Graduate IPED Admissions

Students in IPED shirts posing for a group photo with ocean in background

The Master's Program in International Political Economy and Development (IPED) accepts approximately 25 students each year. We seek students from different parts of the world that possess intellectual ability as well as enthusiasm for understanding the political, economic, and social challenges of the current economic world order. IPED attracts highly competent individuals who normally pursue international careers in the following fields:

  1. Financial analysts or management consultants in the private sector
  2. Economists and policy analysts in the public sector
  3. Project managers in the non-profit sector such as relief and development agencies or human rights organizations

Being part of a Jesuit University that tries to live out the Ignatian tradition, we hope to assist in the professional development of individuals who will bring to their professional lives a high regard for ethical and moral principles. The program seeks to be a meeting ground for talented individuals from different cultures, faiths, and ideologies who, while seeking to improve their own professional possibilities, will do so in a way that contributes to the common good.

Admission requirements for the M.A. program are the following:

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher

Statement of intent
A 500 - 1500 word statement of purpose that indicates how the IPED program would prepare you to reach your future career goals. It should also indicate if you are applying for any special fellowships (Arrupe, Global Markets, Public Service, Peace Corps).

Supplemental essay (optional)
You may choose to answer this optional essay question. Your answer will help the admission committee get a better understanding of your unique perspective and potential contributions to our community. 

Please discuss how your life experiences, perspective, or worldview have motivated or inspired you, posed challenges, helped you build skills, or taught you valuable lessons. We are eager to learn how these experiences have helped shape who you are and prepared you for graduate study, in keeping with our mission of "graduate education for the global good."

Academic transcripts
To be eligible for admission, applicants must hold a four-year bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in the United States, or the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution abroad (for some countries, this may be a three-year degree from a member institution within the Bologna Process). If you are applying during your final (senior) year of undergraduate study, you may submit your application with an unofficial transcript that includes all completed coursework to date.

When you apply, you are required to upload unofficial transcripts from the institution where you earned or will earn your bachelor’s degree, and if applicable, master’s degree, including any institutions where transfer credits counted toward either an undergraduate or graduate-level degree. 

If you are offered admission to a GSAS program and accept the offer, you must submit official final transcripts with final grades and the title of the degree conferred. Official transcripts must be received by Fordham GSAS Admissions before the first day of classes.

Three letters of recommendation 
When communicating with your recommendation letter writers, please provide them with at least one month’s advance notice to submit their recommendations. To facilitate this process, enter the following information for each of your recommendation providers: name, address, email address, phone number, and institution. Make sure you enter your recommenders' email addresses correctly so that they each receive an automated email instructing them on how to submit their recommendations online. Mark the waiver statement for each recommender you enter. They will be notified electronically of your request. Please note: you may submit your application even if the submission of your recommendation letters is in progress.

Previous professional work experience, which includes long-term volunteer service with organizations like the Peace Corps, is playing a larger role in the admissions process, especially for those who wish to specialize in international development studies.

Official graduate record examination (GRE) scores

To be admitted to the IPED Program applicants should score at least 154 on the quantitative GRE, 156 on the verbal GRE, and 4.0 on the analytical GRE. Please visit the ETS/GRE website for more information. 

For the last three years, the average GRE scores for matriculated students were 160 verbal, 157 quantitative, and 4.6 analytical. The average cumulative undergraduate grade point average for our matriculated students was 3.48.

GRE and TOEFL
For international students, TOEFL scores substitute for the verbal and analytical GRE scores. The minimum acceptable TOEFL score is 100.

English Proficiency Requirements

International applicants whose native language is not English are required to complete and submit to GSAS prior to matriculation their official scores from one of the following accepted English language competency exams:

Official TOEFL, IELTS, DET, PTE Academic, or Cambridge English Qualifications scores should be sent directly by the testing service to the Office of Graduate Admissions, Fordham University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (our ETS TOEFL score code #2259). 

Exam Score
TOEFL iBT Taken before January 21, 2026 - Minimum score: 100
Taken on or after January 21, 2026 - Minimum score: 5
IELTS 7.0 band score
DET 130
PTE Academic 68
Cambridge English Qualifications 185 Overall Score on the B2, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency exam

Exemptions to the English Language Requirement

Exemptions are considered on a case-by-case basis and are generally permitted for international applicants who:

  1. are native English speakers from countries where English is an official language (click here to view the list of countries accepted); and/or
  2. have completed, within the past five years, at least two years of study at an undergraduate or graduate institution in the United States or in a country where English is the official language of instruction.
  3. you received an undergraduate or graduate degree from a university in India. (In some cases, we may request language proficiency test scores.)

GSAS reserves the right to require a language proficiency evaluation from any applicant. Requests for exemption from this requirement should be indicated directly within the application. The Fordham English Language Test (FELT), administered by Fordham’s Institute of American Language and Culture (IALC), may be required for those students whose English proficiency scores do not meet GSAS program requirements. Additional coursework may also be recommended by the IALC.

Students are permitted to register for two GSAS courses during the academic term in which they are completing any IALC-recommended coursework, which generally occurs during their first semester of study.

Please note: Tuition costs associated with the learning of English as a second language are the responsibility of the student and will not be covered by a GSAS tuition scholarship. GSAS merit-based tuition scholarships are not applicable to the costs of additional coursework recommended by the IALC.

Please note: Applicants who do not wish to be considered for university merit based financial aid may substitute GMAT scores in place of the GRE. These individuals are still eligible for financial aid in the form of loans.

Admission decisions are based solely on merit without regard to citizenship, ethnicity, nationality, race, sex, or religion.