Admission to the Security Studies program is highly competitive. There are no set GPAs or GREs that will guarantee acceptance into the program. At the masters level, though, applicants with an undergraduate GPA below 3.0 would need very impressive credentials otherwise in order to win admission; a GPA over 3.0 is no guarantee of admission. On the other hand, there are no GPA or GRE scores that will automatically eliminate an applicant from consideration. The admissions review committee looks carefully at all of the materials submitted by the applicant. GRE scores and grades, whether good or bad, may be counterbalanced in the committee’s minds by other elements in the applicant’s dossier, such as the letters of recommendation, writing samples, or a particularly thoughtful and well-crafted Statement of Objectives. The committee’s goal is to form a comprehensive, well-rounded picture of the applicant’s strengths and weaknesses as part of the overall assessment of the applicant’s likelihood of success in the program. It is for this very reason that a range of materials is requested as part of the application packet.

Ph.D admissions is even more competitive than MA admission, but there is likewise score that produces automatic acceptance or rejection. The nature of the applicant's proposed Ph.D research and the availability of an appropriate Ph.D supervisor are especially important in the process.