1. Graduate
  2. Applying

Applying

For additional information about admission requirements and how to apply, please visit the School of Graduate Studies website. 

Admission Requirements

We look forward to receiving your application for admission to one of our graduate programs. Our application system will open in September 2024 to accept applications for the September 2025 intake. The deadline for receipt of all applications, including transcripts and letters of reference, is January 22, 2025. 

Before you apply, please take note of the following:

  1. Academic Prerequisites

    • Master's Program: Honours undergraduate degree in political science or equivalent, minimum B+ average
    • Doctoral Program: Master's degree in political science or equivalent, A- average

  2. Language Requirements

    • For international students, if required: 
      • A TOEFL total score of at least 600 (paper-based)
      • A TOEFL iBT minimum scores of: writing (24/30); speaking (22/30); reading (22/30); listening (20/30), for a total of 88/120. Applicants must have the minimum score in each test as well as the minimum overall score
      • An IELTS score of 7 on the academic module

  3. Other Notes

    • Applications are only accepted for September admission.
    • Applications are not considered for admission to part-time studies.
    • If you are not a Canadian citizen or a legal resident of Canada, you should be aware that international student fees are significantly higher than domestic fees. For more information on tuition, payment plans, and important dates visit the Registrar's Office website.
    • When you apply, you will automatically be considered for financial assistance. However, those that apply to our programs are expected to apply for external funding opportunities as well, such as:
      • Ontario Graduate Scholarships: The Queen’s University OGS competition is open to any eligible graduate student registered in or any eligible applicant to, a graduate program in the School of Graduate Studies. The Queen’s OGS award must be taken up at Queen’s; it is not transferrable to another institution or scholarships offered through the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
      • Canada Graduate Scholarships (Master's Scholarships): For the Master’s program the Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s (CGS M) competition application is now done online through the “Research Portal”. When you submit your application the “Research Portal” will allow the application to be submitted to up to five universities. Universities now process and award the scholarships in accordance to their allocations
      • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Fellowships

Doctoral applicants are encouraged to make informal contact via email with potential supervisors about their research interests before applying to the program. 

How to Apply:

All applications for graduate study at Queen's University must be submitted online via the School of Graduate Studies admission page. A complete application (MA and PhD programs) consists of the following:

  1. On-line application

    • Fee: $120 CDN, non-refundable

  2. Two academic references 

    • When you submit your application your referees will receive an automatic email inviting them to go online and complete the reference form. Referees may also send a hard copy of their letters of reference to the School of Graduate Studies in a sealed, signed envelope.

  3. Transcripts 

    • Photocopies of official transcripts can be uploaded to the online application as PDF files. If a transcript or transcripts cannot be successfully uploaded to the online application, you are responsible for ensuring that an official transcript or transcripts of all current and previous university-level studies are sent to the School of Graduate Studies by all universities previously attended.

      Please note: Hard copy original official transcript showing degree completion and conferral, will be required from all applicants who accept an offer of admission to graduate studies at Queen's University. These final transcripts are to be sent directly from the issuing institutions to the School of Graduate Studies, in sealed envelopes.

      For further information about transcript requirements, please visit the School of Graduate Studies application information page. 

  4. Writing Sample

    • ​​All applicants (MA and PhD) must submit a writing sample. It should be a recent essay approximately 15-20 pages in length. The writing sample is to be emailed to the Graduate Programs Coordinator at gradpols@queensu.ca

  5. Statement of Research (Question 3 in the departmental questions at the end of the application.)

    • MA applicants should briefly outline their main research interests, approximately 200 words.
    • PhD applicants should provide a longer statement of approximately 500 words explaining the topic you expect to be the focus of your research, what your thesis area is, and with whom you hope to work. If you find there is not enough room on the application you may mail your statement to the department.
    • It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with: the supervisory interests of the faculty, our five major fields of study, and our affiliated research centres.

  6. Curriculum Vitae (optional)

  7. International applicants

    • ​​If your first language is not English and you do not meet the requirements for exemption (see below), you are required to submit TOEFL or IELTS. Please see the School of Graduate Studies website for additional details including minimum acceptable scores. 
    • If within the 12-month period prior to the month of application, you have studied for at least one complete year at a university where English is the official language of instruction, you may be exempt from the English Language Proficiency Test. An applicant requesting a waiver of the test, for this reason, should do so in writing and submit it with the application. The Director, Admissions and Student Services of the School of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the department, will make determinations in these cases.