PhD Application Requirements & Deadlines

All PhD applicants should read thoroughly the admissions section of the website before applying. The information below provides a general overview of the PhD application process.

  • If you have previously earned a MALD or MIB degree or are currently in the MALD or MIB program, you should email fletcheradmissions@tufts.edu for instructions on the internal PhD application process.

Application Requirements

A complete application to the PhD program includes the following materials:

  • Application form
  • Application fee of $85
  • Academic transcripts from all previously attended institutions
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Résumé (c.v.)
  • Personal Statement
  • Supplemental Essays
  • Official GRE or GMAT scores (optional)
  • Official TOEFL or IELTS scores. (Required for international students whose native language is not English and who have not earned a university degree where English was the primary language of instruction.)
  • PhD dissertation proposal (1,500 words)
  • Master's thesis (a writing sample may be substituted, if your master’s degree program did not require a thesis, but if accepted you would then need to write a master’s thesis during your first year of study before being admitted to PhD candidacy)
  • List of programs to which you are applying
  • Name(s) of Fletcher professor(s) with whom you have had contact
  • Evaluative Interview (optional)
  • Scholarship application (if applicable)

Application Deadlines

The PhD program enrolls new students each year in September. The application deadline for September enrollment is December 15th. Please ensure that the on-line application is submitted by this date, and that all supplemental materials are sent by mail early enough to arrive before December 15th. Late applications are not accepted for the PhD program, and there is no Early Notification deadline. Applicants will be notified of the Admissions Committee's decision by April 1st.