How to Apply

Applicants must have one year of university-level language training in an Asian language with a grade of B or above. This includes an intensive university-level language program. If you are a native speaker of an Asian language, you are exempt from this requirement.

If you studied an Asian language without taking formal language courses, please contact the Director of Academic Programs & Operations Robert Lyons at robert.lyons@georgetown.edu to discuss your specific situation. While such language experience may fulfill the language prerequisite requirement, further verification would be necessary for the proficiency requirement.

Both current college seniors and working professionals are encouraged to apply. We value applicants who can inform the admissions committee on their commitment to the study of Asia, whether through coursework, internships, study abroad, language experience, living overseas and/or full-time work experience.

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. There is no page limit, though we recommend a one to two-page resume.

The statement of purpose is your opportunity to market yourself as a candidate for admission to the MASIA program. We recommend 500-700 words in clear, concise writing. You should introduce the admissions committee to who you are, why you want to pursue graduate study in Asian Studies at Georgetown and what your goals are after your potential graduate studies here. Graduate study is a significant undertaking in time and resources and our team wants to see MASIA students thrive. Accepted students will have effectively demonstrated their previous investment and ongoing commitment to the study of Asia.

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).

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

Proof of language training

If you are not a native speaker of an Asian language, proof of one year of university-level language training in an Asian language, with a grade of B or above must be represented on or submitted alongside your academic transcripts. If you studied an Asian language without taking formal language courses, please contact the Director of Academic Programs & Operations Robert Lyons at robert.lyons@georgetown.edu to discuss your specific situation. 

Non-U.S. college or university academic transcripts 

Applicants who have attended institutions outside of the United States are strongly encouraged to upload their transcripts in the form of World Education Services Credential Evaluations or to utilize other credential evaluation services that are members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. If the evaluation does not include a copy of the evaluated transcripts, you must upload both the transcripts from the institution and the credential evaluation as one document to the application.

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).

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.

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 100 (online test).
• Submission of an official International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – Academic Module score report with a minimum score of 7.0. 

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 IELTS score electronically to Georgetown University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

Send your official TOEFL score through ETS to institution code 5244. There is not a specific department code. 

You are required to provide at least two, but up to three, letters of recommendation. You should ask individuals, faculty or work references who know you well to write these recommendations. We strongly suggest that at least one of your recommendations is from a faculty member who taught you in class and for whom you wrote a research paper. Please keep in mind that a letter of recommendation from someone who knows you well is much more useful and beneficial to your application than a generic letter from a well-recognized individual. Also, it is helpful for you to ask your references for their assistance with letters weeks, if not months, in advance.

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.

All applicants must submit a writing sample of approximately 10-15 pages written in English. Writing samples of longer lengths are acceptable, but please remember that quality always takes precedence over quantity. Students typically become better writers as they progress in their education, so it would be advantageous for applicants to submit written work from your junior or senior year of college or even more recent work, if applicable.

While not required, applicants are welcome to submit standardized test scores from either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).

There is no minimum score requirement. The Admissions Committee will holistically evaluate your entire application. 

Submitting your scores  

• Our GRE code is 5244. We do not have a specific department code. 
• Our GMAT code is JT7-D8-97.

Ideally, plan to take the GRE or GMAT well in advance of the application deadline. You need to order your GRE or GMAT official score reports at least one month prior to the mid-January application deadline to ensure on-time arrival in the Graduate Admissions Office. If you take the test in December or early January, we can accept a screenshot of unofficial test scores as we await your official score report.