Fully Funded PhD in Communication at University of Washington 

About PhD Program,

The UW Department of Communication PhD and MA/PhD 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.

PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,   

• 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.
• 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.
• 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 are not native speakers of English must provide evidence of English language proficiency(see Policy 3.2: Graduate School English Language Proficiency Requirements) and evidence of spoken English proficiency (see Policy 5.2: Conditions of Appointment for TAs who are not Native Speakers of English).
• 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.

PhD Funding Coverage,

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.

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 $271 in fees per quarter, or $813 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.

Application Requirement,

• Graduate School online application. The Graduate School requires all applicants to use the web application (if you are truly unable to use the web application, e-mail cmuadv@uw.edu).
• 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 minimumof 7 days prior to the application deadline, and earlier is recommended. Details on application fee waivers are available here.
• Unofficial transcriptsfrom 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). GRE scores are optional. If you have taken the GRE within the last five years, you are 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 are not native speakers of English must provide evidence of English language proficiency(see Policy 3.2: Graduate School English Language Proficiency Requirements) and evidence of spoken English proficiency (see Policy 5.2: Conditions of Appointment for TAs who are not Native Speakers of English).
• 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.

Application Deadline,

Dec 01, 2024

Application Fee,

Please refer official website