About PhD Program,
The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Communications offers a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the relationships between people and media in their cultural, social, political, historical, economic and technological contexts.
With the guidance of an interdisciplinary faculty advisory committee, students craft individual courses of study drawing on the university’s graduate resources in the humanities, the social and practical sciences, the arts, and the professional schools.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
You have completed a comparable and acceptable M.A. degree at Columbia or elsewhere you may be granted up to 30 points (two semesters) of transfer credit, subject to certain conditions. If you have taken graduate-level courses but have not completed an appropriate M.A. degree you may receive up to 15 points of transfer credit, subject to certain conditions. Requests for transfer credits are not formally evaluated until after you’ve enrolled; we do not make those decisions during the application process. All Ph.D. students will complete at least two years of full time coursework, regardless of how many previous credits they may have earned elsewhere.
All students who receive stipends will be assigned teaching or research assistantships for every year of enrollment after their first. Most Ph.D.s are assigned to assistantships offering pedagogical and administrative support in M.S. lecture courses on journalism law, business, ethics, and history.
You must have a bachelor’s-level degree from an accredited institution by the time the fall term begins and if you apply without a master’s degree you will be required to complete the requirements for a master’s degree “in course” during your first year of enrollment. Whether or not you have a master’s degree does not affect your chances of admission.
we require GRE scores not more than five years old; this requirement is firm and will not be waived. We do not have a required minimum GRE score.
PhD Funding Coverage,
The standard financial aid package offered to full‐time Ph.D. students who do not receive significant awards from outside sources consists of a stipend for four years (or five years for students entering the program in fall 2024 or later) and a tuition exemption for the student’s two or three years of coursework (the length of study depends on whether advanced standing has been granted).
During the first year of coursework no service is required, but in all subsequent years during which students receive funding (i.e. years two through four or five) they will be assigned an assistantship that will require research or teaching.
The university’s Columbia Plan health insurance and the university health service fees are covered for all funded Ph.D. students through the fourth year after their completion of coursework—i.e. for a total of six or seven years depending on transfer credits. Students must actively register for their health insurance after the completion of coursework; enrollment is automatic while taking classes. University matriculation fees are covered for funded students for the first four years after their completion of coursework.
Application Requirement,
- No fee to apply
- Official transcript(s)
- Three letters of recommendation
- Proof of English language proficiency (where applicable for non-native speakers of – English)
- Personal essay
- Essay on your academic interests
- Resume
- Two academic writing samples
- GRE scores
Application Deadline,
Dec 15, 2024
Application Fee,
