Admission Requirements

Students with various academic and professional backgrounds are encouraged to apply for graduate study at the DGA.

Incoming students must possess a Bachelor's degree or its equivalent and should submit, as part of their application, their university or college transcripts, GRE scores, three letters of recommendation, and a personal statement of 250 words explaining why they wish to study global affairs at the DGA. LSAT and GMAT test scores are acceptable in lieu of GRE scores.

In deciding which students to admit into its programs, the DGA evaluates the student's entire record—without over- or underemphasizing any one criterion. The most important considerations for admission are the student's fit with the DGA program and the likelihood that a student, if accepted, will complete the program requirements within the maximum allowable time (3 years for M.S. students and 8 years for Ph.D. students).

Students who are not U.S. citizens must submit a TOEFL score based on a test taken no more than two years before the time of application. (U.S. Permanent Residents and students from countries where English is the official language need not submit TOEFL scores.) Rutgers University requires that TOEFL scores be no lower than 213 on the computer test, no lower than 550 on the paper test, and no lower than 79 on the Internet-based test. The Rutgers TOEFL code is 2765.

Application forms are available online.

International Students

Satisfactory English-language proficiency is a prerequisite for graduate study at Rutgers-Newark. Admitted international students may be required to take a test of English-language proficiency soon after they arrive at the university; they may also be required to take course work in English as a Second Language (ESL).

International students appointed as Teaching Assistants are required to take an oral proficiency test regardless of their TOEFL scores.

Nonimmigrant international students must present evidence that they have adequate financial resources to meet their educational and living expenses.

Application Deadlines

Prospective M.S. students must apply by November 1 for study in the spring semester and by May 1 for study in the fall semester. Incomplete applications—those without three letters of recommendation, transcripts, and/or GRE scores or the equivalent—may be withdrawn.

Prospective Ph.D. students may only apply for study in the fall semester of the following academic year. Candidates for the Ph.D. must submit complete applications by February 15. Applicants are encouraged to apply well before the deadline, as it can take up to two months for an application to be fully reviewed. Incomplete applications—those without three letters of recommendation, transcripts, and/or GRE scores or the equivalent—may be withdrawn.

Candidates who are admitted to the Graduate School-Newark are notified by the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions. Candidates are expected to register for the term for which they were admitted. Those who fail to do so may be required to submit a second application and fee to be reconsidered for admission at a later date.

Reactivation of Application

Those students who were accepted into the program, but wish to defer attendance, or those who were rejected, but want to try again, may reactivate their applications by contacting Jennifer Nyeste, Admissions Officer at nyest@ugadm.rutgers.edu.   

For a description of the exact procedures, please consult the university graduate website: http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/apply/shtml 

Change of Program

Students wishing to change their field or degree program must obtain the requisite form from the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School-Newark, Hill Hall, Rm. 401, submit it to the graduate program directors for approval, and return it to the Office of the Dean for final authorization. The fall-term deadline is July 1; the spring-term deadline is December 1.

Part-Time Study

Although the DGA recommends that students pursue their studies full-time, both M.S. and Ph.D. students may be enrolled on a part-time basis. A full-time academic load is defined as 9 or more credits per semester; a part-time academic load is defined as 8 or fewer credits per semester. Graduate fellows, research interns, and graduate and teaching assistants must be registered for full-time study.

Transfer Credits

Graduate courses completed at other universities or in other departments or schools at Rutgers University may be accepted for credit at the DGA. Students must first complete 12 credits with a grade of B or higher at the DGA and then submit a Transfer Credit Application (available at the DGA and the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School-Newark, Hill Hall, Rm. 401), which must be approved by the DGA Graduate Program Director.

•  Students who complete the M.S. degree at the DGA may use all relevant accrued credits (with grades of B or higher) to fulfill the requirements of the Ph.D. in Global Affairs.

•  Up to 12 credits of graduate-level course work (with grades of B or higher) completed at the New Brunswick or Camden campuses of Rutgers University or at institutions other than Rutgers may be applied to the M.S.

•  Up to 12 credits of graduate-level course work (with grades of B or higher) completed at Rutgers-Newark in departments other than Global Affairs may be applied to the M.S.

•  Up to 24 credits of graduate-level course work (with grades of B or higher) completed at the New Brunswick or Camden campuses of Rutgers University or at institutions other than Rutgers may be applied to meet the Concentration and/or Distribution requirements of the Ph.D.

•  Up to 24 credits of graduate-level course work (with grades of B or higher) completed at Rutgers-Newark in departments or schools other than Global Affairs may be applied to meet the Concentration and/or Distribution requirements of the Ph.D.

•  All graduate-level courses count for no more than 3 credits apiece.

•  Transfer credit may not be obtained for theses, independent study, or research.

•  Transfer credits may not be applied to required Core Courses in either the M.S. or Ph.D. programs.

•  Three transfer credits may, with the approval of the DGA Graduate Program Director, be acquired for significant and relevant professional experience and applied toward an Internship. Credits granted for professional experience may be acquired in addition to the maximum number of transfer credits that can be applied to the respective degrees.

Tuition and Fees

Please consult the Graduate School-Newark Catalog for a complete fee schedule.

Financial Support

The DGA offers full-time Ph.D. students a number of highly competitive Teaching Assistantships providing full tuition and health benefits. Students normally receive Teaching Assistantships, which are offered on an annual basis, for a maximum of three years. In order to qualify for Teaching Assistantships, incoming Ph.D. students must submit complete applications for graduate study at the DGA by February 15. (Incomplete applications—those without three letters of recommendation, transcripts, and GRE scores or the equivalent—will not be considered.) Ongoing DGA Ph.D. students and holders of Teaching Assistantships must apply in writing to the DGA Director by February 15. Their applications must include a brief cover letter outlining their qualifications and a copy of their transcript from the preceding academic year. Holders of Teaching Assistantships must maintain an excellent academic record in order to qualify for renewal, which cannot be guaranteed even with first-rate performance. Recipients of Teaching Assistantships may not, except in extraordinary circumstances requiring the written approval of the DGA Director and the permission of the Graduate School , have outside employment (other than a DGA-approved Internship for which they receive academic credit). International students appointed as Teaching Assistants are required to take an oral proficiency test regardless of their TOEFL scores.

Several Dissertation Fellowships , which include no tuition remission, are available from the Graduate School-Newark for Ph.D. students who are in their final year of matriculation and who have completed their course work and begun their dissertations. Their applications must include a brief cover letter outlining their qualifications, a summary of their dissertation-related research and writing plans, and a copy of their transcript from the preceding academic year. Fellows receive health benefits through payment of student fees. Dissertation Fellows may also register for Matriculation Continued. Recipients of Dissertation Fellowships may not, except in extraordinary circumstances requiring the written approval of the DGA Director and permission of the Graduate School , have outside employment (other than a DGA-approved Internship for which they receive academic credit).

Ph.D. students are strongly encouraged to apply for outside funding as they approach the dissertation research and writing stage.

A small number of Master's Scholarships worth 12 credits of course work (tuition remission for 6 credits per semester) are available from the Graduate School-Newark. Students must apply to the DGA Graduate Program Director by March 1. Applications must include a brief cover letter outlining their qualifications and a copy of the student's transcript from the preceding academic year.

Matching Tuition Remission Awards that equal, and are limited to, 9 credits of tuition remission per semester for two academic semesters, thus granting students full-time status, are available to M.S. and Ph.D. students from the Graduate School-Newark. These awards are only available as matches against faculty-sponsored grants in which graduate students are provided full stipends and benefits.

Federal Work-Study may be offered to students with financial need as a self-help portion of the financial aid award. For more information about Federal Work-Study jobs on and off campus, students should contact the Office of Financial Aid, 249 University Avenue , Blumenthal Hall, Room 302, Newark , NJ 07102 (973 353-5151).

Please consult the Graduate School-Newark Catalog for a complete listing of other sources of financial aid available through the university.

Housing

Students interested in on-campus housing should contact the Office of Housing and Residence Life, 91 Bleeker Street , Newark , NJ 07102 (973 353-1037).

Nondegree Graduate Student Program

DGA students may receive as many as 12 graduate degree credits for courses previously taken under the nondegree program. To exercise this option, nonmatriculated students must apply and win admission to the DGA within five years of taking the courses. Students must maintain a grade point average of B or higher in their nonmatriculated course work.

For information on application procedures for nondegree graduate study, see: http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/apply2.shtml#nondegree.

For further information on Rutgers University rules and regulations relating to graduate study, see the Graduate School-Newark Catalog >>