Admitted Student Profile

Admission to SSP is competitive: Roughly 20 to 25 percent of applicants are admitted each admissions cycle. Applicants are evaluated on the entirety of their application, including their undergraduate record, standardized test scores, professional experience, letters of recommendation, and statement of purpose.

Holistic Profile

Successful applicants come from a wide range of undergraduate majors, including international relations and other social sciences, the humanities, business, and physical sciences and engineering.

SSP strives to enroll a diverse class of students who have demonstrated academic excellence, a wide range of personal and professional experience, and a strong desire to pursue a career in the field of security. SSP seeks students who, by virtue of their background and experience, can contribute to the education of their peers and to the scholarship of security studies.

Work experience is not required, but is recommended. The admissions committee carefully reviews each applicant’s personal and professional experience to assess readiness for graduate study at SSP. Volunteer positions, internships, and part-time and full-time work experience play a role in preparing students for graduate study.

Likewise, international experience is not required but is recommended. International experience includes time spent living, studying, working, volunteering, outside of the applicant’s home country.

Statistical Profile

Below is a statistical and demographic overview of the Fall 2021 incoming class. The statistics below are intended for information only and should not be taken as minimum requirements for admission to SSP.

Average Quantitative Metrics

GPA (U.S. students only): 3.65
GRE Verbal: 162*
GRE Quantitative: 156*
GRE Analytic Writing: 4.7*
TOEFL (iBT): 108**
IELTS: 7.5**

*170 is the highest possible score on the verbal and quantitative portions of the exam; 6 is the highest score on the analytic writing section. SSP does not have a minimum required GRE score, and does not require the GRE for application.

**SSP has a minimum TOEFL score of 100 on the Internet Based Test (iBT), 250 on the Computer-Based Test, or 600 on the paper-based exam, and a minimum IELTS score of 7.5.

Student Demographics

Average Age: 26
U.S. Citizens: 94.5%
International Students: 15%
Average Work Experience: 4 years
Female: 55%
Male: 45%
Minority (U.S. students only): 30%