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.
Application Deadline
PLEASE NOTICE CHANGE IN DEADLINE FOR U.S. APPLICANTS.
THE NEW DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 15.
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. We do not recommend sending
your application materials by overnight mail or courier. You
should allow three extra days mailing time for your application
materials to reach us through our campus mail system.
Dec. 15th
All U.S. citizens must have a complete application in the Department's possession by December 15th.
If you are applying for a graduate assistantship from
the department, you should also include the Department
of Communication Assistantship Application (click
here for the application in Word format).
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.
·
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 strongly
encouraged, but domestic U.S. residents who do not receive
assistantships can enroll half-time.
·
Note to U.S. permanent residents/immigrants
(green card holders): Applicants who are not native speakers
of English must submit TOEFL
scores taken within the past 2 years. Only the following
applicants are exempt from the TOEFL requirement: citizens
of the United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand
or the United Kingdom and non-United States citizens who
have received a bachelor's degree or higher from a U.S.
institution or from institutions in the countries listed
here. Applicants who are not U.S. citizens must also submit a TOEFLiBTS score with a minimum score of 28 to be considered for departmental funding. Permanent residency/immigrant status or a degree from the U.S. does not exempt one from this requirement.
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 applicants 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 of each institution from which you received a degree of Bachelor or higher .
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.
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.
