UCI offers one of the leading Ph.D. programs in Global Studies. Our program provides a critical transdisciplinary degree that stands out from other programs for its cutting-edge curriculum, faculty, and for engaging multiple theoretical perspectives and methodologies from across the social sciences and humanities. UCI’s program is truly unique for its foregrounding the importance of engaging global south scholarship and non-western epistemologies that broaden the base of knowledge production and bringing new perspectives to bear on the pressing global issues that impact us all.
 

HOW TO APPLY

All applicants for the PhD programs must apply online using the UCI Online Application for Graduate Admissions (https://apply.grad.uci.edu/apply/).

FALL APPLICATION DEADLINES:

Applications will be accepted beginning October 1, 2024.

The deadline to apply is December 1, 2024.

For full consideration, applications must be received by the December 1st deadline. Although applications received after the deadline may be considered, we cannot guarantee that they can be reviewed.

Prospective students must hold a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution with degree standards equivalent to those of the University of California. The degree need not be in Global Studies; degrees in the social sciences, behavioral sciences and humanities may also be accepted.

The following items are required as part of the graduate application:

• Application Fee: $135 for U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents, and $155 for all international applicants. The application fee is non-refundable.
• Application Fee Waivers are available to eligible candidates and determined in the campus Graduate Division: https://grad.uci.edu/admissions/applying-to-uci/fee-waivers.php
• Current CV or Resume (include your academic achievements)
• Statement of Purpose - 1200 word maximum (global issues that interest you most, the kinds of issues you are interested in, the areas of academic research you’d like to work in, how your research relates to your career goals, why the Global Studies program makes sense for you)
• Personal History Statement - 1200 word maximum (what drives you, the obstacles you have faced, how you have overcome adversity and thrived, lessons you’ve learned, things you have achieved as a result)
• One (1) Writing Sample. 20 pages is the maximum length. Can be an excerpt from a longer piece. Please upload your writing sample on the application form under "Additional Information".
• Three (3) Letters of Recommendation uploaded by recommenders into the application portal
• Transcripts - undergraduate and graduate (if applicable). Unofficial transcripts must be uploaded to the application. After you are admitted, and submitted a positive SIR, your official transcript and proof that you earned your undergraduate degree should be mailed to UCI.
• TOEFL or IELTS (if applicable - see below)* please choose institution code 4859

**GRE is no longer required

All records submitted to our office become the property of the University and will not be returned to the student. If your academic records cannot be replaced, please bring them directly to our office and we will photocopy and return them to you. All application materials are to be submitted electronically as part of the online application.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

All graduate students, except those who have earned an undergraduate degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction according to the World Health Education Database, are required to demonstrate oral English proficiency before they admitted to a UCI graduate program and are appointed to Teaching Assistant or Teaching Associate titles. For Teaching Assistant and Associate positions, the aforementioned exception will apply only when the undergraduate degree has been earned within five years prior to admission to a graduate program at UCI. Please read the full policy on English proficiency for graduate admissions and how to search for your institution in the database on the UCI Graduate Division website. The English proficiency requirement for TAs can be found here.

 

If you have further questions, please visit the School of Social Science's FAQ Page or contact the Graduate Admissions Office at socsci.gradinfo@uci.edu or (949) 824-7352.