What are the application requirements?

To be considered for admission to Yale Jackson School, applicants must have earned a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution or the international equivalent. Applicants must submit the online application (including an essay), and the following materials:

• Transcripts from every college or university attended
• GRE score (valid within 5 years of exam date, optional for MAS and BA/MPP)
• English language test (if applicable)
• Three letters of recommendations (at least 1 academic and 1 professional)
• Resumé
• Application fee

What are the English language testing requirements?

Applicants whose native language is English or who attended a university for at least two years, full-time, residential, where English was the language of instruction, may be exempt from submitting an English language test. The application will help candidates determine whether this pertains to them. Candidates who are required to submit an English language test may choose from the Cambridge English, Duolingo, IELTS, or TOEFL. The recommended minimums are 193 CAE, 90 DET, 7.0 IELTS, 102 TOEFL iBT, and 610 TOEFL PBT. We will consider applications with lower scores if there is additional evidence of English mastery. Tests are valid for 5 years from the test date to the date when you submit your application. If your scores can no longer be released to us by the test score service, you may still self-report your old scores in your application. However, your application will be considered incomplete without an official score at the time of submission.

What are the GRE requirements for submission?

The GRE is a required component of the MPP application. All verified formats are accepted, and there is no minimum GRE score. Although we do not waive the GRE based on work experience, coursework, or other factors, it is also just one component of a holistic assessment. We invite you to submit with your application any relevant context that the committee should know. Such information is thoroughly considered. The GRE is optional for MAS and BA/MPP applicants. Tests are valid for 5 years from the test date to the date when you submit your application. If your scores can no longer be released to us by the test score service, you may still self-report your old scores in your application. However, your application will be considered incomplete without an official score at the time of submission. More information about testing requirements can be found here.

Why are my official test scores missing from my application checklist?

Please confirm the following:

1. You requested that the testing agency send your official scores to the Yale University Jackson School of Global Affairs using these institutional codes/name: GRE (3388), Cambridge English (Jackson School of Global Affairs), Duolingo (Yale University Jackson School of Global Affairs), IELTS (Yale University Jackson School of Global Affairs), TOEFL (D100), GMAT only for current Yale SOM students (3TJ-F4-74), LSAT only for current YLS students (Jackson School of Global Affairs, also email jackson.admissions@yale.edu with your LSAC number). We are unable to transfer scores across schools at Yale, so you must use the correct code.
2. Your first name, last name, and email address match exactly between your application and what you used on the test.
3. It has been more than 7-10 business days since you requested for your scores to be sent to Yale Jackson School.

If you used the correct code/name, your identifying information matches exactly, and it has been more than 7-10 business days since you requested the scores, email us with the following information and we will contact the testing agency:

• The name and email address you used to register for the test
• A screenshot or other documentation from the test score service that your scores were sent to Yale University Jackson School of Global Affairs

What are the transcript requirements?

In submitting an application, we require only an unofficial transcript (or academic record if still a current student) for all colleges/universities you have attended. The unofficial transcript should be either a copy of a physical transcript (which should appear on school letterhead and contain all available pages) or an electronic transcript (which should appear in the electronic format provided by the school that most closely replicates the format and information provided in a physical transcript with classes appearing in chronological order). Do not submit an official transcript to us by mail. Official transcripts will only be required for admitted students, and all offers of admission are conditional until the official transcripts and degree certifications are received and verified.

If your transcript is not in English, we request both a copy of the original untranslated transcript as well as an English translation. If you studied abroad and those grades are reflected on a home institution transcript, you may submit your study abroad transcripts, but it is not required. If your home institution transcript does not reflect your study abroad coursework, then you should upload a separate transcript from the study abroad institution.

Otherwise, all transcripts must include:

• Your name
• The institution name
• Cours names and grade information
• Any academic comments that would be a part of an official transcript, and all available information including pages that detail your institution’s grading scale

Will I be competitive if I am above or below averages in the class profile?

Although we publish a class profile to give candidates a sense of who’s in the class, no one matches all of the averages. That’s normal! The class profile is intended to give you some sense of who’s in the class, but no one is the average. Furthermore, there are no minimum GPA, GRE, or work requirements, and no single dimension is weighted the most. We try to construct a holistic application so that candidates are considered across multiple dimensions.

Can I apply to more than one program at Jackson?

No. You can apply to only one degree program per academic year.

Is distance, remote, or part-time learning an option?

No. All degree programs are full-time and residential.

What are the funding opportunities at Jackson?

MPP students at Yale Jackson School pay no tuition. In addition, the school will consider merit-based and need-aware living stipends upon request. MAS students are not eligible for scholarships, although the Graduate School Financial Aid Office administers a student loan program for both US and international students that MAS students may utilize. Detailed information on tuition and funding for the MAS program, as well as information on student work and loans, is available here. If you are inquiring about the named fellowships here, please know that they are determined after admitted students enroll and that a potential match does not affect admission. In addition, some students take advantage of teaching and research fellowships, which are paid positions where graduate students work alongside professors or Jackson Senior Fellows. International students are eligible for these positions. More information on these opportunities can be found here.

Can materials be received after I submit my application?

Yes, but the admissions committee begins reviewing applications immediately following the deadline. Materials should be submitted by the materials deadline listed in the application instructions to receive full consideration. After that date, you may submit application updates via your status portal anytime until your application is decisioned, and we will do our best to review those updates in a timely manner.

What is the process for joint degree applicants?

Yale Jackson School offers joint degrees with Yale Law School, Yale School of Management, Yale School of the Environment, and Yale School of Public Health. Candidates applying for a joint degree must concurrently follow the application processes for both Yale Jackson School and the joint school, and be admitted separately to both. It is also possible to apply for a joint degree while in your first year at the joint school. Each school handles financial aid separately, and students pay tuition based on the school where they are enrolled full-time during that semester. Joint degree candidates typically start at Yale Jackson in their first year, attend the partner school in their second year, and then complete the remainder of their semesters with consultation from the Dean of Students from both schools, although there is flexibility to start at the joint school. All take three years, except for the MPP/JD which takes four years. More information about the degree requirements is available here. There are not any joint degree options for MAS students, although they may pursue concurrent dual degrees.

May I still apply if I haven’t taken any quantitative or policy courses?

Although many applicants will have some exposure to economics, statistics, calculus, and policy studies, there is no required course of study to be eligible for admission. The admissions committee values diverse backgrounds, including academic studies in the arts, sciences, and humanities. In fact, almost half of the class in any given year comes from what would be considered a non-traditional academic background. Some of the coursework at Yale Jackson School is quantitative in nature, and candidates can demonstrate a readiness for this through undergraduate study, non-degree classes, the GRE, and professional work. Although it is not our place to recommend one over another, there are many free and accessible options for addressing gaps. We leave it to candidates to determine what is best for them. If the courses are taken through an educational institution, you should include this information and relevant transcripts in the academic section of the application. If not taken at an educational institution, you may include this as additional/supplemental information.

What are the foreign language requirements?

By graduation, all MPP students must achieve Level 4 proficiency in a modern language (other than English). To fulfill this requirement, students may show a third-year language course on their undergraduate transcript, complete through a second-year language course at Yale, take a language proficiency exam at Yale, or complete the accelerated language course at Middlebury College in the summer prior to matriculation. Yale Jackson has established a streamlined application process with the Middlebury College Language Schools, and will fully fund the course, including tuition, room, and board upon approval from the Assistant Dean for Graduate Education. Based on the sequential nature of language courses, the maximum number of language credits any MPP student can achieve is 4 credits, and for joint degree students the maximum is 2 credits. There is no foreign language requirement for MAS students.

How will I receive my official admissions decision?

You will receive a notification email by the decision release date published in the instructions section of the application. This is the deadline by which decisions will be released, but the committee may also send decisions before this date. The email will instruct you to check your Application Status Portal.

What is the process for re-applicants?

First, thank you for your continued commitment to Yale Jackson School! We try to streamline the re-application process as much as possible in the hope that you can focus on updating the 1 or 2 areas that you can best improve. As long as these materials are still valid, you may resubmit the same transcripts, tests, and recommendations (there is an option to port them from the previous cycle). If the essay question has not changed, you may reuse that, too. Some of the application fields will carry over, too, but go through each section carefully to confirm everything is correct.

Can I defer an offer of admission?

Generally, no. Yale Jackson will consider deferral requests only in cases of unexpected hardship or illness, military deployment, or inability to travel to the U.S. due to visa restrictions or complications beyond your control. Requests are only considered for admitted students on a case-by-case basis and should be communicated to your admissions officer or jackson.admissions@yale.edu.