How to Apply

You must have completed a bachelor’s degree (or international equivalent) by the time you matriculate. If you are a current bachelor’s student, you can apply in your senior year if you complete all undergraduate requirements before August, when you begin this degree. 

The admissions committee looks for: 

• Two years of college-level instruction (or equivalent proficiency) in a European language other than English.
• Internship, work and/or research experience demonstrating an abiding interest in Europe and/or international affairs.

You must have some experience in one European language when applying, in order to achieve proficiency in a European language by the time you graduate.

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.

Use this section to address your academic and professional objectives and your compatibility with our program. This should be a maximum of 500 words and in English. 

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 

Applicants who have attended institutions outside of the United States are strongly encouraged to upload 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.

• 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 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. Two should be from academic references. If you are a recent college graduate or still in school, these should be from a professor or adviser familiar with your academic work. You may also submit two recommendations from professors and one from an employer who can address your ability to do graduate work. If you have been out of school for a few years, you may submit letters from professional references, but it would benefit you to find at least one academic to write a letter on your behalf.

You may submit letters from non-English speaking professors as long as a translation is attached to the original when submitted. 

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.

You must submit a writing sample in English. You have two options:

• A recent research paper, approximately 10-20 pages in length. A topic related to Europe is encouraged but not required.
• A 1200-1500 word essay discussing and taking a position on an issue related to European studies (past or present in any field).

You must submit a language proficiency form with one European language evaluation.

You may submit professional, widely recognized language certificates instead of the evaluation form. There is no advantage to submitting a professional certificate over an evaluation or vice versa.

If you are a native speaker of a European language, you may certify your status in one of two ways:

• By providing a high school or college transcript that indicates you were instructed in a European language.
• By taking an oral language examination that attests to your ability as a native speaker. Your written language exam must be taken in another European language other than English.

While not required, you may choose to submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores. 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.

As Georgetown is a diverse, global community, we encourage you to upload a brief statement of up to 500 words to help the Admissions Committee understand the contribution your personal background and individual experiences would make to our community. As appropriate, you may wish to address any educational, economic, and social experiences that have helped to shape your educational and professional goals; or how your background (e.g., first generation student, travels outside the U.S.) or activities (e.g., community service and leadership) will contribute to the diversity of perspectives and ideas at Georgetown University.