The fifth annual one-week Political Science Predoctoral Summer Institute (PS-PSI) will take place from May 31 to June 6, 2026 at Georgetown University, hosted by the Department of Government.  

Applications are open now through March 1st, 2026.

The PS-PSI is designed for students who are interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in political science. This year, we are expanding our eligibility to include talented undergraduates as well as recent grads. We hope you will help us spread the word and encourage outstanding students from your department or program to apply as well as any recent graduates whom you think would be good candidates. 

To be eligible, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:

  • Academic Status:
    • Applicants should currently be sophomores, juniors, or seniors (in their second, third, fourth or final year of undergraduate study), OR
    • have graduated with their undergraduate degree NO EARLIER than spring of 2022.
    • Students who are currently enrolled in a master’s program and graduated in the spring of 2022 or later are eligible to apply.
  • Institution Location:
    • Applicants in undergraduate or master’s programs must be enrolled at a college or university located in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, or Delaware. 
    • Applicants who graduated since the spring of 2022 and are not currently in a master’s program must have completed their undergraduate degree in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, or Delaware. 
    • We welcome applications from students who call any state or country home; what is important for eligibility is the location of their academic institution.
  • Field of Study: Applicants must be majoring in political science or a closely related field.
  • Academic Performance:
    • Applicants must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher. 
    • Applicants currently enrolled in a master’s program should have an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher AND a graduate GPA of 3.5 or higher.
  • Interest in Graduate Education: Applicants should have an interest in or a desire to learn more about pursuing a Ph.D. in political science or a closely related field.

Interested students are welcome at our Zoom info sessions, scheduled every other week through February 2026.

Please register using the links below.

Interested students may also contact us at pspredocsumminst@georgetown.edu.

The PS-PSI is a week-long residential program. We hope to reach an excellent group of political science students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in the field. The Institute includes substantive elements (introducing the content and methods of political science) and practical elements (assisting participants to prepare strong applications for graduate programs). Participants will also share their ideas about research directions. The PS-PSI will involve significant mentoring and networking with current faculty and Ph.D. students from its current hosts at Georgetown as well as from our partner institutions. 

The PS-PSI includes the following benefits for participants:

  • Room and board for the week of the Institute.
  • Mentoring from Ph.D. students and faculty, during the Institute and the following year.
  • A stipend of $1,000.
  • A modest travel reimbursement. We have a pool of funds dedicated to our travel reimbursements; and we will reimburse students until it runs out. We can reimburse participants up to $150.
  • Modest support for taking the GRE. We have a pool of funds dedicated to our support for GRE preparation and fees; and we will reimburse participants’ claims until it runs out. We can reimburse participants up to $440. Participants need to take the GRE by October of the year following Institute attendance to be eligible for funding.