Admissions

Applicants to the Ph.D. program need a bachelor's degree, though most LPS students have a J.D. or a master's degree. The application requires a completed application form, a personal statement, official transcripts from all previous degrees, and three letters of recommendation. Official scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Law School Admission Test are required. The code for Northeastern University for the GRE is R3682. The personal statement should explain how your academic or professional interests and background fit the nature and content of the LPS program. In particular, you should describe your field of interest and how you would like to build an interdisciplinary field around it. The letters of recommendation should speak to your ability to conduct graduate-level research. The application fee is $50.00. All materials and fees should be submitted at the same time.

LPS offers students in the School of Law the opportunity to study for a MS or Ph.D. in Law, Policy and Society while concurrently attending law school. Students pursuing dual degrees plan their schedules with the assistance of advisors from the law school and the LPS Program. Applicants to the School of Law interested in pursuing a concurrent degree do not need to duplicate each school's request for letters of recommendation, transcripts and standardized test scores. Applicants should complete the law school application and note on it that they are applying to LPS. In addition, applicants must submit the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences application form, along with a third letter of recommendation, directly to The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences as instructed on the application. Applicants should note that they are concurrently applying to the School of Law. The application deadline for LPS is February 1st. .

Application_Packet_Checklist.pdf

The same requirements apply to the master's program.

Applications are accepted for the fall semester only.

The deadline for submitting an application for PhD is February 1st.

You may apply for full-time or part-time study via an online application . Most graduate school courses at Northeastern are taught after 4:30 to accommodate working students.

Applicants will be mailed responses during the first week of April.

Financial Aid

In addition to the University's financial assistance programs administered by the Graduate Student Financial Services Office (139 Richards Hall), LPS also offers Northeastern University Tuition Assistantships, which are awarded on the basis of merit. Students wishing to be considered for these awards (described below) should indicate this on the application. Some research assistantships are available, depending on faculty need.

Northeastern University Tuition Assistants (NUTAs) receive some tuition remission in return for up to ten hours of service per week. Duties typically include grading or research. Recipients of the NUTA should note that the Internal Revenue Service has classified the value of tuition remission as taxable income. NUTA students must enroll in eight credits per semester. Failure to comply can result in cancellation of the financial award. For full information regarding assistantships, please consult the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Facts about Tuition Waiver brochure.