Ph.D. Admission Deadlines

Doctoral applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for admission in the fall semester, for either full-time or part-time study. A limited number of individuals may be admitted in the spring semester.

Fall (August matriculation):

February 1- International applicants*

March 1- Domestic applicants

Spring (January matriculation):

October 1 - International applicants*

November 1 - Domestic applicants

*Please adhere to the international student deadlines if your undergraduate or graduate study is from outside of the United States.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA) and most scholarships, fellowships, and tuition waivers are available for full-time Ph.D. students only and are offered only in the fall term for the upcoming academic year. There are usually no GRA awards offered for new students for the spring term. If interested, please indicate on the application your interest in a GRA.

Reflecting Mason's diversity, the School of Public Policy's student body comes from numerous countries including Argentina, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iraq, Japan, Mongolia, South Korea, Sudan, Sweden, Thailand, and Venezuela.

Students are taught by a world-renowned faculty who are leading researchers in their field as well as top-notch practitioners in the world of public policy.

Each year, the Graduate Admissions Office recruits students from a wide geographic pool, traveling to at least 15 different states and multiple countries to attract the best and brightest applicants.

SPP students experience a first-class education at a very competitive cost.