Application Requirements

To apply to one of our programs, applicants are required to submit the following:

Applications are now being accepted for the following start date:

Take the next step in your career and begin your application to International Relations Online today.

Your résumé/CV allows the admissions committee to review your background and previous experiences. We encourage you to be detailed and thorough in preparing your résumé and to include internship and volunteer experience in addition to traditional full-time work experiences.

Your personal statement is an integral part of your application to the School of International Service (SIS) and is a space where we get to know you on a more individual basis. 

Instructions:

Your SIS personal statement includes two required essays. Please submit both essays in the same document with each essay clearly labeled.

Refer to the end of the essay for guidance on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Essay 1: SIS Graduate Program

Length: 500 words

The field of international affairs encompasses a wide range of topics and disciplines, and there are many schools that offer degrees in this area. Please tell us 1) why you have chosen to apply to American University’s School of International Service, AND 2) why you plan to pursue your particular degree.

Your answer could consider, but is not limited to: how does this degree connect to the issues/ problems you would like to study and tackle; what curricular opportunities (e.g. courses and concentrations, study abroad, research centers) and skills are you most interested in developing; and who are the faculty you are most excited to learn from, and why.

Essay 2: Personal Narrative/Overview

Length: 500 words

Describe an experience – personal, professional, or other – that has shaped your decision to pursue graduate study at this point in your academic or professional journey. How has this experience prepared you to succeed in graduate study? What skills or perspectives would you bring to the SIS community?

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

As generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity, and other large language models (LLM) become more widely used, American University has established guidelines for acceptable practices and responsible use of AI. For your SIS admissions essay specifically, here are some examples of acceptable and unacceptable use of AI:

Acceptable uses

Unacceptable uses

If you are unsure whether a use is permitted, ask yourself: “Would it be acceptable to ask a mentor to do this for me?” Asking someone to point out a typo or identify a confusing passage is reasonable. Asking them to write an outline, choose your story, interpret your experience, or rewrite your response is not.

The strongest applicants present original responses work that speaks authentically to their experiences, goals and background in knowledge of the field. We want you to use this opportunity to tell your story, articulate your learning goals, and showcase the quality of your writing.

All applicants to the School of International Service’s (SIS) graduate programs must possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution by the date of anticipated enrollment. Applicants are required to submit transcripts from all institutions attended, including community colleges and transfer credits.

Many schools issue transcripts electronically, either through their own Web services or through vendors. If this option is available through the institutions you attended, please specify that your transcript(s) be sent to applicationservices@ironline.american.edu or select American University International Relations Online if listed as an option through a vendor. This will expedite the delivery of your transcript(s) and the completion of your application.

If you wish to mail your transcripts, the sealed, official transcripts from U.S. institutions should be sent directly to:

American University
Application Processing Center
1551 Emancipation Hwy, Unit 1300
Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Students who completed degrees at institutions outside the United States are required to submit a transcript evaluation (and a translation, if applicable) in addition to original transcripts. Please contact your enrollment specialist for specific information about acceptable transcript evaluation services.

Please note: To be considered an official transcript, the transcript must be sent directly from your institution(s) or through an electronic transcript vendor retained by that institution. Transcripts submitted by enrolled or prospective students are considered unofficial documents, even if they are in a sealed envelope provided to you by the issuing university.

All applicants to SIS graduate programs are required to submit one letter of recommendation to support their application. Letters of recommendation should evaluate your suitability for graduate study in international affairs. SIS prefers letters from former or current professors, who can attest to your academic performance and qualifications; and from supervisors, or people with direct observation of your professional qualifications. Letters from friends or peers are not recommended.

If you are interested in applying to the MAIR program, it is highly recommended that you have previous microeconomics and macroeconomics course work prior to enrolling in the program. However, prior economics course work is not a prerequisite for admission to the program. Students who have not previously completed approved economics course work will be required to take SISG-773 Introduction to Economic Theory. Registration and sequencing of this course, if applicable, will be coordinated between the student and academic advising.

International students are vital to the International Relations Online and the School of International Service’s community, and we encourage professionals outside of the United States to apply to our program. All international applicants, regardless of their country of citizenship or location, will be evaluated equally to applicants who are U.S. citizens. This applies to the Master’s in International Relations and Executive Master of International Service.

Please note there are additional application requirements for international applicants.

Applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit scores from an English language proficiency exam.

Our online international relations graduate programs accepts Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), and Pearson Test of English (PTE) scores. The SIS Institution Code for TOEFL score reporting is 3313 and there is no department code.

IR Online’s minimum scores accepted are as follows:

This requirement can be waived for applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited university whose sole language of instruction is English and is located in a country in which English is the official language. For information regarding official country languages, visit the CIA World Factbook, find the continent and country on the map, and open the “People and Society” section.

In addition to submitting original transcripts, applicants who earned degrees at higher education institutions outside of the United States are required to submit a transcript evaluation and a translation, if applicable. Translations must come from recognized bodies such as universities, embassies, overseas EducationUSA advising centers, or other certified translation agencies. Please contact your enrollment specialist for specific information about acceptable transcript evaluation services.