Academic Background
Application Deadline
Application Year
Application Fee
Application — Online
Bachelor's Degree
Bringing Family Members
Defer Acceptance?
Financial Aid
Foreign Language Requirement
GPA
GRE
Letters of Recommendation
Missing Materials
Part-time?
Program Start Date
Reapplying
Statement of Intent
TOEFL Score
Transcripts
Verification of English Proficiency
Visits and Interviews
VISAS
What Are My Chances?
What Can I Do with a Peace Studies Degree?
What Makes a Great Application?
Writing Samples
Academic Background
Q. Must I have academic preparation in the field of peace studies to apply to the program?
A. Since our master's program is interdisciplinary, we accept students with a variety of educational degrees. However, you must have some peace-related professional experience or background in order to be competitive for admission. Be sure to explain your interests and professional goals in your statement of intent.
Application Deadline
Q. What is your application deadline for the upcoming year?
A. Our application deadline is always January 5th, regardless of the year. Our deadline is for the academic year that begins in August. We do not have spring or winter admissions.
Application Year
Q. Can I apply for the year after next year now?
A. No. We only accept applications for one year at a time. For example, the application deadline of January 5, 2010, is only for the academic year that begins in August 2010. We do not have spring or winter admissions.
Application Fee
Q. I do not live in the U.S., and I cannot pay the fee by check or credit card. Is it possible to pay the fee by wire transfer to Notre Dame's bank account?
A. No. The only acceptable methods of payment are credit card, personal check or money order.
Q. I cannot pay the fee. The amount is more than I make in a month. Can I be granted a fee waiver?
A. You may be eligible for a fee waiver if you are a non-U.S. citizen living in a country where access to foreign currency is restricted and/or paying the fee would cause extreme financial hardship. Only a limited number of fee waivers are available for applicants in these circumstances, and they will only be granted to applicants who are academically strong with proven English proficiency shown by a good TOEFL score.
In order to request a fee waiver, you must send us an e-mail explaining the circumstances that necessitate your request. You must also e-mail your TOEFL score (if you are not a native English speaker and if you have not studied for at least a year at a university where all the classes were taught in English) and you also must send your transcripts to us via e-mail attachment. Your transcripts are the list of all university level classes you have taken and the grades you received. Your transcripts should include an English translation and also an explanation of the grading system for each university. You must do this before you submit your online application. We will send you an email reply to your request.
Q. I am interested in applying to the Kroc Institute as well as a second program at the University of Notre Dame. Are there special instructions in order to apply to two programs, and do I need to pay two application fees?
A. If you are applying to two graduate programs at the University of Notre Dame, you only need to pay one application fee. However, you will need to submit two separate online applications, complete with separate statements of intent, recommendations, transcripts, etc. for each application.
Application — Online
Q. What do I do if I can't find my university using the 'look-up' function?
A. Click on the "Look up" button. You do not have to fill in all the fields. Try entering only the city or state, and the Nation Code of your university. That will return a clickable list of colleges that correspond to your search. (Note: You must select a country from the NATN_CODE School list).
- If your university is not listed, type the words "Cannot Find" into the space next to the School Name‚ and then click the Search button.
- On the next screen, towards the top, click on the blue link that reads: "000000 | Cannot Find".
- The "000000" will automatically be entered into the "Baccalaureate Institution Code" field, and you will be allowed to continue completing your application. If "000000" is entered for the institution code, please be sure and type the name of your university in the proper box.
Q. My postal address will not fit into the boxes available in the online application. What should I do?
A. Please fit your postal address into the online application form as best you can.
Bachelor's Degree
Q. How do I know whether the degree from my country is equivalent to a bachelor's degree in the United States?
A. A U.S. bachelor's degree consists of four years of education after secondary school. Some countries award a bachelor's degree after only two years. In those countries, a master's degree would be considered the equivalent of the bachelor's degree in the U.S. In some countries, a three-year bachelor's Honors degree may be the functional equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree.
Q. I am a senior in college and expect to graduate in the spring. Can I apply to your program even though I don't have my degree yet?
A. Because our program is professionally focused, it is unlikely that we will accept applicants immediately after finishing their undergraduate degree. Applicants are more competitive if they have a few years of peace-related work experience.
If you do apply to our program while your undergraduate degree is in progress, your bachelor's degree or equivalent must be completed and your final transcript must be received and verified before the beginning of our program in early August if you are accepted.
Bringing Family Members
Q. Can I bring my family with me to the program?
A. Family members may accompany students to the program, with the following limitations:
- Financial support: The Kroc Institute offers no financial support for families. Stipends offered to graduate students are only enough to support the living expenses of the student. International students wishing to bring family members must provide evidence of enough funds to support their dependents before visas can be issued. Notre Dame calculates the cost of each dependent (spouse or child) to be $550/month, or $5,550 for the first ten months of the program. Required emergency health insurance costs at least an additional $1,545 per year for a spouse, and $850 per child. Kroc students are not allowed to work additional jobs, and spouses are not allowed to work while in the US.
- Field experience: The expenses associated with taking a spouse and/or children on a field experience will vary greatly depending upon location, but will certainly be quite high in capital cities and when traveling to countries with high cost airfares. Further complications of having family members accompany the student to the field would include housing, visas, education expenses for dependent children, and security issues, all of which would be the responsibility of the student. Dependants of international students are not allowed to stay in the U.S. while the student is outside the country.
Admissions decisions are made without consideration of marital/family status.
Defer Acceptance?
Q. If I am accepted to your program, can I defer my acceptance to another year?
A. No. If you are accepted and you cannot attend that year, you will need to reapply and go through the admissions process again.
Financial Aid
Q. When will I know if I am selected to receive financial aid?
A. The Kroc Institute is committed to providing the necessary financial support for all students accepted to our program who do not have access to other sources of funding. Applicants are urged to apply for any potential sources of outside funding and are required to use any awards to support their participation in the Kroc program to the fullest extent possible. More than 90% of Kroc master's students receive financial support in the form of scholarships, stipends, and funded internships.
Foreign Language Requirement
Q. How is foreign language proficiency demonstrated? Can any language be used?
A. Applicants whose native language is English must demonstrate proficiency in another language. A written exam (translation from another language into English) is offered once per semester in French, Spanish, Italian, German and Russian. Other languages can fulfill the requirement if testing or verification can be provided. Knowledge of the language at a second year reading level is expected. There is no time during the master's program to develop foreign language proficiency. The Director of Academic Programs may exempt a student from taking the language examination if proficiency in a language other than English has been demonstrated by other means (for example, the student may have successfully completed a university education in the language). No student may be exempted from the language requirement itself.
GPA
Q. Is there a minimum grade point average required of applicants?
A. We do not have a fixed minimum grade point average, but typically our students have at least a 3.3 grade average on a scale of 4.0 (or the equivalent).
GRE
Q. Can I submit my GRE scores after the application deadline?
A. Your scores must reach the Kroc Institute by February 1 in order to be seen by the Admissions Committee. Since there is often a delay in the arrival of the official GRE scores, please email your self-reported GRE scores to king.128@nd.edu as soon as they are available.
Q. In my country we do not use tests of this kind, and my score on the GRE may not reflect my academic abilities. Is this considered by the admissions committee? Am I still required to take the GRE?
A.The GRE is required for all applicants to the Kroc Institute. The GRE is always considered in combination with other aspects of the application. Official scores must reach the Kroc Institute by the beginning of February in order to be considered. GRE scores are valid for five years. In exceptional circumstances where reaching a site to take the GRE is truly difficult or even dangerous, the Kroc Institute may consider an application for admission if the applicant provides an acceptable explanation of the circumstances on the application form. In such cases, an applicant who is admitted without the GRE will be required to take the exam by November 1 of the first semester of enrollment as a condition of continued enrollment.
Q. The cost of the GRE is nearly a month's salary in my country. May I be excused from taking the GRE?
A. See above.
Letters of Recommendation
Q. Do I need to send hard copies of the recommendation letters?
A. We no longer require paper copies of the recommendation letters. We prefer that your recommenders submit their letters electronically so they can become part of your online application. If this is not possible, your recommenders can mail paper copies of their letters to the Office of Graduate Admissions. In this case, only the original letter is needed. Additional copies are no longer required. Be sure to tell your recommender to write "Peace Studies" on the outside of the envelope.
Q. Do I need to submit three recommendations for the graduate school application plus three for the Kroc Institute?
A. No, only three recommendations total are required to apply to the Kroc Institute.
Q. I graduated from my university many years ago and have no professor from whom to request a letter of recommendation. What should I do?
A. At least one letter of recommendation from a faculty member familiar with your academic background, motivation, and potential for success in the program is required. Your letters should be from those who know you best and can address your suitablity for our program, with particular reference to evidence of your academic abilities.
Q. Can I include a letter of recommendation written in another language?
A. Recomendation letters should be written in English. If this is not possible, please attach a translation to the original letter and submit them both.
Q. Can I mail the recommendation letter myself along with other items I am sending, or must it be mailed by the recommender?
A. You can mail the recomendation letter to the Graduate School yourself along with other items you are mailing, as long as the letter is in a separate sealed envelope with your recommender's signature across the sealed flap.
Missing Materials
Q. I don't have all of the materials required for my application yet. Should I wait until I have everything completed or should I submit the parts I have ready now?
A. It is best to wait until you have everything ready. All applicants must complete the online application. Your statement of intent, CV and Kroc application should be submitted electronically in the "Uploads" section of the online application. We no longer require paper copies of these items. Mailing hard copies to us by postal mail will delay the processing of your application. Please be sure you have all of these items ready to submit before you complete your online application.
Unofficial copies of your transcripts, TOEFL and GRE scores should also be submitted electronically in the "Uploads" section of the Graduate School's online application.
Recommendation letters can be submitted electronically as directed in the online application or sent via post in sealed envelopes. Transcripts cannot be submitted electronically. They must be mailed to the Graduate School in sealed envelopes. Official GRE and TOEFL scores should be requested from the testing centers.
Once you submit your online application, it is not possible for you to
go back in and add anything to it. If it is necessary to mail items
through postal mail, please be sure "Peace Studies" is written on the outside of the envelope.
Q. Do you need to get the TOEFL and GRE results by January 5th or can I send them later?
A. Your TOEFL and GRE scores can arrive after the deadline. However, be aware that Admissions Committee members begin reading files by the third week of January. Since there is often a delay in our receiving your official scores, please email your self-reported scores to king.128@nd.edu as soon as you have them.
Part-time?
Q. Do you allow students to study part time to complete the master's degree?
A. No, it is not possible to be a part-time student in our master's program. All accepted students are required to participate full-time for two years.
Program Start Date
Q. When does the program begin? Can I arrive late?
A. Our program begins in mid-August every year. Our accepted students are expected to arrive here a day or two before the start date of orientation. There is no winter or spring admission.
Reapplying
Q. What do I need to do to re-apply to the Kroc master's program?
A. You need to fill out a new Kroc Application, a new Statement of Intent, a new CV and a new University Application (online). You do not have to send in any new recommendations, but it is often a good idea to do so. You must send transcripts for any additional classes you have taken since your previous application. You do not have to pay another application fee if you are reapplying for the first time and you paid the fee the last time.
Q. What is the waiver code I need to use in online application if I am not required to pay the fee because I am reapplying for the first time and I paid the fee the last time?
A. You need send an email to kroc-admissions.1@nd.edu saying that you are reapplying for the first time and you paid the application fee last time. You will receive an e-mail reply with the fee waiver code to use in the fee section of the online application. Be sure to include your LAST NAME (in capital letters please) in the e-mail, typed exactly as you entered it in your previous application.
Statement of Intent
Q. Do I need to write two statements of intent, one for the graduate school’s online application one for the Kroc Institute?
A. No. You only need to submit one statement of intent.
Q. Are there any suggestions for the statement of intent?
A. The strongest statements include all elements described in the instructions for the application and provide a compelling explanation of how the master's program advances an applicant's peace-related professional trajectory.
This statement plays a critical part in the evaluation of applicants and must be written by the applicant personally.
TOEFL Score
Q. Can I submit my TOEFL scores after the application deadline?
A. If the TOEFL is taken after your application is submitted, please e-mail your score to us as soon as it is available. The score must reach the Kroc Institute by the end of January in order to be viewed by the Committee.
Note: If you are requesting an application fee waiver, you must email your TOEFL to us before the January 5th application deadline.
Q. Is there a minimum TOEFL score required for admission?
A. Fluency in English is critically important. We generally expect a minimum score of 600 on the paper-based TOEFL, 250 on the computer-based TOEFL and 80 on the internet-based TOEFL.
Q. Can the IELTS be accepted in place of the TOEFL?
A. No. The TOEFL is a requirement of the Graduate School and the IELTS is not accepted as a replacement for the TOEFL.
Q. I finished my undergraduate studies in an American university. Do I still have to take the TOEFL?
A. If you have studied for a year or more at a university where English was the medium of instruction (where all the classes are taught in English), you do not have to take the TOEFL. All non-native speakers of English, however, must submit a Verification of English Proficiency letter written by a native speaker of English. This letter can be mailed by postal mail, or uploaded to your online application directly after the Kroc Application, or submitted as an e-mail attachment to: kroc-admissions.1@nd.edu.
Transcripts
Q. Can I submit certified copies of my transcripts and diplomas or do I need to send the original ones?
A. Certified copies are acceptable, but your official transcripts and/or diplomas cannot be submitted electronically. In order to be considered "official" the certified copies (or the originals) must be sent to the Graduate School through the regular mail in sealed envelopes. You should upload your personal copies of your transcripts in the "Uploads" section of your online application. The unofficial copies will suffice until your originals arrive.
Verification of English Proficiency
Q. Can the same person write my letter of Verification of English Proficiency and also write one of my other recommendation letters?
A. Yes. This is acceptable.
Visits and Interviews
Q. I would like to vist campus, speak with faculty, and sit in on a class before applying. I will be in your area soon. Would it be possible to schedule an appointment to speak with someone about the program?
A. We are not able to schedule appointments with students before they are accepted into our program. You may visit Notre Dame's campus on your own. The Kroc Institute is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Before you visit, please read all the available information on the web about the program. If you still have questions that have not been answered, please email your questions to kroc-admissions.1@nd.edu. It may be possible to speak briefly with a staff member while you are here, but we are not able to accommodate visitors to our classes.
Visas
Q. What is the difference between the F-1 and J-1 visa mentioned on the Notre Dame Graduate School's application?
A. Both are student visas. Most international students travel on F-1 visas; J-1 visas are required by certain exchange programs or scholarships. The Kroc Institute will clarify visa needs of admitted students before visa forms are issued.
What Are My Chances?
Q. What are my chances of being accepted?
A. We receive more than 200 applications each year. We only accept up to 20 students each year, so the competition is quite intense. Approximately three-quarters of accepted students typically come from outside the United States.
What Can I Do with a Peace Studies Degree?
Q. What can I do with a degree in peace studies?
A. Graduates of the master's program are uniquely qualified for a range of professional opportunities in peace-related organizations and initiatives. Some of the Institute's graduates return to organizations they worked for before attending Notre Dame, bringing new perspectives and capacities to their work, while others find or develop new professional opportunities. The work of peace studies graduates has included: working for international and regional organizations such as UN agencies or the OAS, working for NGOs and peace and conflict resolution centers, researching and writing for policy think-tanks, community organizing for economic development and affordable housing, environmental consulting, providing legal assistance for the poor, serving as diplomats or advisors for their governments, and directing centers for the homeless.
What Makes a Great Application?
Q. What type of information makes a great application?
A. There is no one answer to that question. Good grades, good recommendations and a good statement of intent are all highly important. Peace-related professional experience is expected. Fluency in English is essential, shown not only in your TOEFL score but also in your writing ability. In addition, the Admissions Committee is looking for applicants who would be a good fit for our program. Our best applicants not only have strong motivation and relevant experience, but also a vision of what their particular skills, talents, professional experiences and Kroc education would enable them to do in the future.
Writing Sample
Q. Do I need to submit a writing sample as part of my application?
A. No. We do not currently require a writing sample. In the "Writing Sample" section of the online application, please upload your Kroc Application instead of a writing sample. If you have additional materials you would like to submit, you can add them to the end of your Kroc Application document and then upload them at the same time.
