1 | Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose should indicate your reasons for applying to the proposed program at the University of Virginia and describe your preparation for this field of study, research interests, future career plans, and intellectual or life experiences in order to aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study. Your commitment to a selected field of study is presumed in the receipt of your application; instead, please discuss specific issues in the field that engage you.  Please limit your submission to between 500 and 1,000 words.

2 | Standardized Test Scores

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Applicants to degree programs in Economics, Politics and Statistics are required to record their scores from the GRE on their electronic application. Official scores are not necessary for the review process, but will be required if the applicant matriculates as a student. Official scores sent from ETS are automatically matched to the application once received.

Scores are not collected from applicants to all other programs.

The Graduate School does not require applicants to submit scores from GRE subject tests. However, some programs do require applicants to submit such scores, and others highly encourage the inclusion of such scores. Please consult individual program websites for specific information.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
All international students must submit TOEFL scores. Applicants are required to record their scores from the TOEFL (or IELTS) exam on their electronic application. Official scores are not necessary for the review process, but will be required if the applicant matriculates as a student. Official scores sent from ETS (or IELTS) are automatically matched to the application at the time they are received. 

The minimum score requirement for either the internet-based (iBT) TOEFL or the paper-based TOEFL is 90 (including sectional minimums of 22 in speaking, 22 in writing, 23 in reading and 23 in listening.  Applicants may submit scores from the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) as an alternative to the TOEFL exam.  The minimum IELTS score requirement is 7.0 in each section.  In any case, the date of the reported test must fall within two years of the application deadline.  Admissions committees will consider applications with scores that do not meet the minimum requirements.

The TOEFL is not required of applicants who have or will have obtained an undergraduate degree entirely at an institution where the primary language of instruction is English. The TOEFL requirement will be waived for an applicant who submits evidence of these circumstances (such as a transcript or primary language certificate) as part of the electronic application.

Official Scores

The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences does not require official test scores at the time of your application submission but will require that you send official scores if you matriculate as a student. If your scores will expire prior to July of the coming year (GRE scores are valid for five years; TOEFL/IELTS scores are valid for two years), then you should have official scores submitted prior to their expiration.

The Graduate School receives GRE and TOEFL scores directly from Education Testing Services (ETS). Please enter the institution code 5820 for GRE scores and the institution code B875 for TOEFL scores to ensure that scores are properly directed to the Graduate School. The Graduate School does not utilize the department code that ETS requires applicants to select. You may choose any department code, as it will have no effect on the review of your application.

IELTS scores should be sent electronically to the University of Virginia. No department or code is needed.

3 | Transcripts

Applicants must upload unofficial transcripts of their entire post-secondary academic record to the online application, including all undergraduate- and graduate-level coursework. Applicants are expected to have achieved a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their undergraduate programs.

Transcripts that are not stated in English must be accompanied by a translation into English.

Please do not request and mail official transcripts as part of the application process. Unofficial transcripts are sufficient for the faculty’s review of your application. If you are offered admission to the Graduate School, you will be asked at that time to send official transcripts from the undergraduate institution you attended to the Central Graduate Admission Office.

4 | Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation should be submitted electronically through the online application system.  Once you have saved the contact information for a particular reference within the online application, that individual will receive instructions via e-mail for submitting a letter of recommendation on your behalf.  The Graduate School requires two letters of recommendation.  As many programs require additional letters, please consult the program's website for additional requirements. You may submit your application independently of the letters submitted by your references.

Letters of recommendation should be sought from faculty in your proposed field of study who are sufficiently familiar with your work to make a comprehensive evaluation of your abilities.  If you have already undertaken a graduate program, at least one of the letters should be from a faculty member who is familiar with your academic performance on the graduate level.

5 | Writing Samples

Applicants to the following programs will be required to upload one or two samples of their academic writing: Anthropology, Art & Architectural History, Classics, Creative Writing, East Asian Studies, English, European Studies, French, History, Italian, Linguistics, Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies, Media Studies, Music, Philosophy, Politics, Religious Studies, Slavic Languages & Literatures, Sociology, and Spanish.

6 | Fees

A non-refundable fee of $85 is due at the time the application is submitted.

Information concerning fee waivers that are available to applicants can be found at https://graddiversity.virginia.edu/application-fee-waiver