Thank you for your inquiry about our graduate program in Communication. If you wish to apply, you will need to send to the Graduate School 1) a completed application and your application fee (currently $40 for domestic students and $55 for international students), 2) your GRE scores, and 3) two copies of official transcripts of all work taken at the college level and above. International students must also submit an official TOEFL score. You should send directly to me 1) three letters of reference focusing on your academic ability, and 2) a two-to-three page application essay. This application essay should build an argument for your admission into our graduate program.
The Admissions Committee will review only completed admissions files beginning January 8 of each year. Applicants must have their completed file on record with the Associate Dean of the College of Communications and Information Studies prior to January 8, 2007. Results of the committee's action normally will be available 30 days from the date of review. New graduate students can enroll only during the fall semester. New students can not enter during the spring semester
Please note that we cannot make a decision regarding admission unless all of your materials have been received. Our next deadline for admission is January 8, 2007 for the fall 2007 semester. We admit new students only for the fall semester, not the spring semester. Admission to the program is very competitive -- only 8-10 new doctoral students and 10-12 new master's students are admitted each year.
Both the M.A. and Ph.D. programs are at the College level, and thus graduate faculty from the Department of Communication, the School of Journalism and Telecommunications and the School of Library and Information Science participate. Both the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees focus on communication theory and research and approach the study of communication from a social science perspective.
Most financial support is in the form of teaching assistantships, although a few research assistantships are sometimes available. In the past, the Graduate School has also awarded fellowships to highly qualified graduate students in the College. At present, our teaching assistants receive compensation between $8,500 (M.A.) and $12,000 (Ph.D.) for nine months. In addition, T.A.s receive waivers of out-of-state and in-state tuition. Teaching or research assistantships are limited to four semesters of master's work and six semesters of doctoral work. Full-time teaching assistants, research assistants or fellowship holders qualify for free basic health insurance.
Sincerely,
Derek Lane
Associate Dean
