Admissions Overview
MS in International Relations and Business Admissions Requirements for All Applicants
In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for graduate study, applicants must have earned an undergraduate bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a satisfactory grade point average.
Applicants are not required to have completed an undergraduate degree in a field related to the MS in analytics program. Applicants currently in an undergraduate program are eligible to apply, though an undergraduate degree must be conferred prior to matriculation to the Kogod graduate program.
Applicants whose first language is not English must have a satisfactory score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Duolingo.
Full-time work experience is not required to apply to the MS in international relations and business program.
A current copy of your résumé is required and must be uploaded in the supplemental items section of the online application. Please include the month and year you started and ended each professional employment. Full-length or long-format résumés are welcome. Applicants DO NOT need to edit their résumé down to a one-page version.
You will submit responses to two essay prompts. The first serves as your personal statement. It should highlight your strengths, how your background has prepared you to succeed in a graduate program, and reasons for pursuing your degree at Kogod. The second essay addresses how your prior experience, academic and/or professional, signals your readiness for graduate business study.
Two letters of recommendation are required. Applicants must submit professional or academic recommendations and, when possible, should include the recommendation of an immediate supervisor.
Email Submission
The recommender can email their recommendation directly to GraduateAdmissionsDocuments@american.edu with the subject line “Kogod Recommendation Enclosed–APPLICANT NAME.”
Many schools issue transcripts electronically, either through their own Web services or through vendors. If this option is available through the institutions you attended, please specify that your transcripts be sent to GraduateAdmissionsDocuments@american.edu. This will expedite the delivery of your transcripts and the completion of your application.
You must submit official transcripts from all institutions you have attended.
- Students are required to submit unofficial transcripts from each institution attended regardless of degree completion. They can typically be downloaded from a university's student portal or through the office of the registrar.
- Unofficial transcripts must include courses taken and grades received.
- If your transcript is not in English, we ask that the transcript is translated and evaluated. Our accepted credential evaluation services are CDGDC, ECE, Education USA, and WES.
- Transcripts are not required for courses taken as part of a study abroad program if the courses are listed on the undergraduate transcript.
- Transcripts are not required for courses completed for professional development purposes only.
- Please ensure that your unofficial transcript shows that you have graduated. If your transcript does not show degree completion, please also provide a copy of your diploma.
- If your degree is currently in progress, you will need to show degree conferral before matriculation.
- In the event you are admitted and choose to enroll at Kogod, we will require the submission of official transcripts from all institutions attended.
Official Transcript Submission Guidelines:
- Official electronic submissions should be sent from your university registrar(s) to Kogod Graduate Admissions at GraduateAdmissionsDocuments@american.edu.
- Official paper submissions should be mailed from your university registrar(s) directly to Kogod Graduate Admissions. If the transcript is issued directly to you, it must remain in a sealed envelope. Once a sealed transcript envelope is opened, it is no longer considered official.
You have the following options for mailing your official transcript(s):
US Mail (USPS)
Kogod Graduate Admissions Office of Enrollment
4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016-8081
Courier Address/Overnight: (FEDEX, UPS, DHL, etc.)
Kogod Graduate Admissions Office of Enrollment
4801 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Suite 218
Washington, DC 20016-8081
- Official submissions for current and former AU students are not required. We will work with the university registrar to receive an official transcript and confirm degree conferral.
Students who completed degrees at institutions outside the United States are required to submit a transcript evaluation (and a translation, if applicable) in addition to original transcripts. Please contact your admissions counselor for specific information about acceptable transcript evaluation services.
Please note: To be considered an official transcript, the transcript must be sent directly from your institution(s) or through an electronic transcript vendor retained by that institution. Transcripts submitted by enrolled or prospective students are considered unofficial documents, even if they are in a sealed envelope provided to you by the issuing university.
We believe in a holistic application review and consider an entire application when evaluating candidates for admission.
GRE and GMAT scores are not a requirement for application to our online programs. Though test scores are not required for these two programs, applicants may choose to submit their test scores as part of the application. If you choose to submit scores, you must submit official score reports.
That said, applicants to these programs are strongly encouraged to submit a GMAT/GRE score as part of the application if they feel it is the best representative of their application. Additional funding may be available for applicants who submit scores.
GMAT/GRE Score Submission Guidelines:
To submit official GMAT or GRE scores, please refer to the reporting codes below. Unofficial GMAT or GRE Scores can be uploaded into the supplemental items section of the application and can be used to move an application forward in the review process.
Please note that once standardized test scores are shared, we are unable to remove them from your application. Scores must be no more than 5 years old.
Kogod GMAT Score Report Code:
Kogod GRE Score Report Code:
All Programs (5007)
A non-refundable fee of $100 USD is required. Applicants will be prompted to pay the fee or submit a waiver code once they submit the first portion of the application.
Application fee waivers are offered to a variety of applicants, including but not limited to:
- American University alumni
- American University employees
- Active-duty members or veterans of the US military
- Active or returned Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or Teach for America volunteers
- City Year Corps members, staff, and alumni
- Dual-degree applicants who have already paid an application fee to the School of International Service (SIS) or the Washington College of Law (WCL)
- Fellowship awardees
A complete list of waivers is available in the application.
Admissions Tip! Attend an online or in-person event and receive a waiver code for the $100 USD application fee.
If you are admitted to the MS in international relations and business program, a non-refundable enrollment deposit of $500 USD is required to confirm your place in the class. Enrollment deposits are due by the response date in your admit letter.
The $500 USD enrollment deposit is applied to your tuition bill for the first term upon matriculation into the program.
Enrollment deposits are waived for active-duty US military members and veterans, American University employees, or eligible dependents utilizing tuition remission. If you qualify for a waiver, please contact kogodgrad@american.edu after you have accepted admission and request that we process the waiver.
Unless you qualify for a waiver as described above, you must submit an enrollment deposit.