The UW Department of Communication Ph.D. and M.A./Ph.D. graduate programs are built on four core principles: pluralism, interdisciplinary theorizing, collaboration, and public scholarship. These principles have shaped every facet of the programs, such as the core courses, committee structure, and admissions policy. Our graduate program’s strengths are emphasized in our seven areas of study.
We encourage you to apply to join our community of scholars.
Admission decisions are based primarily on these criteria:
a) applicants’ academic readiness for our rigorous Ph.D. or M.A./Ph.D. program; b) the clarity and strength of applicants’ articulations of their scholarly interests and rationale for applying to our Ph.D. or M.A./Ph.D. program; c) applicants’ understanding of, interest in, and potential to contribute to our program’s diverse intellectual community; d) the level of alignment between an applicant’s scholarly interests and those of at least two of the Graduate Faculty who are available to mentor students in the incoming cohort.
These Graduate Faculty in Communication are currently available to mentor incoming graduate students in the 2024 cohort (subject to change): Leah Ceccarelli, Amanda Friz, Carmen Gonzalez, Benjamin Mako Hill, Yuan Hsiao, Patricia Moy, LeiLani Nishime, Katy Pearce, Matt Powers, Adrienne Russell, Timeka Tounsel.
These Graduate Faculty in Communication are currently unavailable to mentor incoming graduate students: Kirsten Foot, Christine Harold, Ralina Joseph, Valerie Manusov, Doug Underwood, Ekin Yasin.
The Department of Communication accepts applications to its Ph.D. and M.A./Ph.D. graduate programs for Autumn quarter entry only. The application due date for our application is December 1. If you have any questions about this information, please e-mail the Graduate Program Advisor at cmuadv@uw.edu.
Application Opening and Closing Dates for Autumn 2024
Applications to the MA/PhD and PhD open on 15 September 2023. The closing date is December 1, 2023.
A NOTE ON THIS DUE DATE: This application due date is real and is a completion due date. Applications and all required documents received after the due date will not be considered. Applications and all required documents must be uploaded to our online application system. We do not accept any mailed materials.
Minimum 3.0 or B grade point average over the two most recent years of study (90 quarter or 60 semester credits) guarantees consideration. However, average GPAs for the students we have admitted have been higher. See recent applicant statistics below on this page.
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./Ph.D. applicants must show proof of completion of a U.S. equivalent 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./Ph.D. program.
Full-time status is required for all funded students, but domestic U.S. residents who do not receive assistantships can enroll half-time (please note this is exceedingly rare).
Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States meet both requirements (Note: A master’s or doctoral degree does not satisfy this requirement). Applicants who do not hold a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. institution must have a minimum total score of 92 and speaking score of 26 if using the TOEFL, and a minimum total score of 7.0 and speaking score of 7.0 if using the IELTS. If proof is not provided that these minimums are met as of December 1, the applicant will not be considered.
Application fee. The application fee must be received and recorded by Graduate Admissions prior to the application deadline. You must pay the fee online using a MasterCard or Visa card (both credit and debit cards are accepted) or a TeleCheck (an online “check” taken from your existing checking account). If eligible for and requesting an application fee waiver, please note you must submit your application a minimum of 7 days prior to the application deadline, and earlier is recommended. Details on application fee waivers are available here.
Unofficial transcripts from each institution from which you received a degree of Bachelor or higher within the online application. Official transcripts are not required for the admissions application and should not be mailed. An unofficial transcript could be a scan of an opened official transcript, or a printout of your academic history from your university’s web portal. It must include all classes taken, grades received, and degrees granted.
GRE (Graduate Record Examination). GREs are optional from all applicants this year because of lack of access to testing due to the pandemic. If you have taken the GRE within the last five years, you are strongly encouraged to submit your scores. Applicants should report their scores in the online application, and also have an official score report sent directly to the Graduate School by the Educational Testing Service. GRE reporting code is 4854 (no department code). If reporting codes are not offered as a choice when taking your test, select University of Washington Graduate School (institution).
Important: It can take up to two weeks after your testing date or report request for UW to receive your scores, so the GRE should be taken/scores requested no later than November 15 to ensure your scores arrive by the December 1 application completion deadline.
Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States meet both requirements (Note: A master’s or doctoral degree does not satisfy this requirement). Applicants who do not hold a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. institution must have a minimum total score of 92 and speaking score of 26 if using the TOEFL, and a minimum total score of 7.0 and speaking score of 7.0 if using the IELTS, and must be from a test taken within the past 2 years, as of the date your application is submitted. Have your official scores sent directly to the University of Washington Office of Graduate Admissions. Official TOEFL scores must be transmitted directly by the Educational Testing Service. TOEFL reporting code is 4854 (no department code). Mailed score reports are not accepted.
Important: It can take up to two weeks after your testing date or report request for UW to receive your scores, so the TOEFL or IELTS should be taken/scores requested no later than November 15 to ensure your scores arrive by the December 1 application completion deadline.
Three recommendations. Letters of recommendation from professors are strongly 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 acceptable. These recommendations are completed online and should not be mailed. The online recommendation includes a short questionnaire, ratings assessment, as well as the opportunity to paste or upload a letter. Please designate your recommenders within the online application early to allow enough time for them to submit their online recommendations no later than December 1.
Letter of intent (2-3 pages) detailing your educational and career goals. Do not send a generic letter that does not pertain to the scholarly opportunities offered by the University of Washington’s Department of Communication. Your letter should:
Describe explicitly why you have chosen to apply to earn an M.A./Ph.D. or Ph.D. in communication, and why specifically at the University of Washington. If there are additional UW departments in which you would like to take courses, feel free to mention them.
Describe the main ideas and/or veins of theory that interest you as well as the kind of communication phenomena you wish to study.
State your academic goals so that the admissions committee may determine whether your goals could be met in our department.
Explain how the expertise of the 2-3 particular Graduate Faculty whom you selected in the Overview Questions section could support scholarly interests you would like to pursue.
Write this letter honestly and to the best of your ability, because the admissions committee will read it for its substance and as an indicator of your readiness for and fit with this program.
For Ph.D. applicants: Please provide a sole-authored academic writing sample, roughly 10-30 pages long, that demonstrates your research competence and your ability to produce original scholarship. This might be a thesis chapter, a journal publication, a seminar paper, or something similar. If necessary, edit your paper for length before submitting it with your application. 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.
For M.A./Ph.D. applicants: Please provide a sole-authored academic writing sample, roughly 10-30 pages. This is typically a paper you wrote for a college or university class, but it can also be a thesis chapter, a journal publication, or a seminar paper. 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. If you do have a vitae, use it instead.
Overview questions. You will be asked about your career goals and research experiences, given the opportunity to explain any transcript anomalies, and asked to specify 2-3 Graduate Faculty by whom you would like to be mentored.
Supplemental essay (optional). To promote a well-rounded student body, the Department of Communication seeks a diverse pool of applicants for graduate study. To that end, we offer each graduate applicant the opportunity to submit a supplemental essay, described below, as part of the application.
In one or two pages, please describe how your experiences and/or academic interests could contribute to a diverse community of communication scholars. For example, you might describe interactions you have had with people of cultural or ethnic backgrounds different from your own, or you might write about intellectual exchanges you have had with persons holding different viewpoints. Your essay might also discuss the unique qualities of your own intellectual or cultural background and how these are likely to enhance diversity in any community.
Are you an international applicant? An international applicant is anyone who is not a United States citizen or a Permanent Resident (green card holder). Please go to the following at the Graduate School website for further information for international applicants: Graduate School international applicant information. Undocumented applicants should follow the instructions here for completing the online application.
Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States meet both requirements (Note: A master’s or doctoral degree does not satisfy this requirement). Applicants who do not hold a bachelor’s degree from a US institution must have a minimum total score of 92 and speaking score of 26 if using the TOEFL, and a minimum total score of 7.0 and speaking score of 7.0 if using the IELTS. If proof is not provided that these minimums are met as of December 1, the applicant will not be considered.
Newly-admitted international students will be required to demonstrate adequate financial support without resorting to unauthorized employment. More information will be sent to applicants who receive an offer of admission. Financial documentation is not necessary at this stage of the application process.
Full-time status is mandatory for all international students.
The Department maintains approximately 35-40 assistantships, which are merit-based awards available to students in the M.A./Ph.D. and Ph.D. programs. The vast majority of these are teaching assistantships (TAships), where graduate students assist in the teaching of undergraduate courses and receive a salary for their teaching. A few of these assistantships are for research assistantships (RAships). These students receive a salary for providing assistance to faculty research projects.
Students entering the Ph.D. program with an assistantship receive four years of support. Students admitted to the M.A./Ph.D. program with an assistantship receive five years of support. Continued support is always contingent on satisfactory progress in the graduate program and satisfactory performance of assistantship duties.
These positions normally require 20 hours of work per week, and they currently carry a minimum nine-month salary of $23,976 for M.A. students and $25,767 for Ph.D. students. Students holding these appointments receive a waiver of the operating fee, building fee, technology fee, and U-PASS fee portions of the quarterly tuition and fees but are required to pay approximately $265 in fees per quarter, or $795 per nine-month academic year. Assistantships automatically include health insurance coverage.
Applicants to the M.A./Ph.D. and Ph.D. programs are automatically considered for graduate assistantships. Funding in subsequent years is renewable based on satisfactory progress in the program and satisfactory performance of assistantship duties.
International students are considered for graduate assistantships on the same basis as U.S. applicants. International applicants who are not native speakers of English must demonstrate English proficiency in order to receive appointment as Teaching Assistants. There are a number of ways this may be established (see Graduate School Policy 3.2 and Graduate School Policy 5.2)
The Graduate School offers a limited number of fellowships for entering students. The Jackson School of International Studies (JSIS) offers a limited number of Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships to graduate and professional students and applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and who meet designated requirements. The University of Washington’s Office of Student Financial Aid has a variety of need-based funding available to prospective students.
Application statistics
Each year, we keep statistics on the average GPAs and GRE scores for those students we accept for admission to our graduate program. These are statistics for the applicants admitted in the last five years:
Averages for accepted applicants
2023
2022
2020
2019
2018
2017
Applications received
111
75
140
120
130
186
Offers of admission
12
10
14
13
12
15
Number of students entering class
8 (3 Ph.D. & 5 M.A.)
8 (3 Ph.D. & 5 M.A.)
10 (8 Ph.D. and 2 M.A.)
5 (2 Ph.D. and 3 M.A.)
7 (6 Ph.D. and 1 M.A.)
5 (2 Ph.D. and 3 M.A.)
Entering students with assistantships
8
8
10
5
7
5
Average undergraduate GPA
3.77
3.73
3.53
3.83
3.53
3.40
Average GRE scores
No longer required
160 Verbal 159 Quantitative 49 Analytical
156 Verbal 151 Quantitative 46 Analytical
158 Verbal 153 Quantitative 46 Analytical
157 Verbal 154 Quantitative 41 Analytical
160 Verbal 152 Quantitative 44 Analytical
Please note that admission was suspended for the 2020-2021 academic year, so no new cohort entered in 2021.
Taking a course as a graduate non-matriculated (GNM) student can be a useful way to make a more informed decision about going to graduate school. It also allows faculty in the Department of Communication to become more familiar with your interests and aptitude for graduate study. The Department only grants GNM status on occasion and usually under special circumstances, as faculty focus their graduate teaching on the population of matriculating graduate students in the Department. In a typical year, there are only one or two GNM students in the Department.
If you are interested in applying for GNM status, please note the following important deadlines and application information.
Graduate non-matriculated (GNM) is a classification for post-baccalaureate students who are not seeking a graduate degree at the present time. As such, it is not available to international students or anyone who requires a student (F-1) visa. While you do not need to have GNM status to register for a graduate-level class, you must have it in order to apply the credits to a graduate degree at the University of Washington should you later be admitted as a graduate student. By contrast, courses taken either as a post-baccalaureate student (those seeking a second bachelor’s degree) or as a non-matriculated undergraduate cannot be applied to graduate degree requirements.
The GNM application process is distinct from the regular graduate program application process and GNM status does not influence decisions about admission into the Department of Communication’s M.A./Ph.D. or Ph.D. graduate programs.
A maximum of 12 GNM credits may be applied toward a graduate degree at the University of Washington. In the Department of Communication, this is the equivalent of two 5-credit seminar courses.
GNM students are not permitted to enroll in the core sequence of courses (COM 500, COM 501) or in any COM courses at the level of 590 or higher, with the exception of COM 597, the special topic seminars.
GNM application. Note that there is a $75 application fee for GNM status.
Unofficial transcripts should be uploaded from each institution from which you received a degree of Bachelor or higher.
Letter of intent (2-3 pages) detailing your educational and career goals. This letter should make it clear why you have chosen to apply for GNM status in the Department of Communication. State your academic goals so that the admissions committee may determine whether your goals could be met in our department and through GNM status.
Three recommendations. Letters of recommendation from professors are strongly 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 acceptable. These recommendations are completed online and should not be mailed. The online recommendation includes a short questionnaire as well as the opportunity to paste or upload a letter. Please designate your recommenders within the online application early to allow enough time for them to submit their online recommendations by the deadline.
Academic writing sample (roughly 10-30 pages). This is typically a paper you wrote for a college or university class, but it can also be a thesis chapter, a journal publication, or a seminar paper. 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. If you do have a vitae, send it instead.
GRE scores are NOT required, but should be included in your application if they are available. Official scores should be sent directly by the Educational Testing Service. GRE reporting code is 4854 (no department code).
