GRE General Test

The GRE General Test requirements vary and are listed in the table below. Each program is listed as either required, recommended, optional, or not accepted:

  • Required: All applicants to the program must submit an official GRE score.
  • Recommended: An official GRE score is not required to apply; however, applicants who do not submit a score may potentially be at a disadvantage.
  • Not Required/Optional: Applicants who do not submit a GRE are not penalized during the review process. We encourage applicants to GRE-optional programs to only provide a score if they feel it reflects well on their abilities.
  • Not Accepted: The program does not accept the GRE and the score will not be included in material provided to the admission committee.

Program

GRE General Test

PhD Programs

 

Anthropology

Not Accepted

Comparative Human Development

Recommended

Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science

Not Required

Economics

Required

History

Not Required

Political Economy

Required

Political Science

Optional, but recommended for methods, international relations, and comparative politics subfields

Psychology

Recommended

Social Thought

Recommended

Sociology

Not Required

 

 

MA Programs

 

Computational Social Science

Required for Economics concentration, not required for all others

International Relations

Not Accepted

Middle Eastern Studies

Optional

Master of Arts Program in the Social sciences

 

• Comparative Human Development Recommended

• Economics

Required

• Political Economy

Required

• Quantitative Methods and Social Analysis

Required

• Psychology Recommended

• All other tracks

Optional

Programs requiring the GRE expect strong scores across every section of the exam, and a high GRE score is an important component of a competitive GRE application. The University does not have a minimum or cut-off score requirement; however, particularly for quantitative programs competitive applicants typically perform very well on the quantitative section of the exam. In the case of an applicant having taken multiple tests, the overall best, valid score on each section of the exam is used.

Official scores are required when the program requires the GRE; self-reported scores may be used at committee discretion but official scores are required if an offer of admission is made and accepted. Self-reported scores will not be used for GRE-optional programs; applicants who wish scores to be considered must provide an official report.