Your application must include the following:
1. Online graduate application.
2. Unofficial transcripts from all prior post-secondary institutions. Transcripts are not required for an institution if all grades are reflected on the transcript for a different school (for example, when a student has transferred or participated in study abroad).
3. Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores if required by your areas of study:
- Required for applicants to Economics, Political Economy, and Quantitative Methods and Social Analysis.
- Optional but recommended for applicants to Psychology and Comparative Human Development.
- Not required for applicants to any other track/area of study.
4. A 2-4 page Candidate Statement, outlining your research interest, relevant training, prior academic distinctions, and your fit for 2 or 3 UChicago faculty members.
5. Three letters of recommendation.
6. A non-refundable application fee. Click here for information about fee waivers.
7. Applicants who do not qualify for a waiver of the University’s English proficiency requirement must submit official IELTS/TOEFL scores. See here for more information.
8. A single-authored writing sample, that speaks to the applicant’s ability in the discipline they designate for graduate research. A total of 20 to 30 pages is ideal. 7 pages is the minimum. More than one document may be uploaded, if the applicant has two or three shorter papers that best show their ability.
9. A resume or CV
All supporting material – including letters of recommendation, transcripts, supplemental material, and writing samples – must be submitted electronically with your online application. The Division of the Social Sciences allows for a short grace period of about one week for receipt of recommendations and required test scores. Materials that arrive more than a week after the deadline may place your application at a significant disadvantage.