Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Is there a deadline for graduate assistantship and application for admission into your graduate program?
Yes, we will need your completed application for admission by January 5, for fall consideration. There is not a separate application for funding. We do not admit applicants for whom we cannot offer funding.
Question: What are your GRE reporting codes?
School code: 2660
Department code: 4506
Question: Can I apply to your program if my undergraduate degree is not in a communication discipline?
Yes. Several applicants have degrees in disciplines other than communication studies. Related disciplines include Sociology, English, Family Studies, History, Philosophy, and Psychology, among others.
Question: Is there a form for the letters of recommendation?
There is no official recommendation form. We ask that recommendation letters be written by individuals familiar with your professional and educational qualifications, and who can assess your promise as a scholar. Individuals listed in your application as agreeing to submit a letter of recommendation will be instructed (via the e-mail address you provide in the electronic application) to upload their letter via the Graduate School's Reference Submission Portal. Three letters of recommendation are required; additional letters may be beneficial.
Question: What is the difference between this Department in the College of the Liberal Arts and the College of Communications?
This Department offers top-ranked educational opportunities emphasizing Rhetorical Studies and Communication Science.RHETORICAL STUDIES covers such areas as: Rhetorical Criticism, Classical and Modern Rhetorical Theory, History of Public Address, Political Rhetoric, Campaigns and Social Movements, The Rhetoric of Culture and Media, The Rhetoric of Film, The Rhetoric of Reform, The Rhetoric of War and Peace, The Rhetoric of Literature, Citizen Rhetorics, The Rhetoric of Technology, International Rhetoric and Communication, and The Rhetoric of Democratic Deliberation.
COMMUNICATION SCIENCE encompasses: Interpersonal Communication (e.g., Parent-Child Communication, Lifespan Communication, Family Communication Systems, At-Risk Behavior in Intimate Relationships, Dialectics of Disclosure and Avoidance, and Uncertainty and Information Management); Intercultural Communication(e.g., Intergroup Communication, Ethnicity and Identity, and International Communication); and Health Communication (e.g., Social Influence, Health Campaigns, Doctor-Patient Communication, Organizational Communication in Health Care Settings, and Health Message Design). The Department offers training in Small Group Communication and Decision Making, as well as Organizational Communication.
The College of Communications emphasizes Mass Communications, Media Studies, Critical and Cultural Studies, Law, Government, and Politics, and Telecommunications. For more information on the College of Communications graduate programs, please visit http://comm.psu.edu/graduate.
Question: I am interested in entering your Graduate Program and am attaching my resume and information regarding my qualifications. Could you please review these and indicate whether I will be admitted into your program?
We are not able to answer your question about admission directly, as admissions and assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis from semester to semester. We have a Graduate Admissions Committee that reviews the applications submitted each semester and decides which applicants meet the necessary qualifications for admission. To do that, all application material is required before review.
You can find the admissions qualifications on our website at http://cas.la.psu.edu/grad/admissions.html.
Question: How are assistantships and other funding opportunities awarded, and what are the qualifications needed to receive such funding?
Our department has a limited number of departmental assistantships that are awarded on a competitive basis. The application requirements are described on our website: http://cas.la.psu.edu/grad/admissions.html. Although preliminary admission decisions are made separate from funding decisions, final admission for full-time status requires that the applicant also be accepted for funding. In terms of procedure, the Graduate Admissions Committee will review your application and decide whether or not you have appropriate qualifications. If the Committee determines that you do, the members will then consider you for an assistantships and, if appropriate, may nominate you for other funding opportunities outlined here http://cas.la.psu.edu/grad/fundingopps.htm. There are always fewer funding opportunities available than applications. Decisions regarding funding are strongly affected by available funds, which can vary from year to year. The Committee reviews students on the basis of perceived fit with our program, strength of the application, GRE scores, GPA, and letters of recommendation, as well as other evidence of promise. Applicants are encouraged to identify clearly their area(s) of interest in the statement of purpose. Although the Graduate Admissions Committee makes final decisions concerning admission and funding, all faculty members are involved in the process. Generally, the Committee tries to balance the number of students admitted across the areas of faculty expertise.
Question: What type of assistantship is the most common? Are there research assistantships?
The most common type of funding is a half-time teaching assistantship. A half-time teaching assistant is responsible for 3 sections of courses over two semesters. Students typically start teaching our public speaking course. We also have a small number of research assistantships supported by external grants; the specific number of these assistantships varies according to the status of the Faculty’s grant projects. Students funded as research assistants either receive a reduction in teaching or are released from all teaching responsibilities during the time of their funding as a research assistant. Of course, many students work informally with faculty, either as part of research teams or independently. We have a strong culture of collaboration, both among our graduate students and between our students and faculty.
Question: What's the combined M.A./Ph.D. Program?
This Program involves two separate degrees; students complete an M.A. thesis, receive their M.A. degree and submit an abbreviated application requesting advancement to the Ph.D. Program. This offers both the student and the Faculty a natural point to determine whether or not continuing is in the best interest of the student. Students advancing to the Ph.D. Program are automatically eligible for continued financial support. Graduate study in Communication Arts and Sciences assumes an interest in pursuing doctoral-level work for the PhD.
Question: Would it be possible for you to send a catalog or brochure to me?
All information regarding Graduate Study in Communication Arts and Sciences is now online. In addition, the Graduate Degree Programs Bulletin for the University is available at: http://www.psu.edu/bulletins/whitebook/
Question: How many students apply to the department/program every year, and how many are admitted?
We typically receive 100 or more completed applications each year. On average, we admit ten students. This figure can be lower or higher in any give year as a result of the qualifications of applicants, departmental needs, and acceptances of offers. As an example, our incoming class for Fall 2008 was fifteen, and for Fall 2009, it was seven.
Question: How many international students annually enroll in the program, and what is the possibility of receiving funding?
We do not make a distinction between domestic and international applicants. In addition, we do not admit applicants to whom we cannot offer funding. In Fall 2008, we made offers to four international students, all of whom accepted. In Fall 2009, we made an offer to one international student, who also accepted.
Question: What information concerning prospective students receive most attention?
We are looking for the best qualified students whose research interests match with our ongoing projects and faculty interests. Each aspect of the application materials is important, and we consider all of them in assessing an applicant’s promise to excel in a premier doctoral program. Thus, it is important that a student have a strong academic record, evidence that he/she is productive, high GRE (and TOEFL, if appropriate) scores, are strong, a high GPA, a well articulated, specific, and focused statement of purpose, and informative letters of recommendation from sources qualified to judge academic competence and promise.
Question: What are the average GPA and GRE scores of admitted applicants in the past?
For students admitted in Fall 2009:
the average GPA was 3.84;
the average GRE Verbal score was 603;
the average GRE Quantitative score was 672; and
the average GRE Analytical Writing score was 5.0.
Question: What is the minimum TOEFL score requirement for the Department? Are applicants ever exempt from submitting a TOEFL score?
The minimum scores are 600 for the paper-based test, 250 for the computer-based test, or a total score of 100, with a 19 on the speaking section for the internet-based test (iBT).
International applicants are exempt from the TOEFL requirement if they have received a Baccalaureate or a Master’s degree from a college/university/institution in any of the following regions: Australia, Belize, British Caribbean and British West Indies, Canada (except Quebec), England, Guyana, Republic of Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the United States and Wales.
Question: How long does it take to complete the M.A. Degree? The Ph.D. Degree? For how long is financial assistance provided?
Students entering our Graduate Program with a B.A. or B.S. Degree typically complete the Ph.D. Degree in five years. Students coming to our program with an M.A. or M.S. Degree typically complete the Ph.D. Degree in four years. We discourage students from thinking of the M.A. degree as terminal, but for those who do, completion typically requires two years. The number of years of financial support available to graduate assistants in good standing is up to five years for the M.A./Ph.D. Program and four years for those entering with an M.A. Degree.
Question: Does the Department provide support for student research?
We realize that the continued strength of our Department is tied, in part, to the ability of our students to excel as scholars. Consequently, we offer a variety of research support, including funding awards for specific projects, dissertation-related releases from teaching, travel grants, generous access to office supplies and photocopiers, and access to computer and research equipment. The Department also has a Communication Research Laboratory available for use by both Faculty and Graduate Students.
Question: Does the Department provide support for students traveling to professional meetings?
We provide our students with travel funding for presentations at international, national, and regional conferences. In addition, the College of the Liberal Arts makes travel awards available on a competitive basis.
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