The Department of Communication welcomes two self-funded graduate students/researchers from across the US and around the world on a rotating basis. Graduate student visitors are typically well-advanced in their PhD-level coursework and/or research. Visits can begin at any time that space is available; the maximum length of the visit depends on the way in which the visitor affiliates with the department. If selected as visitors by the Department, international graduate students can affiliate with the department through one of three ways: 1) as a visiting graduate exchange student enrolled in courses and earning academic credits for one to three quarters (i.e. three to nine months); 2) as a visiting doctoral researcher via the UW’s Visiting International Student Internship & Training Program for up to 12 months; or 3) as a short term visiting doctoral researcher for up to a few weeks. Each of these options and the differences between them are explained below.
Visiting Graduate Exchange Students
This option is for self-funded graduate students from other universities who desire to take graduate courses in the Communication department and earn credits for their coursework as well as receive mentoring from departmental faculty. International graduate student applicants must be enrolled in a partner university with the University of Washington and be nominated by their home institution for the exchange. In addition to the departmental application requirements specified below, and after receiving approval from the Communication Department Chair, applicants for Visiting Doctoral Student status must complete the UW Graduate School application requirements. See this information for international exchange student applicants, click on “Graduate Applications” and follow the relevant links.
The Department provides the visiting graduate exchange students it selects with a letter of invitation, basic visa support, basic technical and administrative support, access to the UW library system and digital resources including a UWNetID, and a shared office in which to work in the department. To support these services, the Department requests from each visitor a one-time donation of $250 USD upon their arrival at UW. Visiting doctoral students are responsible for the UW visa processing fee and other application fees. The visa processing fee must be received via wire transfer prior to applying for a U.S. J-1 visa; payment instructions will be provided in the Department’s letter of invitation.
Visiting Doctoral Researchers
This option is for self-funded, advanced doctoral students who wish to work intensively with one or more departmental faculty on their dissertation research for several months (up to 12) but will not enroll in courses at UW. The UW’s Visiting International Student Internship & Training (VISIT) Program is designed to permit students pursuing degrees at universities outside of the US to participate in full-time supervised research at UW.
The Department provides the visiting doctoral researchers it selects via the VISIT program with a letter of invitation, basic visa support, basic technical and administrative support, assistance in obtaining access to the UW library system and digital resources, and a shared office in which to work in the department. To support these services, the Department requests from each visitor a one-time donation of $250 USD upon their arrival at UW. Visiting doctoral researchers are responsible for the monthly cost of a UWNetID during their visit (necessary for accessing UW’s online library and digital resources), and for the UW visa processing fee and VISIT program fees. The visa processing fee must be received via wire transfer prior to applying for a U.S. J-1 visa; payment instructions will be provided in the Department’s letter of invitation.
Short-term Visiting Doctoral Researchers
This option is for self-funded, advanced doctoral students who wish to visit the Communication Department for a short period to consult with one or more departmental faculty on their dissertation research. Such visits are typically a few days to a few weeks in length and require the endorsement of at least one departmental faculty member. The Department provides the short-term visiting doctoral researchers it selects with a letter of invitation; this category of visitor is responsible for obtaining whichever US visa they need. If access to UW online library and other digital resources is desired, visitors are responsible for the monthly cost of a UWNetID during their visit, but will receive departmental assistance in obtaining access to the UW library system and digital resources. Desk space in a shared office is sometimes possible for short-term visiting doctoral students, but it is not guaranteed.
Opportunities and Expectations
While at UW, all visiting doctoral students and doctoral researchers are welcome at all departmental colloquia and events. All visitors other than short-term visiting doctoral researchers are expected to:
– give a colloquium lecture during their stay;
– and interact regularly with departmental faculty and graduate students.
Visiting doctoral students and doctoral researchers are also encouraged to enrich the departmental community in other ways, such as by participating in informal topical reading groups for faculty and students, exchanging research expertise, collaborating on research projects and symposia, and inviting members of the departmental community to their home institutions.
Application and Selection Process
The Communication Department receives a significant number of inquiries from prospective graduate student visitors each year. Applications are reviewed by the Department’s Associate Chair, then by the Graduate Program Committee. The applicants recommended are then reviewed by the Communication Department Chair. Approval from the Department Chair is a necessary pre-condition to application via either the UW VISIT Program (for prospective visiting doctoral researchers), or to the UW Graduate School (for prospective visiting graduate exchange students). In other words, prospective graduate student visitors should wait to begin the university-level application process until after receiving approval from the Communication Department Chair to do so.
For the selection of visiting graduate exchange students, the primary criteria employed are a good fit between the coursework interests of the prospective visitor and the courses that will be offered during the period of their visit, and the strength of the applicant’s rationale for visiting the Department. Prospective visiting graduate exchange students are strongly recommended to secure at least one primary faculty “sponsor,” that is, a faculty member in the department whose research interests align with theirs and who agrees to supports their application to visit the department. In addition to a primary sponsor, prospective visitors are expected to identify one or two other departmental faculty or graduate students with whom they share interests, and who are willing to liaison with them during their visit.
For the selection of visiting doctoral researchers, whether long-term or short-term, the primary criteria employed are a good fit between the research interests of the prospective visitor and at least 2-3 of the faculty and/or graduate students in the Department, and the strength of the applicant’s rationale for visiting the Department. Prospective visiting doctoral researchers who wish to affiliate via the UW VISIT program, are required to secure at least one primary faculty “sponsor,” that is, a faculty member in the department whose research interests align with theirs and who agrees to UW VISIT program’s supervision requirements. In addition to a primary sponsor, prospective visitors are expected to find one or two other departmental faculty or graduate students with whom they share interests, and who are willing to liaison with them during their visit.
Applications from doctoral students who wish to visit the Communication Department in one of the three ways described above may be sent to the Department Associate Chair, Leah Ceccarelli (cecc@uw.edu).
Applications should include:
-your ideal (approximate) arrival and departure dates;
-the name of the faculty member in the department who has agreed to serve as the primary sponsor for your visit, and the names of 1-2 other faculty or graduate students who have agreed to liaison with you during your visit;
-the names, titles, and contact info for two references, including their email addresses and phone numbers;
-a curriculum vita;
-whether you want to be in the department as a 1) a visiting doctoral student, 2) a visiting doctoral researcher, or 3) a short-term visiting doctoral researcher.
-If you want to be a visiting graduate exchange student, identify the courses you hope to take from the Communication graduate course list, and explain why it would help you to take those courses in the UW Communication Department.
-If you want to be a visiting doctoral researcher, briefly describe your general research interests and the specific research you wish to conduct while visiting the Department, and explain why this Department would be a good environment in which to conduct your proposed research.
-If you want to be a short-term visiting doctoral researcher, briefly describe the research interests that prompt you to want to visit the Department, and explain why a short visit to the Department would advance your dissertation research.