Admission Requirements

Admission and assistantship decisions are based on a holistic examination of credentials presented, including previous academic performance (transcripts), three letters of recommendation, a writing sample, statement of objectives, and GRE scores. Ideally we admit students who have strong credentials in all of these areas. However, a deficiency in one area does not eliminate an applicant from consideration.

Please note: The minimum undergraduate GPA standard for admission to the Graduate School at the University of Georgia for applicants who do not have a prior graduate degree is 3.0 beginning with applicants for Fall 2012.

• M. A. Program Admission:  To be admitted to the M. A. program we look for undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0, (Please note: due to the upcoming changes to the GRE, min. scores will be posted after August) , as well as strong letters and a very good paper. International students must have at least TSE/SPEAK scores of 50 or IBT TOEFL/TAST scores of 26. * We do not accept MCAT, LSAT, or GMAT scores.
• Ph.D. Program Admission: To be admitted to our Ph.D. program we look for graduate GPAs of at least 3.5 and (Please note: due to the upcoming changes to the GRE, min. scores will be posted after August), as well as exceptionally strong letters and an excellent paper. International students must have at least TSE/SPEAK scores of 50 or IBT TOEFL/TAST scores of 26. * We do not accept MCAT, LSAT, or GMAT scores. A masters degree must be completed by the start of the Ph.D program.

* Note:  These general guidelines neither preclude nor assure admission.

Admissions Procedures

Applying to either the M.A. or Ph.D. program in Communication Studies requires submitting some materials to the Graduate School and some materials directly to the Department of Communication Studies.

Application Deadlines

Our application deadline is January 4th . This means you should take the GRE in October or November to meet the January application deadline. Your application will not receive full consideration if it is not complete by the deadline. Acceptance letters will go out between February 1st and April 15th.

Application Materials

Your application will be reviewed by the Department Graduate Admissions Committee when all of the materials itemized below have been submitted:

1. The Graduate School application. (Hint: Look for the "How do I" heading on the left side of the main screen at www.grad.uga.edu and then click on "Apply Online").

Degree Objective: Ph.D. (840A) or M.A. (840)
Major: Communication Studies

As part of the application, you will need to also send in the following:

a. Application Fee. The application processing fee is non-refundable and is collected to cover the cost of processing the admissions application.

b. GRE scores officially sent from the testing agency (ETS SCHOOL CODE: 5813).

c. Domestic applicants: Two official transcripts in sealed envelopes from each institution of higher education where a degree was earned. Send the transcripts directly to the Graduate School, not the department.

d. International applicants: Two official transcripts (official academic records and certified English translations, if applicable) from each institution of higher education attended. Send the transcripts directly to the Graduate School, not the department.

TOEFL scores officially sent from ETS. (ETS SCHOOL CODE: 5813)

Certificate of Finances (COF) form

e. Names and e-mail addresses of three individuals who will be providing letters of recommendation.

2. The department application. Email all materials in .pdf form as an attachment to csgcoord@uga.edu. This is the preferred method. If you are unable to send your application as a .pdf, mail a hard copy to:

Communication Studies
Graduate Coordinator Assistant
University of Georgia
124 Terrell Hall
Athens, GA 30602

Assistantships

Six types of assistantships may be available to graduate students.  Students holding graduate assistantships must pay standard student activity fees ($833.00 per term in 2010-11), which include health, transportation, athletic, and technology fees. You may be eligible to opt out of health insurance fees if you are covered under another carrier. Graduate assistants also receive a $25.00 reduced tuition fee each semester. The tuition waiver is also available for assistantship holders during the summer term. Thus an assistantship is worth approximately $9,000.00 per year for a resident of Georgia and approximately $26,000.00 per year for non-residents.

Types of Assistance:

• UGA Presidential Graduate Fellowships:  This program provides exceptionally qualified graduate students enrolled at the University of Georgia with an annual twelve-month stipend of $24,000 with a reduced matriculation fee of just $25 per semester and the student activity fee each semester. The student must be fully engaged in graduate studies and may not hold any other employment. Students must be nominated by the Department. More information can be found here.
• Graduate School Non-teaching Assistantships (GSAs):  Each year the Graduate School selects graduate non-teaching assistants from a list of applicants nominated by departments. Usually a GRE score of at least 1300 (verbal + quantitative) is required to be competitive for a Graduate School assistantship. Assistantship stipends for Graduate School awards are currently $1,493.50 per month for a master's student and $1,661.40 per month for a doctoral student holding a M.A. degree. GSA awards are made for the first 21 months of graduate studies. These awards are referred to as 40% assistantships and require a 16 hour per week work commitment. The student pays a reduced tuition of just $25 per semester and the student activity fee each semester. Duties and responsibilities of a student on a GSA may include assisting faculty in undergraduate or graduate courses as well as working on research, and providing support services for the department. The renewal of a GSA will be dependent on the evaluation of the supervisor of the GSA recipient’s work. More information can be found here.
• Graduate Recruitment Opportunity assistantships: The GRO Assistantship is designed to include any entering graduate student who is considered first generation, educationally or economically disadvantaged, or has some aspects of a uniquely diverse background that add to his or her discipline of study. Departments nominate GRO candidates. The stipend and departmental hourly commitments for the GRO is approximately the same as for Graduate School Assistantships. More information may be found here.
• Departmental Teaching Assistantships: Each year the department awards a number of graduate teaching assistantships. Most persons holding teaching assistantships assist with large lecture courses, or assist with or teach the basic public speaking course (COMM 1100), or the basic interpersonal communication course (COMM 1500). Advanced doctoral students frequently have an opportunity to teach more advanced coursed for majors. While teaching, the graduate student works under the close supervision of a faculty member in charge of the course. All teaching assistants are required to attend a teaching workshop which is offered only once each year, the week before fall classes begin. Continuance of the assistantship is dependent upon satisfactory progress toward the degree and upon satisfactory performance of classroom responsibilities. For the fall of 2010, the monthly salary for a M.A. student teaching 2 courses is $1448.00 (5 checks) and the monthly salary for a PhD student is $1545.20 (5 checks).
• Debate Program Assistantship: The department sponsors an assistantship for those qualified to work with the University's debate program. The debate program assistantship carries the same stipend as the departmental teaching assistantship. Continuance of the assistantship is dependent upon satisfactory progress toward the degree and work with the debate program. Please contact Dr. Edward Panetta, Director of Debate, for more information on the debate assistantship.
• Research Assistantships: The availability and nature of research assistantships depends upon external grants that have been produced by faculty. The graduate coordinator will inform you of any individual faculty who may have need for funded research assistants.