The Department of Communication is currently accepting applications to its graduate program for the 2008-2009 academic year (Autumn Quarter 2008). We accept
applications for Autumn quarters only. If you are interested in applying, please
note the following important deadline and application information. If you have
any questions about this information, please email cominfo@u.washington.edu.
Are you an international applicant? An international applicant is anyone who is not a United States citizen or a Permanent Resident (green card holder). All international applicants must first complete the Preliminary Evaluation Process (PEP). The PEP is designed to give you detailed information about University and Department requirements. The process is not meant to discourage applicants but instead to assist you in making an informed choice about whether or not to invest the considerable expense and time required in submitting a complete application. Please go to the following Graduate School web pages for further instructions for international applicants:
A NOTE ON THIS DEADLINE: This application deadline is real
and is NOT a postmark deadline. Applications received after the deadline will
not be considered. Applications must be complete by the deadline to be considered.
Careful applicants send their materials well in advance and they request test
scores and letters of recommendation even months ahead of time. It is not uncommon
for us to receive completed applications as much as a month before the deadline.
You should allow three extra days mailing time for your application materials
to reach us through our campus mail system.
Nov. 1st
International applicants
must have all application materials submitted to Graduate
Admissions and the Department of Communication so that they are received in
our offices by November 1st.
Graduate Applicant Eligibility
·
Minimum 3.0 or B grade point average over the
two most recent years guarantees consideration. However, average GPAs for the
students we have admitted have been higher. Click here to see recent
admission statistics.
·
International students need minimum
TOEFL scores of 70 (Internet-based Test),
237 (Computer) or 580 (Paper), but again, the students we have admitted usually
had scores well above the minimum required. Click here to see recent
admission statistics.
·
Ph.D. applicants must show proof of
completion of a Master's degree prior to starting the program, though it is common
for those applying to the Ph.D. program to be working on their thesis in the year
during which they apply.
·
M.A. applicants must show proof of completion
of a Bachelor's degree prior to starting the program, though it is common for
applicants to be in their senior year of college when they apply to the M.A. program.
·
Full time status is mandatory for all international
students.
Application Statistics
Each year, we keep statistics on the average GPAs and test scores for those
students we accept for admission to our graduate program. Click
here if you would like to see statistics for the applicants admitted in the
last five years.
Graduate Application Contents
All international applicants will send two different sets of application materials
to the University of Washington. You will send one set of materials directly to
the Department of Communication, and you will send other materials to the Office
of Graduate Admissions.
Materials Sent to the Department of Communication
You should send the following items to:
Graduate Admissions Committee
Department of Communication
Room 102 Communications Bldg.
Campus Box 353740
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195-3740
Required:
Graduate School on-lineapplication.
The graduate school strongly encourages all applicants to use the web application.
If you are truly unable to use the web application, email cominfo@u.washington.edu.
Complete this application, and print two copies - one to send to the Department
of Communication and one to keep for your records.
Application fee.
The application fee must be received and recorded by Graduate Admissions prior to the application deadline. We strongly recommend paying this fee electronically using the web application. Note that in order to use the web application, you must pay the fee on-line using a MasterCard or Visa card (both credit and debit cards are accepted) or a TeleCheck (an on-line "check" taken from your existing checking account).
Official transcripts
in sealed envelopes from the registrar.
Three letters of recommendation
(no forms provided). Letters of recommendation from professors are preferred,
but if you have been out of school for many years or have another reason for using
non-academic references, other professional recommendations are welcome. It is
strongly recommended that each letter be on the letterhead of the writer's institution
or organization and be submitted in sealed envelopes signed across the seal. Letters
may be sent directly from recommenders or with your other application materials.
Letter of intent
(2-3 pages) detailing educational and career
goals. This letter should make it clear why you have chosen to apply for graduate
study at the University of Washington. You should not send a generic letter that
does not pertain to the scholarly opportunities offered here at the University
of Washington Department of Communication. Successful letters also make it clear
why you have chosen to enter graduate school to study communication. State your
academic goals so that the admissions committee may determine whether your goals
could be met in our department. Write this letter to the best of your ability,
as the admissions committee will also be reading it to discern your readiness
for graduate education.
TOEFL
(Test of English as a Foreign Language) International
Applicants who are not native speakers of English must submit TOEFL scores taken
within the past 2 years. The following international applicants are exempt from
the TOEFL requirement: citizens of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or
the United Kingdom and non-United States citizens who have received bachelor's
degree or higher from a U.S. institution or from institutions in the countries
listed here. Have your official TOEFL scores sent directly to the University of
Washington Office of Admissions.
For Ph.D. applicants:
Example of scholarly writing that demonstrates research competence. This might
be a thesis chapter, a journal publication, or a seminar paper. Your writing sample
should be well-written and demonstrate your ability to produce original scholarship.
If necessary, edit your paper before submitting it with your application. Because
writing skills are essential for successful graduate study in communication, the
admissions committee will look not only at the content of the argument you make
in your paper but also at the overall quality of your writing.
For
M.A. applicants: Academic writing sample (roughly 10-30 pages).
This is typically a paper you wrote for a college or university class, but it
may also be a report you prepared for an employer or a paper you wrote at the
conclusion of an internship. The admissions committee will read your paper to
evaluate your writing competence, the clarity of your argument, and the depth
of your analysis and insight.
Resume or curriculum
vitae. If you don't have a vitae, don't worry. A resume will
do fine. If you do have a vitae, send it instead of the resume.
Optional:
Assistantship Application
(including the TOEFLiBTS or SPEAK scores for ALL non-United States citizens). If you are applying for a graduate assistantship from the department, you must submit this form with your other materials.
Click
here for the Department
of Communication Assistantship Application in Word format.
Supplemental
essay. Click here for guidelines. This
essay permits you to write a more personal narrative compared to the more formal
letter of intent, which focuses on your educational and career goals.
Materials Sent to the Office of Graduate
Admissions
You should send the following items to:
Office of Graduate Admissions
Room 301 Loew Hall
The University of Washington
P.O. Box 84808
Seattle, WA 98124-6108
A printed, signed copy of the completed Graduate
School on-line application.
An additional complete set of official transcripts.
