Application Deadlines
- January 15 for fall admission
- October 15 for spring admission
Apply Online
Please use the online application. Application materials submitted with the online application need not be sent under separate cover. You can download these instructions here.
General Information
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university (or the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree).
Application Materials
Most materials are submitted as part of the online application process. Use the Materials Cover Sheet for any materials that must be mailed separately (such as transcripts) and, if possible, collect all the materials you are mailing (keep original transcripts in sealed, stamped envelopes) and mail them in one packet to the Office of Admission:
The New School
Office of Admission - Graduate Programs
72 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
Required from degree applicants
- The completed, signed, and dated application form (submit online)
- The non-refundable $50 application fee (submit online)
- A statement of purpose (submit online)
- Your résumé or curriculum vitae (submit online)
- An academic writing sample (submit online)
- Two academic/professional letters of recommendation (submit online or have your recommenders mail their letters directly to the Office of Admission with a Materials Cover Sheet).
- Official sealed transcripts from every college/university you have attended for undergraduate and graduate studies. Note additional transcript requirements below for applicants with foreign credentials.
- International applicants see other requirements below.
Non-degree applicants
- The completed, signed, and dated application form (Please contact the Office of Admission for an application)
- The non-refundable $50 application fee
- A statement of purpose
- Your résumé/curriculum vitae
- Official sealed transcripts from every college/university you have attended for undergraduate and graduate studies. Note additional requirement below for applicants with foreign credentials.
- International applicants see other requirements below.
Description of Required Application Materials
- Statement of Purpose: In approximately 1,000 words (your name should appear on each page), discuss how the graduate program in international affairs will help you attain your intellectual, professional, and/or creative goals, including the program's mix of theory and practice, its faculty and courses, its location at The New School and in New York City, and its other resources. (Non-degree applicants be sure to indicate your specific reasons for wanting to study on a non-degree/non-matriculated basis.)
- Résumé: Write a one-page résumé or curriculum vitae summarizing your education, work and volunteer experience, and/or published writing.
- Letters of Recommendation: Recommendation letters should be written by individuals who have personal knowledge of your academic or professional work. Whenever possible, the letters should come from faculty members who have taught you in the recent past. If one of your letters is a professional recommendation, it should address skills relevant to your qualifications to do graduate-level academic work.
- Academic Writing Sample: Provide an 8–12 page writing sample in English. This could be a research paper completed for a course, an excerpt from a senior thesis, or a journal article. The paper should demonstrate both your analytic abilities and writing skill, with proper use of citations as appropriate. The paper should be relevant to some aspect of international affairs but may address other topics in the social sciences and humanities.
Additional Requirements for International Applicants and Applicants with Foreign Credentials
All applicants with international transcripts are required to submit an original transcript from each institution attended outside the United States, along with a certified English language translation. Applicants who wish to transfer academic credits earned at non-U.S. institutions must also have their transcript(s) evaluated by World Education Services (WES, our preferred provider) or by another member of the National Association of Credit Evaluation Services (NACES). A course-by-course evaluation report must be prepared for each transcript. Please start the evaluation process as early as possible, including the submission of all required documents to WES (or other provider) in order to ensure the timely completion of the evaluation report. Instruct the evaluation service provider to send the report to
The New School
Office of Admission - Graduate Programs
72 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score report administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) is required of all applicants who are not U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents with the exception of citizens of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, or South Africa whose native language is English. The TOEFL score report must be submitted directly to The New School by ETS. The institution code for The New School is 2521; the department code is 83. A minimum score of 100 on the iBT, 250 on the computer-based exam, or 600 on the paper-based exam is required for admission to graduate study.
Acceptable alternatives to the TOEFL are the Cambridge Advanced Certificate of Proficiency in English (minimum score of C or better) or the Cambridge International English Language Testing System, IELTS (minimum score of 7.0 or better).
International students who need the I-20 or DS-2019 form to obtain a
visa will receive a link to the online International Student Application
Packet in their acceptance letters or they may access the link via the
Accepted Student tab in MyNewSchool. This web page includes information
about applying for the I-20 or DS-2019, guidelines for providing
financial documents, instructions and procedures for F-1 transfer
students, and other important forms and information. For more
information, visit the International Student Services website.
