Ph.D. Application and Deadlines

Students applying for admission to SC&I’s Ph.D. program in Communication, Information and Media typically have completed a master's degree in communication, information science, library studies or another related academic or professional field. Highly qualified students from strong programs or research backgrounds without a master's degree may also apply in special circumstances, but should contact Director of the Ph.D. Program Director Melissa Aronczyk before doing so.

We advise all prospective Ph.D. students to review doctoral program admissions requirements and deadlines before submitting an application. Students in the school’s Ph.D. program may elect to focus study in:

You can find extensive information about all three doctoral areas of concentration in the Ph.D. program section.

Access Application Details

For information regarding application questions, guidelines and forms, visit Graduate and Professional Admissions. For application forms, visit the Office of Graduate & Professional Admissions.

We consider students holistically when making admissions decisions and consider the whole package of materials to determine a candidate's fit in the program and the likelihood of success. An application for the Ph.D. Program will be evaluated on the basis of:

  1. A personal statement from the student relating experience and research interests to the Ph.D. Program.
  2. A writing sample. Examples of acceptable writing samples include a chapter or portion of your master's thesis, a term paper from a previous class, an academic conference paper or journal publication, a professional work product, etc.
  3. A curriculum vita (CV) listing academic degrees, positions, and accomplishments, or a professional resume.
  4. Undergraduate and graduate academic transcripts (records equivalent to at least the 3.0 or B level).
  5. Three letters of recommendation from persons with a relationship to the student in academic (or professional) contexts.
  6. Score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for non-native English-speaking applicants (scores should ideally be above 600 paper-based or 80 Internet-based).

Graduate Records Exam (GRE) scores are OPTIONAL for applicants. All applications will be reviewed equally with or without GRE scores. Not submitting GRE scores will not hurt an applicant's chances of admission, nor will submitting GRE scores give applicants an advantage in admissions.

Students applying for admission to the Ph.D. Program typically has completed a master's degree in communication, information science, library studies, media studies, or another related academic or professional field. Highly qualified students from strong programs or research backgrounds without a master's degree may also apply in special circumstances but should contact Ph.D. Program Director, Jennifer Theiss before doing so.

We also encourage applicants to reach out to faculty in the Ph.D. program to express interest in working with them, learn more about their program of research, and gain insights into the program.

Application Deadlines

SC&I only admits students for a fall semester start; no students are permitted to begin the program in spring. Application deadlines for the fall term are January 5th of each year. Students requesting financial aid must apply by January 5th.