Applying
Admission to both the MA and the Ph.D. Program is highly competitive with approximately 8 - 10 new doctoral students and 10-12 new master's students accepted each year.
Students with an undergraduate degree from a fully accredited institution of higher learning and a grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.0 scale are eligible to apply for admission to the graduate program. Students with degrees in areas not directly related to communication are encouraged to apply. They may be required to take three to twelve hours of course work without graduate credit.
All student applicants must submit scores on the Graduate Record Examination. The GRE is required. Students whose native language is not English must must have a minimum score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) of 550 (traditional test) or 213 (computer test). Institutional Codes are as follows
The University of Kentucky Institutional Code is 1837.
The Departmental Code is 4599.
The Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid Committee reviews applicants for both the MA and Ph.D. programs. This committee is chaired by the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and has at least three other members, appointed from the members of the Graduate Faculty.
Students interested in either our Master’s or Doctoral graduate programs for the 2010-2011 academic year are required to submit all complete application materials before January 8, 2010. The Admission and Financial Aid Committee will not consider applications that are not complete or those that are submitted after January 8. The new application process requires that all students submit a new and improved application essay form, official copies of all college transcripts, official GRE scores, and three letters of recommendation (which now must now be accompanied by new recommender forms). Results of the committee's action will be available 30 days from the date of review (generally the application materials are reviewed in February with the results available after the first week in March).
New graduate students may enroll only during the Fall semester.
Letter to Applicants
International Applicants
Online Application Forms
One copy of all official transcripts, the application essay and letters of recommendation should be sent directly to:
CJT GRADATE ADMISSIONS
UK Graduate Program in Communication
College of Communications & Information Studies
106 Grehan Building
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506-0042
The College
Graduate degrees in communication, journalism and telecommunication have been offered since Fall 1966 when the School of Communications was founded and authorized to accept the first students in a new MA program. The Ph.D. program was approved in December 1977 and admitted its first students in 1980.
On July 1, 1993, the College of Communications merged with the College of Library and Information Science into the new College of Communications and Information Studies. At the same time, the School of Journalism merged with the Department of Telecommunications. The Master of Science in Library Science is administered separately by the Director of Graduate Studies, School of Library and Information Science.
The College has experienced exceptional growth. Today, the College has over 1000 undergraduate majors enrolled in four undergraduate programs and around 90 graduate students pursuing Master's and Ph.D. degrees. The excellence of the faculty is reflected in the quality and numbers of their publications, grants and the many national honors awarded them. Faculty include the former Editor of the Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media and the former President of the National Communication Association.
Location
Lexington, Kentucky is a city of approximately 250,000 people. The city prides itself in its commitment to the arts and is nestled in the midst of the most beautiful horse farm country in the world. The economy is strong, the public school system excellent, and the environment clean. Lexington offers easy access by air or interstate highway. It is located within a day's drive of most major metropolitan areas in the Eastern United States. The city is 84 miles south of Cincinnati and 80 miles east of Louisville.
Lexington is a vibrant business community with large corporations, such as LexMark, Ashland Oil, Long John Silvers, Procter and Gamble, General Electric, and Dixie Cup within minutes from campus. Toyota Motor Company's only U.S. manufacturing plant is 12 miles north of Lexington. UK students benefit from the part-time employment, cooperative work, and internship programs that are routinely offered by area businesses.
Cultural life is abundant and well in Lexington. Among other things, the city offers the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lexington Ballet, the Opera House, and a variety of small art galleries and stage theaters. The area also enjoys the unique exhibits at the nationally accredited Art Museum in the Otis A. Singletary Center for the Arts.
Programs of Study
The University of Kentucky College of Communications and Information Studies offers programs leading to the Master of Arts (with thesis or non-thesis options) and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Communication. Areas of emphasis are mass communication, interpersonal communication, and health communication.
The Health Communication program offers special opportunities for students to apply communication theory and research in health contexts. Students pursuing work in health communication are encouraged to develop interdisciplinary programs involving the Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine (which offers a minor certification in medical behavioral science), as well as the Colleges of Allied Health, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Nursing on the University's Medical Campus.
The Communication program is designed to serve the needs of students whose goals include teaching and academic research, professional research, or communication careers in health care, the media or other organizations. Students with no previous course work in communication may be required to take undergraduate work without graduate credit.
Research Facilities
Faculty and students interested in health communication will find the University of Kentucky a rich source of opportunities for learning and research. The University houses a great number of health organizations interested in health communication. Many are associated with the University Medical Center, recently ranked among the best primary care teaching programs in the country. These programs enrich the health communication emphasis offered in the College of Communications and Information Studies. During the past several years, members of the faculty have received more than $25 million in research funding in the area of health communication.
The College also participates in interdisciplinary research programs with the Center for Prevention Research, the Sanders Brown Center on Aging and a variety of other health-related departments and institutions.
For more information about research opportunities and resources, visit our College's Office of Research website.
Cost of Study
Information about tuition is available through the Office of the Registrar.
Housing
For on campus housing, visit http://www.uky.edu/Housing/graduate_family/. For off campus housing, email one of the GSA officers for advice.
New Student Orientation
Information about orientation for new students and Teaching Assistant orientation is posted on the GSA home page.
