MIP How to Apply

At least one letter should be a faculty member or instructor at the last school you attended as a full-time student (unless you have been out of school for more than five years). Substitutions for faculty recommendations may include work associates or others who can comment on your academic potential for graduate work.

We require an academic writing sample, in English. It must be a single piece of writing between 7-15 pages, double-spaced (excluding title page, end notes, and bibliography). If possible, the topic should be related to international policy; however, a piece of analytical writing in another field is acceptable. You must be the sole author of the submitted writing sample. Submissions range from analytical papers written for an undergraduate or graduate course, to excerpts from a thesis, or published articles.

We require a recent resume and/or CV. Submissions are often one to two pages in length, but there is no page limit for this document.

The requirement for official scores from the GRE General Test has been waived for the upcoming application cycle (Fall 2026 entry). GRE scores will not be considered in the selection process. 

Adequate command of spoken and written English is required for admission. 

Effective for applicants starting graduate study in 2026: You are not required to submit English proficiency test scores if you meet one or more of the following criteria:

• You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Your first language is English
• You earned a U.S. bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree, or international equivalent from a university where all instruction was conducted in English
• You have two or more consecutive years of professional or educational experience in English in the past 10 years

If you do not meet any of the criteria listed above, then at the time of application, you are required to submit an official test score from the TOEFL or the IELTS that meets the MIP program's minimum score for admission consideration. 

For the TOEFL, a minimum total score of 100 is required, with a minimum score of 25 in each of the four sections. For the IELTS, a minimum score of 7 is required. For both tests, it is recommended to be competitive beyond the minimum. 

The MIP program requires University-level introductory coursework in microeconomics and macroeconomics, taken either as part of a student's undergraduate education, at another accredited educational institution, or through an approved online course. In addition, while not required, we strongly recommend applicants to complete an introductory course in statistics. An understanding of calculus may also be helpful in preparation for the Research Methods course sequence. All prerequisites must be completed prior to the start of classes in late September, however they do not need to be completed at the time of application.

For each post-secondary institution where you have spent at least one academic year, you must scan and upload a copy of your transcript to the online application. Then, if you are offered admission and decide to enroll, (and after conferral of your latest degree) you must have the institution(s) send final official transcripts / degree conferral documents to the Office of Graduate Admissions, following one of the delivery methods outlined on their Official Transcripts page.