Welcome! We are so glad that you are considering an application to our graduate program in Communication Arts and Sciences.
Our program offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. We train graduate students in communication science and rhetorical studies, with an emphasis on preparing you for success in research-related careers within and beyond the academy. Our graduate alumni include scholars who have shaped the discipline of communication studies, and many of our more recent graduates hold faculty positions at outstanding universities and colleges.
Below you will find detailed information and instructions on how to apply. If you have questions after reading, please contact Pamela VanHaitsma, the Director of Graduate Studies, at prv5@psu.edu.
All applications to graduate programs at Penn State are submitted through the Penn State J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School and admission decisions are made by faculty in the department. The specific application deadline varies from year to year, and is typically late December or early January. Generally, the portal for applying is opened in mid-October. For fall 2027 enrollment, the application deadline is January 4, 2027. There is not a separate application for funding. We do not admit students in the spring or summer semester.
To be successful in graduate study in the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences, students require skills in writing and research methods suitable to their field of study. Accordingly, the Graduate Committee requests evidence for those skills as part of the application process. The Graduate Committee desires to be as inclusive as possible when considering materials for admission, while also upholding the standards of the department.
Writing Ability
Admission to the study of rhetoric or communication science requires evidence of an ability to write in a manner that is appropriate for graduate-level research in communication studies. Every applicant is required to provide a writing sample. If desired, applicants can further demonstrate their writing ability by including the completion of relevant Advanced Placement writing scores, supplemental research papers that demonstrate strong writing skills, GRE scores, and/or professional work that demonstrates the applicant’s writing ability. The admissions committee and faculty will evaluate this evidence alongside the other materials of the application.
Quantitative Research and Reasoning Ability – Communication Science
Admission to study communication science requires evidence of an ability to engage in quantitative research and reasoning. Applicants can demonstrate this ability in several ways, including grades in math and/or statistics classes, completion of relevant Advanced Placement scores in mathematics or statistics, GRE scores, research papers that demonstrate strong numerical analytical skills, and/or professional work requiring strong quantitative research ability. Applicants are required to submit at least one piece of evidence of their ability in quantitative research and reasoning, and the admissions committee and faculty will evaluate this evidence alongside the other materials of the application.
Critical Research and Methods Ability – Rhetorical Studies
Admission to the study of rhetoric or communication science requires evidence of an ability to write in a manner that is appropriate for graduate-level research in communication studies. Every applicant is required to provide a writing sample. If desired, applicants can further demonstrate their writing ability by including the completion of relevant Advanced Placement writing scores, supplemental research papers that demonstrate strong writing skills, GRE scores, and/or professional work that demonstrates the applicant’s writing ability. The admissions committee and faculty will evaluate this evidence alongside the other materials of the application.
For additional information on the application process, you are welcome to review the application FAQ.
STEP 1: Complete the Online Application
If you are ready to proceed to the application but have NOT read the Fox Graduate School requirements, please review those now.
If you have read both the Fox Graduate School and Communication Arts and Sciences program requirements and are ready to apply, you may proceed to the application.
NOTE: Please make sure that you are interested in Communication Arts and Sciences before proceeding. If your interests are in the academic study of such media as Journalism, Broadcasting, Film, Advertising, or Public Relations, you should visit the College of Communications website.
Required Materials
Both M.A. and Ph.D. applicants should submit the following items with their online application:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Statement of Purpose
- Writing Sample
- Copies of transcripts/degrees/diplomas in the language of instruction from all institutions attended.
- If English is not the language of instruction, copies of all transcripts/documents in the English translation also must be uploaded.
- If the applicant is recommended for admission, they will need to supply official versions of these documents to the Fox Graduate School to finalize admission.
Note: Any applicants who want to submit GRE scores should submit scores taken within the last five years (Penn State code: 2660).
STEP 2: Submit 3 Letters of Reference
Each recommender that the applicant lists on the electronic application will receive an email that details the reference submission portal on the Fox Graduate School’s application website. To avoid delays, please be sure you have entered a correct email address for each reference you supply. No special form is necessary.
STEP 3: For International Students
Official scores from a recent Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination (Penn State code: 2660). Official scores are sent directly from ETS.