Political Science and International Affairs

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to PSIA, an applicant must meet AUA’s general admission requirements and the PSIA-program specific requirements, which include:

• An undergraduate degree from a four or five year program
• Demonstrated English proficiency with a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 79 or a minimum IELTS score of 6.5. Test scores cannot be more than 2 years old at the time of application.
• A minimum 25th percentile score on the GRE quantitative examination.
• A high undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA)
• Two letters of recommendation
• A concise and informative personal statement.

In addition to these requirements, work and volunteer experience are also taken into consideration. The program may also require interviews with applicants.

Graduation requirements

• To graduate with a Master of Political Science and International Affairs, students must complete 54 credit hours of coursework, including a Master’s Essay, Policy Internship Project, or Policy Paper in the final two semesters of study one for Research design, and the other for the Data Collection and Writing. The Essay, Internship Project, or the Policy Paper each carry 2 units of academic credit. Most course units in the School, unless otherwise indicated, represent three hours of class attendance per week by the student. Students must also complete a course on Environmental Science.
• Full-time students will carry either 12 or 15 credit units per semester. Part-time students must develop an approved three-year program of study with the Chair during the student’s first semester of study at AUA.
• While the majority of students complete all school requirements in two years, the maximum period for completion is three academic years for both full-time and part-time students. Degree candidacy will automatically lapse after this period and students will not be awarded a diploma.
• A course load of more than 15 credit units or less than 12 credit units requires prior approval from the Chair of the Program. All required courses, must be taken on a letter grade basis. A cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher is required for the granting of the degree.