How to Apply

We welcome applicants with some background in the region and your proposed area of interest. Though there are no formal prerequisite requirements, appropriate work or life experience in the region is helpful. We also recommend having at least two years of prior Arabic study. Successful candidates also have strong analytical capabilities, an excellent academic record and a commitment to a future career related to this part of the world.

Applications are submitted through our online application portal.

You must upload a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) to your online application. Your resume should describe your work experience, extracurricular or volunteer activities, academic institutions attended, list of published work and any academic honors or awards.

The statement of purpose should address any or all of these topics:

• What you hope to achieve from the program 
• Your motivation for applying to this specific program
• Your previous academic background
• Your prior experience in the Arab world

Transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended are required. Review the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Transcript FAQs for more information.

Academic transcript submissions

• Step 1: Request a copy of your official transcript from your institution(s).
• Step 2: Upload the transcript to your application.

An acceptable transcript is a copy of an official transcript produced by the institution, including:

• Scanned copies of paper transcripts issued by the institution.
• Electronic transcripts issued by the institution (not a download from your institution’s web portal).

Please note that we do not accept screenshots, photos or downloads of the “student’s view” from your institution’s website.

Non-U.S. college or university academic transcripts 

• Transcripts not in English must be accompanied by an English language version provided by the academic institution. If your institution does not provide English language copies, you must provide a certified or notarized translation with a copy of the original transcripts. You may upload an evaluation from a credential evaluation service that must include course and grade information. Both the evaluation and original transcript should be submitted in the application as one document.
• If you have study abroad and/or transfer coursework listed on your undergraduate transcripts with the grades earned, you do NOT need to list these institutions separately or upload transcripts. If courses are not listed on your primary institution’s transcript or the transfer courses do not show course grades, please list the institution(s) separately and upload the transcript(s).

Admitted students 

If you receive an offer of admission, you will be required to submit official transcripts, which are transcripts submitted directly to Georgetown University by the institution you attended, for verification before enrolling. Do not send electronic or paper copies of your official transcripts before receiving an offer of admission. Georgetown reserves the right to request any missing transcripts or an official copy of a transcript at any point during the application and/or admission process. Georgetown also reserves the right to withdraw any offer of admission already made if there is any discrepancy between a transcript uploaded in the application and the final official transcript received.

All applicants are required to demonstrate a level of proficiency in the English language sufficient to meet the admission requirement of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Proficiency can be demonstrated by:

• Receipt of a bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction for the entire institution.
• Submission of an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score report with a minimum score of 550 (paper-based test) or 100 (internet test). 
• Submission of an official International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – Academic Module score report with a minimum score of 7.5. 

The TOEFL Special Home Edition and the IELTS Online version may be accepted for Fall 2026 admissions.

Submitting your TOEFL or IELTS scores 

The TOEFL and IELTS must be received directly from the appropriate testing organization. Photocopied or faxed documents will not fulfill this requirement. 

• Send your official TOEFL score through ETS to institution code 5244. There is not a specific department code. 
• Send your IELTS score electronically to Georgetown University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

You must submit three letters of recommendation. At least two letters should be from professors who have taught you. We recommend you submit no more than one letter from a language professor.

The online application utilizes a secure online recommendation system which will:

• Automatically email each recommender with instructions for online submission of the recommendation;
• Allow applicants to track recommendations received or not received and follow up with recommenders who still need to submit their appraisals;
• Expedite the processing of the recommendations, which will be included in the online application once submitted.

Please submit a two- to three-page scholarly writing sample of no more than 750 words. You should focus on a topic of interest related to the Arab world. The writing sample should draw adequately on academic references and may be a shortened version of a scholarly essay or paper that you have previously written. This must be your own work, so you should not use AI tools for research or writing.