ColMaster of Arts in Political ScienceColumbia University · New York, New York, United States

Program Overview

Dates and tuition are specific to the 2027 intake

Please check the official program website (link below) for specific writing guidelines

Statement of academic purpose

Program-specific statement of academic purpose.

CV or resume

Resume required for this GSAS program.

Personal statement

GSAS personal statement (distinct from the statement of academic purpose).

Writing sample

Approximately 30 pages.

Recommendation letters x 3

At least two must be from academic recommenders; up to four may be submitted.

Academic: Bachelor's degree; Or equivalent. Competitive admission; no hard minimum GPA published school-wide for GSAS free-standing MAs.
IELTS: 7.5 overall; GSAS Academic IELTS minimum when an English proficiency exam is required.
TOEFL: New scale: 5.5 overall | Old scale: 100 overall; GSAS minimum for TOEFL iBT tests taken on or after 21 Jan 2026.; GSAS minimum if undergraduate degree was not from a sole-official-English country. New scale applies to tests from 21 Jan 2026; old scale applies before that date.
GRE: Optional; GRE General not required per program listing.

Historical admission data is not published.