How to Apply 

To enroll in the Global Human Development program, you must have: 

• A bachelor’s degree
• Completed courses in introductory macroeconomics, microeconomics and statistics, with a grade of B or better (or the equivalent, if a different grading system is used)
• The ability to communicate effectively in English and one other language

We strongly recommend that you have: 

• At least one to two years of full-time work experience after completing your undergraduate degree
• Experience living, studying and working outside of the United States

Prerequisite courses ensure you have the necessary quantitative foundation to be successful in the program. You must complete these requirements before enrolling, and given that we evaluate applications holistically, you will not be at a disadvantage during the admissions process if you have not yet completed the prerequisite courses. If you didn’t earn a B or better in one of the courses or if you took the courses more than two years ago, you may be advised to take less formal refresher courses before beginning the program.

Ideally, you will have a reasonable command of one foreign language before entering the program. If admitted into the program, you must pass an oral proficiency exam in a second language before graduation.

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 is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your writing ability and provide information not included in other application documents. Your statement of purpose should be 500 words or less and address both of these questions:

• Where do you think you will be and what will you be doing in 2030?
• What motivates you to work in development?

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.

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 7.0. 

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 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, ideally from a mix of professional and academic references highlighting multiple dimensions of your contributions to your academic and professional communities. Since this is a practitioner-oriented graduate program, we highly recommend having at least one professional recommendation. The depth of the relationship with your recommender is far more important than their title, so we suggest soliciting recommendations from individuals who are deeply familiar with your academic and professional achievements and personal qualities.

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.

In an optional statement of 500 words or less, you can highlight any of your experiences, contributions or aspects of your identity that feel particularly salient to you and that you would like the Admissions Committee to learn more about.

We recommend thinking objectively about the strengths and weaknesses of your application and asking yourself if there are areas that would be helpful to balance with an additional data point. We consider applications very holistically, and sometimes, additional data in the form of standardized test scores can help address weaknesses in other areas of an application.

Submitting a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score may be helpful if: 

• Your undergraduate academic record is not as strong as other parts of your application.
• You have not yet completed significant coursework in microeconomics, macroeconomics and statistics (or you completed that coursework many years ago).
• Your undergraduate GPA is hard to interpret.

Submitting your scores  

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