18 Characteristics of UTSA Doctoral Programs

In addition to satisfying the University-wide requirements for admission to graduate programs, all prospective students must have a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Science or Master of Arts degree from an accredited university in demography/sociology, geography, economics, biology, political science, statistics, mathematics, business, or a similar field. Students who have not earned a qualifying master’s degree may be required to complete the equivalent courses in the appropriate discipline area before admission to the Ph.D. program in Applied Demography.

In addition, applicants must submit:

1. official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework completed,
2. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores from a GRE-administered examination completed no more than five years prior to the Ph.D. student’s date of application. All applicants are required to submit scores from the GRE math, verbal, and analytical portions of the examination and scores for a related specialty area,
3. three letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources familiar with the applicant’s background, and
4. a letter of application describing the applicant’s academic and work backgrounds and goals and objectives related to the applicant’s Ph.D. program.

International students from non-English-speaking countries must also submit a score of at least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL paper version) as required by the University. These test scores may not be more than two years old at the date of application to the Ph.D. program.

A complete application includes the application form, official transcripts, GRE scores, three letters of recommendation, a letter of application stating academic and work experience, interests and goals, and if required, a TOEFL score. Admission is competitive and satisfying these requirements does not guarantee admission.

For more details, see http://www.graduateschool.utsa.edu/prospective_students/academic_programs