Program Description

Application Requirements

Program-Specific Instructions

Additional Information

Students must already have earned a master's degree in a relevant field.

It is recommended that applicants shape their statement of interest under the guidance of a faculty mentor who is familiar with interdisciplinary cultural studies. Applicants should also be mindful of the program's areas of emphasis, which are embodied in standing Theory and Topics courses.

The required goals statement for this program should be a detailed and sophisticated statement of interest that provides an overview of the applicant’s intellectual development and proposed research topics.

The writing sample should be of academic nature (e.g., an exemplary term paper or MA thesis) uploaded online.

Demonstration of foreign language competence is not required for admission, but is required for advancement to candidacy.

The GRE Exam is not required but recommended. 

The Office of Graduate Admissions, in coordination with the PhD in Cultural Studies review committee, will consider requests from admitted students to delay enrollment and have their application reconsidered for a future term. A reconsideration is not an automatic admission and an applicant must go through admissions review again, regardless of previous decision. Offers of funding are not guaranteed for reconsiderations and are at the discretion of the program of admission. All requests for reconsideration must be submitted using the response form in the application portal. Reconsideration is granted only for a period of one full academic year (Ex. Fall to Fall).

For specific questions about the program, please send an email to cultural@gmu.edu or call the office at 703-993-2851. More information about the program is available on the Cultural Studies web site.

English Proficiency Requirements

All Mason students must have a full command of academic English to be successful in their studies. For this reason, Mason requires applicants to demonstrate English proficiency for admission consideration, regardless of citizenship. Click here to view the requirements.

International Transcript Requirements

All transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be translated into English, if applicable, and submitted for evaluation to the Mason Office of Admissions. Mason will provide evaluation service free of charge for all international transcripts, however, some programs may request an outside evaluation be completed. Because of volume, more time may be needed to process applications requiring a Mason evaluation. You should submit your application 6 weeks prior to the deadline if you plan to utilize Mason’s free evaluation service. For expedited service, students may submit their documents to any NACES member organization at their own expense. If you decide to use an external evaluation service or if your program requires an outside evaluation, GPA and Degree equivalences must be included with your course-by-course evaluation. Mason evaluations are used for internal purposes and are not released to applicants. For information on international transcript requirements, go here.