College of Communication & Information (CCI) PhD checklist

Application procedures and admission policies checklist 

To apply for admission, the following materials must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions through the online application submission process: 

• The completed online Graduate Application for admission. 
• A non-refundable application fee paid by credit card or electronic check. 
• A transcript documenting that the applicant has been (or will be) awarded a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution prior to enrollment in the CCI graduate program. At the time of application, the transcript can be unofficial. 
• A transcript from all accredited institutions where graduate (post-bachelor’s) coursework has been taken. At the time of application, the transcript can be unofficial.  
• Applicants to the doctoral program must also submit a transcript documenting that the applicant has been (or will be) awarded a master’s degree from an accredited institution prior to enrollment in the CCI doctoral program. 

English certification

• An applicant may be required to undergo English Certification for admission to the Graduate School by submitting results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Official scores are required to be admitted to the Graduate School.  
• Minimum scores required for admission to the Graduate School are either a total score of 80 on the internet-based TOEFL, or a 6.5 overall band score on the IELTS. See the Office of Graduate Admissions website for more information. 
• An applicant may be exempted from the English Certification requirement under some circumstances. See the Office of Graduate Admissions website for more information.

Additional materials required   

• Reason for selecting the CCI program 
• Three reference letters and/or rating forms 
• Resume/curriculum vitae 
• Personal statement 
• (Optional) Graduate assistantship statement of interest 
• (Optional) GRE scores 

Additional materials required for the CCI doctoral program: 

• Research interest statement (following guidelines in application) 
• Writing sample (an independently authored paper that best illustrates your ability to excel in a research-intensive doctoral program) 

After admission is offered, official transcripts and degree certificates (if separate from the transcript) must be provided to the Graduate School. See the Office of Graduate Admissions website for more information. 

An applicant may not be admitted simultaneously to more than one degree program. Two or more applications to separate degree programs will not be considered concurrently.