Ph.D. Admissions

To apply to the Merrill College Ph.D. Program, you’ll need to go to the University of Maryland Graduate School admissions site.

Information on application requirements is also available on the Graduate School website.

Here is a Step-By-Step Guide to Applying to the University of Maryland Graduate School.

All application materials are submitted electronically and must include:

• Graduate application
• Undergraduate and graduate transcripts
• Research statement of purpose – this should be approximately 2,000 to 4,000 words long and highlight the intellectual contribution you seek to make with your Ph.D. studies
• 3 Letters of recommendation submitted electronically. We strongly prefer recommendations from academics or others who can assess your ability to conduct academic research
• A writing sample that highlights your academic potential (i.e. a research paper or publication)
• Nonrefundable application fee (currently $75)

Completed applications are reviewed by an admissions committee at Merrill College. The recommendations of the committee are then submitted to the UMD Graduate School for a final admission decision. Students seeking to complete graduate work at the University of Maryland for degree purposes must be formally admitted to the Graduate School.

International students must either satisfy the Graduate School’s language requirement through testing OR have completed degree work in an English-speaking program. In general, the Ph.D. program is seeking applicants who are highly fluent in English as the students are required to write at the highest academic level.