Admissions Guidelines and Information
The department offers both M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, with subfield specializations in American politics, comparative politics, international relations, methodology, and public policy.
The department admits a small number of well-qualified candidates to its graduate program each year. Such factors as the applicant’s academic and non-academic experience, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the ability of the department to provide faculty guidance and courses in the applicant’s areas of interest, and the university’s commitment to equal education opportunity and diversity are considered. Additionally, the applicant must also meet UNM’s admissions criteria.
The Department welcomes applications from the American Political Science Association's Minority Identification program and Project 1000 program for Latino/Latina students.
Application
Completed applications received by January 15th will receive priority consideration for financial aid. After January 15th, applications will be considered on a rolling basis, through May 1st. Our online application can be found at apply.unm.edu where you will be able to upload the following required materials.
- A short (1-2 page) letter of intent describing your interest in the study of political science at UNM.
- Writing sample (preferably a research paper) illustrating analytical ability and stylistic mastery.
- Three letters of recommendation, preferably from former instructors.
- Unofficial transcripts from each academic institution attended.
- Unofficial GRE scores. (waived for Fall 2025, but we strongly recommend that students take the exam)
Please Note: Per the rules provided by UNM's Office of Graduate Studies, we cannot waive application fees for international applicants.
In addition to submitting unofficial transcripts via the online application, the university requires that applicants submit official transcripts before an official offer can be made.
- Although GRE scores are not required for Fall 2025 admission, students that would like to include them in their application can have ETS send official GRE scores to UNM code #4845
- Official transcripts from each institution must be submitted before an applicant can be officially admitted to the university:
Domestic students should send official transcripts to:
Office of Admissions
PO Box 4895
Albuquerque, NM 87196-4895
International students should send official transcripts to:
International Admissions
2120 Mesa Vista Hall
MSC06 3850, 1, University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
Office of International Admissions
For more information regarding international admissions requirements, such as English language scores, please see the international admissions website.
