NOTICE: All of the offices at the University of Notre Dame will be closed beginning Sat., Dec. 22, 2007, and will re-open on Wed., Jan. 2, 2008.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
& REQUIRED MATERIALS
Application deadline for the Ph.D. program is February 1st.
Please read all the information on our website before phoning or emailing with questions.
DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED:
ALL application materials required directly from the applicant should be uploaded at the same time the Graduate School's online application is submitted.
Please note that when filling out our application, you should CAPITALIZE your entire LAST NAME on all forms that you complete and whenever contacting us about your application. To applicants from other countries, a reminder: your last name refers to either your family name or surname and your first name refers to your given name or personal name. For those with multiple last names, please be sure to list them all. For those with no last name, please pick one of your given names and use that as your last name throughout the application.
Transfer students: If students already enrolled in doctoral programs seek to enter the Ph.D. in peace studies, they must submit a formal application, even if they are currently enrolled at the University of Notre Dame.
1) University of
Notre Dame Graduate School
Online Application Form
All applicants to the Ph.D. program must complete the online application. Your Statement of Intent and CV should be submitted in the "Uploads" section of the online application. Mailing a paper copy will delay the processing of your application. Please be sure you have both of these items ready to submit before you complete your online application.
When completing the online application, if there is a required field that does not apply to you, (zipcode - for example) you can enter the words "none" in the field, and that will be accepted. Required fields cannot be left empty, but any text you enter in the field will be accepted by the system.
The Graduate School's online application may only be submitted once for each degree for which you are applying. However, you do not have to complete the whole online application in one session. You may access your application and change your responses as many times as you like with your PIN and password from any computer with Internet access.
Once you have completed the online application to your satisfaction, you should submit your application by clicking the "Submit" button at the top of the on-line application webpage. This will take you through the steps to electronically submit your application to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Note: You may only submit your online application once.
After the submission of your application, you will NOT be able to go back and make changes or additions to your application using the online application system. However, you will be able to re-enter your online application for the purpose of checking which materials have been received.
2) Resume or CV showing the chronological progression of your work and studies. It should be submitted in the "Uploads" section of the Notre Dame Graduate School's online application. Do not fax or email your CV to the Kroc Institute unless instructed to do so.
3) Statement
of Intent: The statement of intent accompanying the application should describe the applicant’s areas of interest and experience as explicitly as possible and should list the faculty with whom the applicant wishes to study. The statement will be considered by both the relevant departmental admissions committee (history, political science, psychology or sociology) and the Kroc Institute admissions committee, so please address both your interest in peace studies and the discipline of the relevant department in your statement.
Please submit your Statement of Intent in the "Uploads" section of the Graduate School's online application. Do not fax or email your Statement to the Kroc Institute unless instructed to do so.
4) Writing Sample: A writing sample, demonstrating skills in writing, analysis and peace research is required. If sending part of a longer work (for example, a senior or master’s thesis), please include an abstract of 250 words describing the whole piece and its argument.
5) Three Letters
of Recommendation:
Recommendations are very important to the application. At least two of the three letters should be from professors who can describe in detail the applicant's qualifications, motivation and ability to succeed in the program.
Instructions for the recommender:
"Please write a separate letter evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the applicant, with particular reference to intellect, demonstrated ability to do academic work, discipline, creativity, motivation, maturity and character. Please comment on the applicant’s future promise in the field of peace studies and his or her suitability for interdisciplinary work.”
The people submitting reference letters on your behalf may submit their letters to the Graduate School electronically through the online application system. This is the preferred method. Please enter the names and contact information for each provider in the "Recommendation" section of the on-line application, and then indicate whether they will be submitting their letter electronically or on paper. For those providers that wish to submit their letter electronically, be sure to check the "Yes" box in the online submission question located in the "Recommendation" section of the online application. You must provide the email address for recommenders who will be submitting their letter online. Please also notify the individual that he/she will be receiving an email from the Notre Dame Graduate School's online application system with the necessary codes to upload their letter into your online application.
- Once the recommendation provider information is saved, an email will be sent to the online recommendation provider with an access code and instructions on how to proceed with the online recommendation.
- When the recommendation provider submits the form to the Graduate School it will become a part of your application.
- You can view the status of your online recommendations each time you log into your application account.
For those recommenders who wish to submit their letter of reference on paper, the letter should be addressed to:
Office of Graduate Admissions
Attention: Peace Studies
University of Notre Dame
502 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556
6) Official
Transcripts should be mailed to the Notre Dame Graduate Admissions
Office in a signed and sealed envelope. “Peace Studies” should be written
on the outside of the envelope. Your official transcripts should not be submitted electronically. One transcript is required from each
undergraduate and graduate institution attended, showing
courses taken
and grades received. If the originals are not in English, then please include a certified English translation.
High School and/or Elementary School transcripts are not required or needed.
If an undergraduate transcript does not show proof of degree
and
date earned, an official copy of the diploma showing
award of B.A. or equivalent is also required. An official
transcript
bears the original signature of the registrar and/or the
original seal of the issuing institution. Certified copies are acceptable. Photocopies or
documents marked “issued to student” are unofficial. Please note
that these documents can not be returned. Do not send
irreplaceable originals.
Your transcripts (and diplomas, if needed) should be mailed to:
Office of Graduate Admissions
Attention: Peace Studies
University of Notre Dame
502 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556
If your B.A. or other academic program is currently in progress, send official transcripts for all course work completed and request that a final transcript be sent as soon as it is available. Proof of award of the B.A. degree or equivalent must be furnished before a student can begin the Ph.D. program.
Do not fax or email your scanned transcript unless we instruct you to do so.
7) Letter of
Verification of English Proficiency (recommended):
A letter of Verification of English Proficiency is recommended for all non-native speakers of English. The Verification of English Proficiency letter should be written by a person (preferably a native speaker of English) who is well acquainted with the applicant's English language ability and experience, both written and spoken. The letter should describe the applicant's experience with the language, present level of proficiency, communicative ability in English, and ability to do doctoral-level work in English (including extensive reading and writing).
The Verification of English Proficiency letter can either be submitted as part of your online application in the "Additional Uploads" section of the "Uploads" area, or your recommender may mail (post) a hard copy to the Office of Graduate Admissions at the address given above. Please instruct your recommender to write "Verification of English Proficiency" at the top of his/her letter, so we can distinguish it from your other recommendation letters.
8) TOEFL (Test
of English as a Foreign Language) score:The institution code for Notre Dame is 1841. A department code is not necessary, but you can use 5101 if needed. All applicants who are not native speakers of English must take the TOEFL unless they have successfully studied for at least one year at a university in which English was the medium of instruction. We have no set minimum requirement for the TOEFL score, but a score below 600 (paper-based) or 250 (computer-based) or 80 (Internet-based) is questionable. TOEFL scores are valid for up to two years after the test date. You must have an official score report sent to Notre Dame by ETS. If the test is taken after your application is submitted, please email your self-reported TOEFL score as soon as it is available. Further TOEFL information can be obtained online at http://www.toefl.org.
9) GRE (Graduate Record Exam)
scores:Scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) are required from all applicants unless extremely difficult circumstances make this impossible. The Institution code for the University of Notre Dame is 1841. A department code is not necessary. The GRE test is offered by the Educational Testing Service at locations around the world. Further GRE information can be obtained online at http://www.gre.org.
10) Application fee of $50: Applicants may pay the fee online by credit card after completing the online application, or by sending a check to: Office of Graduate Admissions, Attention: Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, 502 Main Building, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA. Checks should be made payable to the University of Notre Dame. If the check is not written by the applicant, or is mailed separately, the name of the applicant must be included with the check. International applicants who do not have access to a credit card or a U.S. checking account may pay using an International Postal Money Order or a bank draft on a U.S. bank. It is not possible to pay by bank transfer.
Students applying to more than one graduate program at Notre Dame are only required to pay one application fee per year. Students reapplying for the first time are not required to pay a fee if they paid the fee the first time.
SUBMISSION PROCEDURE:
ALL required materials, except the transcripts, should be submitted electronically or entered on the Graduate School's online application.
The application deadline for the Ph.D. program is: February 1.
Acceptances will normally be sent out by April 1.
- Make a complete copy of your application and supporting documents to keep for your records.
.
- Complete the Graduate School's online application and submit all of your supporting documents electronically at the time you submit your online application.
.
- Mail one official transcript from each university you attended to:
Office of Graduate Admissions
Attention: Peace Studies
University of Notre Dame
502 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556-5602
USA
-
Do not fax or email your materials to us unless we instruct you to do so!
Please do not call or email the day after the deadline to see if your materials have arrived. It takes several weeks to process all of the applications. You will be notified if anything is missing as soon as we have had time to process your application.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please read all the information on our website before phoning or emailing with questions. Questions that are already answered on our site will not receive a reply.
E-mail: kroc-admissions.1@nd.edu
Telephone: (574) 631-6974
APPLICATION CHECKLIST:
Summary of documents to be submitted.
Online:
- University of Notre Dame Graduate School's application
- Resume or CV (via "Upload" section)
- Statement of Intent (via "Upload" section)
- Writing Sample (via “Upload” section)
- Three (3) Recommendations (see directions above)
- Application Fee: $50, or $35 for applications received by December 1
(online payment can only be made via credit card; see below for payments by check)
For non-native speakers of English only (optional):
- Letter of Verification of English Proficiency (via “Additional Uploads” section)
By Mail:
- One (1) Official Transcript with Proof of Degree (B.A. equivalent) and English translations from every program attended
- Official Scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
- A check for the Application Fee of $50 (or $35 for applications received by December 1)
(if not paying online by credit card)
For non-native speakers of English only:
- TOEFL score (required if you have not studied for at least one year at a university where English was the medium of instruction).
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