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Political Science

For prospective students

Students in our program have come from around the Central Valley, across the United States, and around the world (most recently from Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Egypt, India, Japan, Mexico, Myanmar, and Ukraine). They have Bachelor’s degrees in a variety of fields including Political Science, Anthropology, Criminology, History, International Business, Philosophy, and Sociology. They all have an interest in expanding their knowledge and understanding of the world.


To see what some recent alumni have to say about the program, or to contact one of them, click here.

For more details on the International Relations program, click here.


Admission requirements:

  • Undergraduate GPA: approximately 3.0 or above
  • GRE scores: approximately 500 or above Verbal; 475 or above Quantitative; and a writing score of 3.5 or above
  • For international students: minimum TOEFL scores: 237 (CB), 580 (PB), 93 (IB); or mimimum IELTS score 6.5

Applicants who do not meet the above criteria may still be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis.

Submit your online application and provide all materials required for university admission here.

In addition, submit 3 letters of recommendation (at least 2 of which should be from faculty) and a statement of purpose directly to the International Relations Program Director at the following address:

Dr. Melanie Ram, Graduate Coordinator, International Relations MA Program, Dept. of Political Science, M/S MF 19, Fresno, CA 93740-8029

Application deadlines:

  • Sept. 27 for spring admission
  • May 1 for fall admission

Financial Aid and Awards:

  • Outstanding applicants may be awarded a one-time $1000 graduate assistant/recruitment scholarship. 
  • For the 2011-2012 academic year, one outstanding international or out-of-state applicant to a College of Social Sciences graduate program will be awarded a Provost Award of $10,000/year for two years. Early applications for admission are strongly encouraged to be considered for this award.
  • A limited number of partial tuition waivers may also be available on a competitive basis to out-of-state or international students.
  • Current outstanding students are eligible to apply for a few Graduate Assistantships to provide research assistance to faculty.

For further information on financial aid, click here.

For more information:

For all university graduate application and admission information, click here.

If you are an international student, also consult the International Student Services and Programs (ISSP) website.

If you have further questions about the International Relations program specifically, please contact Dr. Ram, the graduate program director, at 559-278-5324 or meram@csufresno.edu.