Submitting your application: final checklist

Follow this step-by-step checklist, and to check you have covered everything you need to submit a perfect application.

Step 1: contact details

• Have you used an email address that you check regularly? The outcome of your application will be communicated to you via email, so you must ensure to log in regularly after the application deadline!
• Are all your details accurate?

Step 2: referees

• Did you list at least one academic reference? Or at least two for the MSc?
• If you have completed/are completing a Master’s degree, you are required to include a reference from your supervisor or course director. Have you included this?
• Have you used verifiable professional or institutional email addresses for all references?
• Have you warned your referees that they will need to provide a reference for you? They will need to submit their reference by midday on 5 January.

Step 3: qualifications

• Have you listed all higher education qualifications you have completed? You must list all bachelor, master’s, and doctorate degrees you have undertaken or are currently undertaking.

Step 4: English language

• Have you uploaded an English language test?
• Is your test valid? Tests are only valid if achieved within two years before the start of the course (September 2022 for the MPP, and October 2022 for the MSc and DPhil).
• Does your test meet the higher level requirements of the University?

Step 5: supporting documents

Have you prepared and uploaded all the documents you need? Have you proofread them all? You will not be able to amend the documents once you submit your application.

Transcripts:

• You MUST submit full transcripts for every degree you have completed or are in the process of completing
• Does your transcript include a list of all modules you have taken and all grades received, as well as your degree title, conferral date, and final grade achieved? If not, you will also need to submit the degree certificate.
• Is your transcript in English? If not, you will need to submit an official certified translation as well as the original transcript.
• Are you currently completing a degree, or pending results for your last degree? You must submit an up-to-date interim transcript, listing all modules including those that are pending.

For the MPP application:

• CV – must be up to date
• Personal Statement – maximum 800 words answering the four specific questions we ask
• Written work 1 – Reflective policy essay – maximum 1,500 words

For the MSc application:

• CV – must be up to date
• Personal Statement – maximum 800 words – must be submitted with the research proposal together as one document
• Research proposal – maximum 1,500 words – must be submitted with the personal statement as one document
• Written work - Policy brief or policy analysis essay – maximum 1,500 words

For the DPhil application:

• CV – must be up to date
• Statement of Purpose – maximum 1,000 words – must be submitted with the research proposal together as one document
• Research Proposal – maximum 2,500 words – must be submitted with the statement of purpose as one document
• Written work – one essay of a maximum of 2,000 words – must be submitted separately from the statement and research proposal document

Step 6: submit!

Congratulations – you should now be all ready to submit your application!

Your application will first be checked by the central Graduate Admissions team. They may be in touch if any of your information and documents do not meet the University requirements. Once their check is complete, your application will be sent to us at the Blavatnik School of Government. We’ll check your application, and will be in touch to confirm whether your application is ready for assessment and let you know it has been passed on to our Admissions Committee for Assessment.

You will then need to wait between eight and ten weeks to receive the outcome of your application. However, during the wait, there are some things you may want to start thinking about. Have you thought about how you will fund your studies if you are offered a place? Will you require a visa to study in the UK? If so, do you need to renew your passport before the visa process? If you are in employment, are you able to secure leave for the duration of the programme?

For a summary of the application requirements, please view the Graduate Admissions pages for the MPP, MSc and DPhil, as well as our Blavatnik School website. If you cannot find the answer to your question online, feel free to email the Admissions Team at admissions@bsg.ox.ac.uk.

Once you’ve submitted your application, why not take a look at some of our student profiles for an insight into student life, and follow us on Twitter, and Instagram, and like our Facebook page to stay up-to-date with our latest research, events and activities.

Admissions for the MPP, MSc and DPhil close at 12:00 noon GMT on Friday 5 January 2024.