Application FAQs
Applicants to the Master of Arts in Global Affairs submit an online application that is processed by George Mason University's Office of Graduate Admissions. Once an application is complete, the Global Affairs graduate admissions committee reviews and makes a decision, which is provided to the applicant via an email from the Office of Graduate Admissions. The Global Affairs Program is happy to answer applicant questions at any point during this process. We have compiled a few answers to the most frequently asked questions below. For questions, please contact globalma@gmu.edu.
What should an applicant include in the goals statement?
The goals statement must be written by the applicant. Goals statement written by third parties, including those written by AI, may render the application incomplete.
The goals statement should also address the following:
- Purpose for graduate study and why the applicant has selected the Global Affairs MA at George Mason University.
- The applicant's career goals and plans for the future.
- The applicant’s preparation to carry out graduate study in Global Affairs, including academic background, relevant extracurricular activities, and professional experience.
- Any other details that are not elsewhere in the application that gives the admissions committee an idea of who the applicant is as a person and master's candidate.
Note: Applicants are welcome to include an explanation for any weaknesses in their goals statement such as low GPA, etc.
What is the page length for the goals statement?
Should be two pages in length (1,000 words).
Who should an applicant ask to provide a letter of recommendation? Do both required letters have to be from academic sources?
At least one of the recommendations should be written by an individual who can speak to the applicant’s academic preparedness and motivation for graduate study. A recommendation letter should provide a sense of how the applicant will perform in a graduate classroom. There is a strong preference for a least one of the two letters of recommendation to be written by a professor or university-level instructor with whom the applicant has taken a course and who can comment on the applicant’s preparation for graduate study. Furthermore, the letter should be written by the recommender (not the applicant) and submitted through the graduate application portal. The applicant should ensure that they use the recommenders institutional email when entering their recommenders’ information.
How do recommenders submit their letters?
Applicants provide the full name and email address of their recommenders within the online application. The recommenders receive an email from George Mason University that includes a link to access the online recommendation form.
Please submit a writing sample of approximately 5 pages in length that will help the admissions committee measure your ability to write and express yourself clearly, especially when discussing complex ideas.
One option for your writing sample is a paper (or excerpt from a paper) from an upper-level course you completed in your undergraduate degree. Please send a “clean copy,” with no comments or markings. Another option is a piece of writing you have completed in your professional work. This includes a brief, a report, etc.
Note: If you are excerpting a 5-page sample from a longer paper, provide a notation at the top that explains “this is an excerpt from an x-page paper.” Specify the topic, and explain where in the paper this excerpt is from.