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ACADEMIC
BACKGROUND
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| Q. - Must I have academic
preparation in the field of international relations
or peace studies to apply to the program?
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A. - Since our M.A. degree
in Peace Studies is an interdisciplinary program
we accept students with a variety of backgrounds.
Be sure to explain your interests and goals in
your Statement of Intent.
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AGE
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Q. - Is there an
age requirement for admission to your program?
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| A. - We have no minimum
(or maximum) age requirement. We have accepted students as old
as 65 and as young as 20. However, most of
our students
are in their mid-twenties to early thirties.
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| Q. - Do you accept
students directly out of college?
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A. - It has traditionally been rather difficult
for seniors in college to be admitted to
our program.
They are competing against people with equal
academic credentials plus a
few years of experience with work
or activism in peace, justice and development
issues. Usually
no more than about two or three students
per year are admitted directly from university.
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APPLICATION DEADLINE
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| Q. - What is your application deadline for the upcoming year?
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A. - Our application deadline is always - January
5th - regardless of the year. Our deadline is for the academic year which begins in August. We do not have spring or winter admissions.
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APPLICATION YEAR
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| Q. - Can I apply for the year after next year now?
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A. - No. We only accept applications for one year at a time. For example, the application deadline of January 5, 2008 is only for the academic year which begins in August 2008. We do not have spring or winter admissions.
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APPLICATION FEE
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| 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?
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A. - It is not possible to pay
the fee by wire transfer. The only acceptable methods
of payment are credit card, personal check or money order.
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| Q. - I cannot pay the fee. The amount is more than I make in a month. Can I be granted a fee waiver?
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A. - You may be eligible for a fee waiver if you are a non-U.S. citizen living in a country in which 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 email explaining the circumstances which necessitate your request. You must also email 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 email 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 on-line application. We will send you an email reply to your request.
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| 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?
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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 on-line applications, complete with separate Statements, recommendations, transcripts, etc. for each application.
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| APPLICATION - ONLINE
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| Q. - What do I do if I can't find my university using the 'look-up' function?
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A. - Go to the Academic History section of the online application.
- click on the "Look up" button on the first line.
- click on the blue arrow next to the line that says: "NATN_CODE school.
- select the two letter code for the country of your BA degree.
(for example: UG - for Uganda)
- on the next screen, either click on your university, if it is on the list - or
or type" "Cannot Find" into the box next to the words: School Name.
- on the next screen, towards the top, click on the blue link that says:
"000000 | Cannot Find"
The correct information will automatically be entered into the 'Baccalaureate Institution Code' and the 'Baccalaureate Institution Name' for you.
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| Q. - My postal address will not fit into the boxes available in the online application. What should I do?
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| A. - Please fit your postal address into the online application form as best you can. Our decision letter will be sent to whatever postal mailing address you enter in the online application.
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B.A. DEGREE
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| Q. - How do I know
whether the degree from my country is equivalent
to the United States B.A. degree?
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| A. - The U.S. Bachelor's degree consists
of four years of education after secondary school.
Some countries award a B.A. degree after only
two years. In those countries an M.A. degree
would be considered the equivalent of the U.S.
Bachelor's. In some countries a three year B.A.
Honors degree may be the functional equivalent
of a U.S. Bachelor's.
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| 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?
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A. -
You can apply to our program while your undergraduate
degree is in progress. However, your B.A.
degree or U.S. equivalent must be
completed and your final transcript
must be received and verified before the
beginning of our program in early
August.
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| BRINGING FAMILY MEMBERS
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| Q. - Can I bring my family with me to the program?
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A. -
Family members may accompany students to the program, with the following limitations
1) Financial support: The Kroc Institute can offer 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.
2) Housing: All graduate peace students live in two-bedroom apartments in a building near campus. A student planning to bring family must notify the Institute early in order to request an entire apartment. Housing codes allow no more than four persons in an apartment.
3) 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 US while the student is outside the country.
Admissions decisions are made without consideration of marital/family status.
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DEFER ACCEPTANCE?
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| Q. -
If I am accepted to your program, can I defer my acceptance to another year?
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A. - No, we do not allow students to defer their acceptance to another year. If you are accepted and you cannot attend that year, you will need to reapply and go through the admissions process just the same as any other applicant.
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FINANCIAL AID
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| Q. -
When will I know if I am selected to receive
financial aid?
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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. All of our accepted students received full funding.
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FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
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| Q. - How
is foreign language proficiency demonstrated?
Can any language be used?
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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. Language courses may be taken during
the MA program for review purposes but may not
be counted as credit toward the degree. The director
of graduate studies may exempt a student from
taking the foreign language exam if proficiency
in another language has been demonstrated by
other means, such as outside certification.
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GPA
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| Q. - Is there a
minimum grade point average required of applicants?
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A. - We do not have a
fixed minimum grade point average, but as a general
rule our students have at least a 3.3
average grade on a scale of 4.0 (or the equivalent).
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| GRE
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| Q. - Can I submit
my GRE scores after the application deadline?
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| A. -
While applications may be considered before
GRE scores arrive, the lack of a
GRE score for U.S. students will make the application
less competitive. Your scores must reach the
Kroc Institute by mid-February 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.
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| 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?
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| A. -
Applications from international students can be
considered without the GRE score.
However, since
the GRE is a requirement
of the Notre Dame Graduate School, students
accepted without a GRE will be required
to take the test during their first semester. We recognize that GRE scores for international
students are not always representative
of their abilities. The score is considered in
combination with other aspects of the application. We do not have a minimum GRE
score.
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| Q. - The
cost of the GRE is nearly a month's salary in my country.
May I be excused
from taking the GRE?
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A. - Applications
from international students can be considered without
the GRE score. However, any student
who is accepted and has
not taken the GRE before arrival will be required
to do so during the first semester of enrollment
as a condition of admission.
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LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
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| Q. - Do I need to send hard copies of the
recommendation letters?
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| A. - We no longer require hard copies of the recommendation letters. We prefer that your recommenders submit their letters electronically so they can become part of your on-line application. If this is not possible, your recommenders can still post 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.
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| Q. - Do I need to submit three
recommendations for the graduate school application plus three for the
Kroc Institute?
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| A. - No, only three recommendations
total are required to apply to the Kroc Institute.
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| 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?
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| A. - The reason we ask for a letter
from a professor is to get some idea of your academic background, motivation
and potential for success in our program. If you do not have a professor
who can attest to these things, we suggest that you choose someone who is
familiar with you in this capacity. Your letters should be from those who
know you best and can address your suitablity for our program, with particular
reference to and evidence of academic abilities.
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| Q. - Can I include a letter of
recommendation written in another language?
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| A. - We prefer that recomendation letters be written in English. If this is not possible, please
attach a translation to the original letter and submit them both to us.
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| Q. - Can I mail the
recommendation letter myself along with other items I am sending, or must it be mailed by the recommender?
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A. - You can mail the recomendation letter to us 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.
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MISSING MATERIALS
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| 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?
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A. - It is best to wait until you have everything ready. Beginning this year- all applicants must complete the on-line application! Your Statement of Intent, CV and Kroc Application should be submitted electronically in the "Uploads" section of the on-line application. Once you submit your on-line application it will not be possible for you to go back in and add anything to it electronically. We no longer require paper copies of these items. Mailing hard copies to us via the post (office) will delay the processing of your application. Please be sure you have all of these items ready to submit before you complete your on-line application. If it is necessary to mail items through the Post Office, please be sure "Peace
Studies" is written on the outside of the envelope.
Recommendation letters can be submitted electronically as directed in the on-line application, or sent via post in sealed envelopes. Transcripts cannot be submitted electronically. They must be mailed to us in sealed envelopes. Official GRE and TOEFL scores should be requested from the testing centers.
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| Q. - Do you need to get the TOEFL and
GRE results by January 5th or can I send them later?
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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.
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| NO PART TIME
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| Q. - Do you allow students to study part time to complete the Masters?
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A. - It is not possible to participate "part time" in our Masters program. All accepted students are required to participate full time for two years.
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PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE
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| Q. - I don't have an academic degree in
Peace Studies, but I've been working in the field for two years. Will
this be considered when my candidacy is reviewed?
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A. - While we don't require applicants
to have field experience, it is certainly considered a strength when
we review
applications. Be sure to fully explain the practical experience you have
had when you complete your Kroc application.
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PROGRAM START DATE
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| Q. - When does the program begin? Can I
arrive late?
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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. There is no winter or spring admission.
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REAPPLYING
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| Q. - What do I need to
do to re-apply to the Kroc MA program?
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| A. - You need to fill out
a new Kroc
Application, a new Statement
of Intent, a new CV and a new University Application
(on-line).
You do not have to send in any new recommendations,
but it is often a good idea to do so. We also
need 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.
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| 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?
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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 email 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 email - typed just exactly as you entered it in your previous application.
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STATEMENT OF INTENT
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| Q. - Do
I need to write two statements of intent, one for the graduate school’s
online application one for the Kroc Institute?
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| A. - No, you only need to submit one Statement of Intent.
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| Q. Are there any suggestions
for the statement of intent?
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A. Your
Statement
of Intent should be a maximum of 1000 words. It should clearly explain why you want to join the Kroc Institute’s graduate program in peace studies, what skills and experiences you bring to the program, what values motivate you, and how your research and study interests relate to your professional goals and future life plans. Be specific about your own personal experiences, background, values and goals, and why you believe this program is suited to you. Include an explanation of your preference(s) among the five themes of the Kroc program.
This statement plays a critical part in the evaluation of applicants and must be written by the applicant personally. Please submit your statement as part of the Graduate School's on-line application.
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| TOEFL SCORE
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| Q. - Can I submit my TOEFL scores
after the application deadline?
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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 January 5th, the application deadline.
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| Q. - Is there a minimum TOEFL score required for admission?
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| A. - Fluency in English is of critical
importance in the Kroc program. 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.
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| Q. - Can the IELTS be accepted in place of the TOEFL?
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| A. - No - The TOEFL is a requirement of the Graduate School and the IELTS is not accepted as a replacement for the TOEFL.
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| Q. - I am currently finishing
my undergrad studies in an American university.
Do I still have to take the TOEFL?
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A. - If
you have studied for a year or more at a
university where English was the medium of
instruction (i.e. where all the classes are
taught in English), you do not have to take
the TOEFL. An Institutional TOEFL, which
is administered in some universities, may
be substituted for the standard TOEFL, but
please explain why this substitution is necessary. All non-native
speakers of English must submit a Verification
of English Proficiency letter written by a native speaker
of English. This letter can be mailed thru the regular post office, or uploaded to your online application directly after the Kroc Application, or submitted as an emailed attachment to: <kroc-admissions.1@nd.edu>.
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TRANSCRIPTS
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| Q. - Can I submit certified copies of my transcripts and diplomas or do I need to send the original ones?
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A. - Certified copies are acceptable. Just remember, 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 us thru the regular mail in sealed envelopes. If your official transcripts are not immediately available, you can upload your un-official transcripts to your online application directly after your Kroc Application. The un-official copies will suffice until your originals arrive.
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| VERIFICATION OF ENGLISH PROFICIENCY
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| Q. - Can the same person write my letter of Verification of English Proficiency and also write one of my other recommendation letters?
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A. - Yes - It is acceptable for the same person to write your letter of Verification of English Proficiency and also write one of your other letters of recommendation.
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| VISITS & INTERVIEWS
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| Q. - May I come to
Notre Dame to visit with professors and students
before or after I submit my application?
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A. - Since most of our
applicants come from other countries, we do not
have a formal interview process. You are welcome
to visit the campus on your own and stop by the
Kroc Institute, but we are not able to schedule
appointments with prospective students before
they are accepted. The Institute is open Monday
through Friday 8:30-5:30. Before you visit, we
request that you read all the available information
on our web site about the MA program. If you still
have remaining questions which are not answered
in our published information, you may ask to speak
with someone about the graduate program when you
are here, or phone us with a question. You may
also wish to contact current MA students via email
(see bios
for e-mail addresses) to let them know of
a planned visit. They may be able to make suggestions
of classes to visit or inform you of scheduled
campus events.
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VISAS
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| Q. - What is the difference
between the F-1 and J-1 visa mentioned on the
Notre Dame Graduate School's application?
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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.
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WHAT ARE MY CHANCES?
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| Q. - What are my
chances of being accepted?
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A. - We receive between 175 and 200 applications each year. We
only have room to accept 20 students each year,
so the competition to be accepted is quite intense.
All of our accepted students received full funding. We strive for a gender and regional balance in
our program, so about four-fifths (approx. 16 out of 20) of the accepted
students come from outside the United
States.
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WHAT CAN I DO WITH A PEACE STUDIES DEGREE?
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| Q. - What can I do with a degree
in peace studies?
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A. - Approximately half
of the Institute's graduates continue their
graduate education in doctoral or professional
programs, either in their home countries or
in the U.S. Some return to jobs they had before
Notre Dame, bringing new perspectives, while
others find or develop work opportunities in
new areas. Activities of peace studies graduates
have included: teaching at universities in
their home countries, working for international
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. Career choices of our graduates
are as varied as our graduates themselves.
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WHAT MAKES A "GREAT" APPLICATION?
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| Q. - What type of information
makes a great application?
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A. - There is no one answer
to that question. Good grades, good recommendations
and a good personal statement (also called the
'Statement of Intent') are all very important.
Some background in peace related areas is often
helpful (e.g. volunteer work, community or political
involvement, a background in international studies,
or a demonstrated practical commitment to working
for peace and justice). 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 have not only stong
motivation and some experience in other cultures,
but also a vision of what their particular skills,
talents and previous experiences would enable
them to do in the future. They can articulate
how our program might help them to succeed in
their goals. We need to know what they could bring
to the program and specifically what they could
take from the program.
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WRITING SAMPLE
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| Q. - Do I need to submit a writing sample as part of my application?
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| 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.
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The
Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies,
University of Notre Dame