Political Science Graduate Program

The Political Science Research Lab is open to graduate students 24 hours a day. It contains several microcomputers linked to the Internet, state-wide, and campus networks. A variety of research and word processing software is available for these machines. Knowledge of these resources combined with our emphasis on quantitative methods is a valuable asset to students who anticipate working in a public or private agency or at an educational institution. The Computing Center at the University is one of the finest in the United States, and it is one of the few to operate its own supercomputer. Virginia Tech was recently ranked first in the nation in student access to computers, and all entering undergraduate students are required to have PCs. Students also have access to a wide variety of computerized data sets through the University's membership in the Intercollegiate Consortium for Political and Social Research.

Applications

• Official transcripts of prior academic work.
• Three letters of recommendation (forms provided by the graduate school).
• The application form.
• Scores on the verbal, quantitative and analytical writing portions of the Graduate Records Exam.
• Residents of non-English-speaking countries also must submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language.

The application deadline for all materials is January 15th in order to be considered for admission in the following fall semester. New on-campus students can enter the program in the fall only. New on-line students can enter in the fall or the spring. The application deadline for all materials for spring on-line applications is October 1st of the preceding year.

To request an application or obtain further information, please see the Information Request page.