Application Materials

When applying to a Biden School doctoral program, the following documents must be submitted online through the graduate application system. Please do not attempt to mail any printed copies of materials, as this may cause delays and errors in the processing of your application.

• University of Delaware Graduate Admission Application.
  
• One copy of the unofficial transcript(s) for all colleges and universities previously attended that documents and shows all undergraduate and graduate-level work completed.
• A current resumé.
  
• Three letters of recommendation. We suggest that at least one be an academic recommendation. You are responsible for entering the recommenders' names and email addresses, and then the application system will automatically contact your recommenders for their letters to be uploaded online.
• Scholarly Writing Sample​. Please provide a scholarly writing sample, preferably a master's thesis or research paper. You do not need to write something new—​supplying a piece of writing from your master's program is preferred.
• Personal Statement. Please follow the submission instructions in the Graduate Admission Application.
• Biden School Supplementary Information Form.
• Nonrefundable university graduate application fee of $75.
• The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is required of all non-domestic applicants. A minimum score of 105 (TOEFL iBT) is required for admission consideration. We will accept iTEP Academic-Plus scores if TOEFL testing is not available to an applicant.
  

Applications must be complete to receive full consideration and review by the admissions committee. Please plan accordingly when scheduling your GRE testing date and seeking references.

Fall Semester Admission

The priority deadline for full-time fall semester admission to the public policy and administration and the education and social policy doctoral programs is December 15. The priority deadline for all Biden School doctoral programs is January 15.

The majority of the available research and financial assistantships are awarded for the fall semester to those applicants who meet the January 15 deadline. Applications are accepted after the mid-January deadline and will be considered on a rolling basis until the final deadline of July 1.

Spring Semester Admission

The deadline for applications for spring semester admission is December 1. 

Please note that applications for study beginning in the spring semester are accepted for some, but not all graduate programs. Funding opportunities for spring admissions are quite limited. The majority of new students are admitted for the fall semester. Please email bidenschool@udel.edu if you have any questions.