Join us on Rocky Top!
Our interdisciplinary doctoral program will give you the skills you need to follow your academic journey. Below is an application guide to get you started on your way to becoming a Volunteer!
College of Communication & Information (CCI)
PhD application guide
Priority Deadline: Submit the application and all materials, including recommendation letters, by December 15. New doctoral students begin in the fall semester only.
The PhD in Communication and Information, offered by the College of Communication and Information (CCI), is a residential, research-focused degree that prepares students for positions at research-intensive universities and in other educational, government, and industry settings. The program is interdisciplinary: students develop depth in a primary concentration while engaging theory and methodology from across the communication and information fields.
1. Before you apply: choose your primary concentration
Click the links below to explore each concentration’s faculty directory.
Your application should make your primary intellectual home clear while showing how CCI’s interdisciplinary structure supports your research interests and goals.
2. Before you apply: assess fit
Admission is not based on a single metric. Reviewers consider academic preparation, writing skills, alignment with faculty expertise, recommendations, professional or research experience, and the program’s capacity to support the proposed area of study.
Research the program and faculty
- Review faculty profiles on the CCI website, especially those in your primary concentration. Consider faculty’s research interests and read recent publications. Look for theoretical and methodological overlap between your research interests and a faculty member’s program of research.
- Identify two or three faculty members whose expertise could support your research and scholarly development. Faculty members with the following titles are able to serve as a doctoral chair: assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. Faculty members with professor of practice or teaching professor titles can serve on doctoral committees but cannot serve as a doctoral chair.
- Consider if and how the interdisciplinary nature of the program enhances your fit. Identify collaborators in CCI schools other than your primary area and name any college-wide resources (e.g., research labs) or opportunities that would enhance your program of study.
- If needed, contact the director of college-wide graduate programs to discuss your primary concentration, fit, and potential faculty advisors.
3. Put together your application package
- Online graduate application
- Transcripts
- Curriculum vitae
- Statement of purpose
- Writing sample
- Three letters of recommendation
- English certification scores (if applicable)
- Graduate assistantship statement of interest (optional)
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (optional)
Online graduate application
Submit the UT Graduate School’s online application. CCI cannot review an incomplete file. Begin early enough to resolve transcript or recommendation issues before the December 15 priority deadline. A non-refundable $60 application fee paid by credit card or electronic check is required.
Transcripts
- Submit transcripts from the institution that granted your bachelor’s degree and all graduate institution attended, following instructions from the Office of Graduate Admissions. At the application stage, applicants may upload a copy of an official transcript. After admission, official transcripts must be sent to the Graduate School. International applicants should follow the Graduate School’s country-specific instructions, including any translation or degree-document requirements.
- A minimum of 3.00 (4.00 system) grade point average (GPA) in undergraduate and a 3.30 GPA for graduate studies is typically required for admission. A completed master’s degree is required for entry into the doctoral program.
Curriculum vitae
Upload a current resume/curriculum vita. Your resume/curriculum vita should include (at a minimum) the following information:
- Your contact information (including name, mailing address, email, and phone number).
- Your educational background (including each degree you have earned as well as the institution and year the degree was earned, and the overall GPA at each of those institutions).
- If applicable, your work experience for the past five years (include the organizations where you worked, your position/title and the dates you worked for that organization).
- Awards, honors, and other personal accomplishments.
Statement of purpose
Upload a one or two-page document that describes your research interests, faculty member(s) you would like to work with in your specific School concentration, and why you selected this faculty member(s), based upon your research interests.
Writing sample
Submit a sole-authored academic writing sample of approximately 10-20 double-spaced pages that best illustrates your ability to excel in a research-intensive doctoral program (e.g., including but not limited to a research paper, class project, white paper, or a user experience report). The writing sample must accurately represent your scholarly abilities. AI-generated ideas, analysis, citations, or prose should not be presented as your own independent work.
Three letters of recommendation
At least three letters are required from former professors or professional colleagues. Choose writers who can provide specific evidence about your research potential, academic performance, writing, persistence, collaboration, teaching, and readiness for doctoral study.
English certification scores
Applicants may be required to document English proficiency through TOEFL, IELTS, or the Duolingo English Test. Official scores are required for admission when certification applies and scores must be current within two years. Exemptions may apply based on citizenship or the language of instruction for a qualifying degree; follow the Graduate School’s current rules and documentation instructions. Current Graduate School minimums include:
- TOEFL iBT exams taken on or after January 22, 2026: overall 4.5, with at least 4 in speaking and writing.
- TOEFL exams taken before January 21, 2026: overall 80, with at least 20 in speaking and writing.
- IELTS: overall band 6.5, with no section below 6.0.
- Duolingo English Test: overall score 120.
Graduate assistantship statement of interest (optional)
To be considered for an assistantship, applicants must indicate their interest with a supplemental statement on the application. If interested, provide a brief 1-2 paragraph statement explaining the reason why you are applying for an assistantship and any relevant teaching experience. Preference is given to applicants whose materials are submitted by December 15. Graduate Teaching Assistants are entitled to a stipend and tuition fee waiver for the period of appointment in accordance with university policy.
PhD assistantships are competitive. On average, each concentration enrolls between two to four students on assistantship each fall semester. Consideration for assistantships is based on a variety of factors (listed in no particular order): GPA, publication record, previous professional or teaching experience, fit with program and/or faculty member expertise, and overall needs of the school in that given year. The faculty in each school, in conjunction with the school director, ultimately determine which applicants receive assistantship offers.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (optional)
If you choose to submit them, send official scores to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The institution code for UT is 1843.
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.
Our PhD student ambassadors
We want to ensure you get a real perspective on what it is like to be a student in our PhD program by talking to current PhD students. Our student ambassadors are available to talk to you and answer your questions about their experience at CCI and UT.
After admission
Incoming graduate students will attend both the university-wide virtual graduate student orientation in the weeks before classes begin and the college-wide graduate student orientation the week before. We’ll provide details about orientation and other onboarding procedures in mid-summer. During orientation, students will be assigned a first-year faculty advisor who will assist with course selection, registration, professional development, and other essential tasks.