Apply to the NREP Program
Application Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree. All disciplines are welcome.
- 3 letters of recommendation from professors or employers
- Statement of purpose
- TOEFL scores for international students: a minimum of 79 internet-based test (iBT) or 550 paper-based test (PBT).
- The GRE is optional
- Deadlines for Fall: US residents July 1; International students March 1
- Deadlines for Spring: US November 1; International October 1
Apply by January 15th to receive priority consideration for a teaching assistant or fellowship position.
Statement of Purpose
The Statement of Purpose (SOP) is used to communicate to the Admissions Committee aspects of your career goals and background that are not readily seen in your transcripts. It should demonstrate that you have carefully reviewed our website and understand the specifics of the program. The SOP assists the Committee in deciding acceptances as well as recommending who will receive fellowship and TA support. Addressed to the NREP Admissions Committee, it should be one or two pages long. Please include the following sections:
Career goals: Explain your professional ambitions and how an NREP degree will help you reach these goals. You may choose to include personal stories that affect your decision to pursue the NREP degree. You may want to mention faculty whose research most directly relates to your interests. This section will also be used to identify your faculty advisor.
Background: Explain the experience and skills you will bring with you to NREP, how they have prepared you for graduate study, and how they might benefit fellow students and our program. This is the place to discuss anything that might concern the Committee and potentially lead to a rejection or the committee deciding not to grant a financial award. For example, if you have stopped and started other graduate degrees, you might want to explain why this happened and will not happen with NREP. Similarly, you might want to explain the reason for a low GPA.
TA qualifications (optional): Some NREP students work as teaching assistants (TAs) for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences department. These competitive positions are paid on an hourly basis and do not include tuition waivers or health insurance. While job responsibilities vary by assigned professor, most TAs help with grading papers and exams, classroom discussions, and miscellaneous administrative duties. Most work for faculty teaching Global Studies, a required course for Mines undergraduates. If you want to be considered for a TA position, please explain why you would like this opportunity and tell us about academic, professional, and/or personal experiences that would make you a good TA.