotaped, and watching your section with the Department’s Pedagogy Fellow. The ultimate goal of this course is to help you to become a good teacher and an effective speaker.

Dissertation

A student is required to demonstrate ability to perform original research in political science by writing a dissertation that makes a significant contribution to knowledge in the field. The requirement may also be fulfilled in the form of a three-article dissertation by approval of the dissertation committee.

Dissertations must be approved by at least three committee members, two of whom must be faculty members of the Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The chair must be a member of the Department of Government. Any member of the committee who is not a member of the department must be approved by the dissertation chair. Dissertations must be approved for defense by the committee. The final copies of the dissertation must conform to the requirements described online in  Dissertations .

Special Examination

After the dissertation has been approved, and after all other degree requirements have been met, a student will take the “special” oral examination, or defense. This examination is focused on the dissertation and on the relevant special field, which is ordinarily one of the fields that the student presented in the general examination, or an approved portion of that field.

Students who defend their dissertation later than six years after taking the general examination must re-take the focus field of the general examination. Approved parental leave extends this period by one year per child, but no other reason for leave does.

Depositing Dissertation Data

Students are required to make all of the quantitative data they have compiled to reach the findings in their dissertation available to the  Harvard-MIT Data Center . This data must be in machine-readable form (together with accompanying explanatory materials). These data will be made available to other users five years after receipt of PhD or sooner, if the PhD recipient permits.

Ten-Year Enrollment Cap

An overall Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) policy has been established that students ordinarily will not be permitted to register beyond their tenth year in the Graduate School. However, exceptions to this rule may be made for students who have taken medical or parental leave or for students with other special circumstances. Students who are administratively withdrawn are free to apply for readmission to GSAS, so as to re-register for the purpose of the defense and receiving the degree, when their dissertation is completed.

First-year students are assigned a faculty advisor by the director of graduate studies. In subsequent years, students may either remain with the first-year advisor or choose an advisor on their own.

Before the end of the second year, students must ask a faculty member to serve as their  Third-Year Advisor  and submit a signed “third-year advisor form” to the Graduate Office. This faculty member has the responsibility for guiding a student through the pre-prospectus meeting and the process of forming a committee.

Harvard Political Science PhD Acceptance Rate

You must have heard that Harvard University is a highly competitive school. If you ever wonder what this means, it is simply that Harvard University accepts only a little fraction or percentage of students that apply to the school every year.

For the class of 2022, which is the students admitted in 2018, the acceptance rate was 9.2%. The breakdown of this percentage is that of every 100 applications Harvard university received, it admitted only 9.

The current acceptance rate for Harvard political science phd acceptance rate is 9.2% . This is for the class of 2023 or the students admitted for the 2019-20 academic year. Of the 3,330 students that sent in their application to Harvard, the university accepted just 30.

Compared to the class of 2022, you will discover that Harvard University’s acceptance rate is declining. This means that it is getting even more difficult to get admission to Harvard University.

We will discuss the requirements you need to meet to get admission to Harvard University, but first, let’s meet the class of 2023.

Harvard phd political science has an acceptance rate of 9.2% for the class of 2023, dropping by 0.1% from 4.7% of the class of 2022. Yet, the requirements are unchanged

Harvard Graduate School Acceptance Rate

At this point, we would like to remind you that all we’ve been discussing so far is the acceptance rate and admission requirements for undergraduates. Harvard University has different acceptance rates and admission requirements for its graduate schools.

Presently, there are 12 graduate schools at Harvard University, including Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Law School, Havard Business School, and Havard Medical School.

The Havard Divinity School has an acceptance rate as high as 50% and the Havard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) has an acceptance rate of 2.7%. Additionally, the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science accepted about 6% of the over 4,000 students that applied in the Fall of 2019.

You can also check out the full discussion on  Harvard University Medical School Acceptance Rate

Harvard Ph.D. Acceptance Rate

Discussing the Harvard Ph.D. Acceptance rate is a bit tricky because it would involve getting data from all the 12 graduate schools of Havard concerning the proportion of Ph.D. students they accepted from their Ph.D. application pool.

This would prove a tedious work, however, we have a sample of acceptance rate for Ph.D. programs in core subjects and fields.

They are as follows:

• Economics (PhD)  – 4-5%
• Health Policy (PhD)  – 8-10%
• History (PhD)  – 6%
• Sociology (PhD)  – 5%
• Linguistics (PhD)  – 5%
• Philosophy (PhD)  – 5%
• English (PhD)  – 2%
• Clinical Psychology (PhD)  – 2%
• Political Science (PhD)  – 9.2%
• Statistics (PhD)  – 10%
• Physics (PhD)  – 13%

We can’t verify the above acceptance rate from PrepScholar and The Grade Cafe, but we would like to believe they have high integrity. Meanwhile, we have put up the acceptance rate for Harvard Ph.D. programs as a guide to your application for a Ph.D. program at Harvard University.

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