How to Apply

Deadlines

SSP admits students for both fall and spring semesters. Our upcoming deadlines are:

  • Spring 2026 Term: October 1, 2025
  • Fall 2026 Term: January 15, 2026

Submitting an Application

All graduate programs in the School of Foreign Service use the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Application.

The application should be completed entirely online.

Note: It can take up to two weeks to receive electronic materials. Please defer to your application portal, after you begin your application, to check in on the status of your documents to ensure they are received by the final application deadline.

Start or continue your application here.

Application Requirements

A complete application must include all of the following:

  • Graduate School of Arts and Sciences application form
  • $90.00 application fee (paid via Visa or Mastercard to the Office of Graduate Admissions)
  • Résumé or C.V. (No page limit)
  • Statement of Purpose: Your statement of purpose is not to exceed 500 words and should address your intellectual interests and professional and academic goals. The statement of purpose is a critical component of the SSP application. Please carefully explain how SSP specifically fits into your future academic and professional plans.
  • Optional Statement: As Georgetown is a diverse, global community, we encourage you to upload a brief statement of up to 500 words to help the Admissions Committee understand the contribution your personal background and individual experiences would make to our community. As appropriate, you may wish to address any educational, familial, cultural, economic, and social experiences that have helped to shape your educational and professional goals; or how your background (e.g., first generation student, resident outside the U.S.) or activities (e.g., community service and leadership) will contribute to the diversity of perspectives and ideas at Georgetown University.
  • Transcripts: Applicants are required to upload to the application system copies of official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. Do not send electronic or paper copies of your official transcripts before receiving an offer of admission. Review the Graduate School’s How to Apply page for additional details and FAQs.
  • Letters of recommendation from three (3) individuals who can assess the applicant’s qualifications and preparation for graduate study in security studies. Letters of recommendation are to be submitted electronically using the online application system. Personal letters of recommendation, such as those from colleagues, coaches, and family friends, are not accepted.
  • Required supplement for all SSP applicants:
    • Official GRE scores sent directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). See below for additional information on standardized testing.

OR

    • Supplemental Analytical Writing Sample: Please answer the following prompt in no more than 600 words: Discuss a security challenge facing the US or the international system and identify potential solutions.

If your undergraduate degree is from an institution where English was not the primary language of instruction, submit either:

      • The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
      • The International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

If you are active-duty military: Supplemental data form (included in the online application)

Standardized Testing

If you do not submit GRE scores, you must instead submit the 600-word minimum analytical writing sample. For more information about SSP’s position on the GRE, see our FAQ page.

In addition to potential TOEFL or IELTS scores, international applicants are still required to submit the additional supplement (GRE or analytical writing sample) to complete their SSP application.

Applicants to the joint M.A./J.D. program can submit LSAT scores in lieu of GRE scores. GMAT scores will not be accepted under any circumstances.

All test scores must be sent directly from the testing company. The ETS code for Georgetown University is 5244. There is no separate code for SSP or the Walsh School of Foreign Service specifically.

The admissions committee will only review scores that have been taken prior to the program application deadlines listed above. Please list unofficial scores in the “Test Scores” section of your online application while we wait to receive and process your official scores.

GRE scores are valid for five years, and TOEFL/IELTS scores for two years. Scores with a test date beyond those time frames are not accepted. If you take the test multiple times, the committee will review the highest score received.

Minimum Scores

  • There is no minimum GRE score required to gain admission to SSP.
  • There is a minimum score requirement for both the TOEFL and IELTS:
  • TOEFL: 100 on the Internet Based Test (iBT); IELTS: 7.5

Waiving Standardized Testing Requirements

All applicants are required to submit the appropriate standardized test scores. SSP does not grant requests to waive standardized testing requirements.

Application Review and Notification

Application review begins promptly after each deadline. Applicants for spring are notified by mid-November, while applicants for fall admission are notified of their status in late March.

Admission to SSP is not rolling, and applications cannot be considered prior to the deadline. All application materials must be received by the relevant deadline. All application materials are processed by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and reviewed by the SSP Admissions Committee. SSP only considers complete files for admission.

Once an admissions decision has been rendered, a recommendation is made to GSAS, which then performs a routine and final review of the file to ensure all application requirements are met. GSAS then posts an official decision letter to the applicant’s online application file and sends an e-mail notification. Admissions decisions cannot be released via email, fax, or phone.