Graduate Studies
Graduate Admissions Information
Doctoral Program
Description | Deadlines | Requirements | How to Apply
Description
General Information
The University of Florida is dedicated to excellence in its Ph.D. program in mass communication. The program offers a course of study in an ideal setting for a quality educational experience.
The College of Journalism and Communications, proud of its award-winning student body and faculty, boasts the variety made possible by one of the largest enrollments in the country. Some 200 students engage in graduate and advanced studies, joining 2,700 undergraduates. Over 60 faculty members teach, conduct research, and provide service.
Purpose of the Doctoral Program
The Ph.D. degree is a research degree. The Ph.D. program is designed to help develop knowledge, attitudes, and skills so graduates can make important contributions to understanding mass communication. Faculty members help students lay the foundation for a lifetime of significant, creative work.
The doctoral program prepares students for a variety of opportunities in mass communication. Graduates are expected to teach at colleges and universities; conduct research for organizations in advertising, journalism, public relations, telecommunication, and other mass communication fields; do consulting; and conduct research and contribute to policy in government and private organizations. Doctoral students in the College of Journalism and Communications gain valuable experience in both teaching and research. Assistantships help prepare students for academic and other research positions. Students in the program have consistently been among the nation's leaders in winning top-paper awards at national and regional scholarly meetings.
Application Deadlines
Because of the time required to process an international application and the time required for you to make visa and financial arrangements, the following deadlines have been established for receipt of all admissions materials.
Entering Term |
Application Deadline |
Fall |
January 15 (Both Domestic and International Applicants) |
Your application will not be processed until ALL credentials are received in the Office of Admissions. For each institution attended, you must submit official transcript(s) and official degree/diploma statement(s), if applicable, in the original language as well as official English translations. All documents become property of the university. Credentials of applicants who do not enroll will be destroyed and cannot be returned or forwarded elsewhere. If you are planning to submit a paper application, it is highly recommended that you submit it no later than 6 weeks before the deadline, to ensure it is processed timely. Assistantships/Fellowships- March 15th (each assistantship begins in the Fall, good for one year)
All applicants are encouraged to submit applications online. When submitting your application on-line, please e-mail Sarah G. Lee, Admissions Coordinator at , so she can add it to your application materials.
Requirements
Test Score Requirements
GRE - |
550 Verbal |
|
550 Quantitative |
|
1100 Total |
Exceptions are considered based on entire packet of application materials. Some applications with scores slightly below the minimum will be considered.
TOEFL - |
550 Paper-based |
|
80 Internet-based |
IELTS - |
7.5 |
International applicants must also take the speaking portion of the TOEFL iBT and score a 28 or higher.
The GRE codes are 5812 for the University of Florida and 4501 for the College of Journalism and Communications. The TOEFL code is 83.
To obtain information on the GRE or to request that official scores be sent to the university, write:
Educational Testing Service
CN 6004
Princeton, NJ 08541-6004
Minimum Requirements- The Graduate School, University of Florida, requires both a minimum grade average of B for all upper-division undergraduate work and a minimum verbal-quantitative total score on the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination. Applicants are expected to have received a minimum grade average of B for all core courses within the Journalism and Mass Communications area and their area of special interest.
Admission is determined by several factors beyond the application material including space availability, financial availability and supervisory availability particularly in specialized areas. Meeting the minimum application requirements does not guarantee acceptance
Direct admission to the Graduate School 's doctoral program is dependent upon presentation of a masters degree from an accredited college or university. Two copies of the official undergraduate and masters transcript should accompany all applications--one for the department and one for the Registrar. These transcripts must be received directly from the registrar of the institution in which the work was done. Official supplementary transcripts are required as soon as they are available for any work completed after application for admission has been made.
How to Apply
It is the applicant's responsibility to provide complete documentation to the Office of Admissions AND the intended department. Failure to submit forms to the correct offices will delay application processing.
Important Addresses:
Address #1: |
Address #2: |
- Graduate Application: Online Submission - When submitting application online, notify Sarah G. Lee at
so she can be looking for it. You must submit contact information for references during online application process. References will be automatically contacted and letters of recommendation will be requested by the Graduate Admissions Office.
- Letters of Recommendation: Three Letters of Recommendations - University forms are required (Download form). Written letters should be on letterhead and attached to the forms. The same letters of recommendation may be used for both admission and financial aid applications. Ask authors of your letters of recommendation to send them directly to Address #2 or send as a pdf file to .
- Statement of Goals: You will need to submit your statement of goals during the online application process or send directly to Address #2 or as a pdf file to Sarah G. Lee at
. Title this document “Statement of Goals” and be sure to include your name and date. Describe your career plans following completion of your doctoral degree. Tell us what experiences have led to your goals, and how you think graduate study will help you prepare for the career. Please address the following questions.
- In one or two sentences, please state your short-term and long-term career objectives. How have your prior professional, academic and personal experiences influenced your career plans? Specifically, how will your participation in this doctoral program contribute to your career objectives.
- What unique personal qualities or life experiences distinguish you from other applicants?
- Why are you interested in this program? How will it help you achieve your goals?
- What subjects are you interested in teaching? What, if any, prior teaching experience do you have?
- Supplemental Application for College of Journalism: (Download form): Send to Address #2.
- $30.00 application fee: Make Check or money order payable to the University of Florida. Send your application fee to Address #1. Please used Fee Payment Cover Memo (Download form) if paying by check or money order.
- Official Transcripts from ALL post-secondary institutions: Contact all colleges and universities you have attended and listed on your application form and have them send certified official transcripts in your original language as well as translated into English . An average grade of "B" for the last two years of undergraduate studies is required. Send one original to Address #1 and one original to Address #2.
- Official GRE (Graduate Record Exam) Scores: Contact the Educational Testing Service and have them send your official report. A verbal and quantitative score of at least 550 is strongly preferred. Some applications with scores slightly below the minimum will be considered. Applications with GRE verbal scores below 400 will not be processed. Self-reported scores are accepted temporarily to help speed up processing. GRE scores are valid for five years. Send originals to Address #1 and copies to Address #2.
- Curriculum Vita (CV): List all work positions held. Include names, addresses, and telephone numbers of supervisors. Also, remember to include your name, email address, mailing address, and telephone number(s). Send to Address #2 or as a pdf file to .
- Application for Graduate Fellowship or Assistantship: This is optional. This is only for those applicants seeking financial aid (Download form). Send to Address #2.
- Samples of Your Work: This is optional. Send to Address #2.
- Summary Form. This form must be filled out completely. This form will be used when the committee evaluates your file (Download form). Send to Address #2. or as a pdf file to .
International Applicants Only
- Official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score report: Contact the Educational Testing Service and have them send your official report. A score of at least 550 (paper-based) and 80 (internet-based) is required to be considered for admission. We also accept IELTS scores with minimum of 7.5. International applicants must also take the speaking portion of the TOEFL iBT and score a 28 or higher. This requirement applies only to applicants from countries in which English is not the official language and include U.S. territories and protectorates where English is not the primary language. TOEFL scores are valid for two years. Send original to Address #1 and copies to Address #2.
- Certification of Financial Responsibility: All International students are required to submit this form (Download form). Without it, the University of Florida will not issue an I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility). Send original with documents to the International Student Services and a copy to Address #2.
Contact Sarah G. Lee at or 352-392-6557 if you have any questions regarding your application.
Statistics Requirement
If a student's transcripts do not include a statistics course with a grade of "C" or better, one course must be taken, preferably prior to or during their first year of study. Exact means of demonstrating knowledge in statistics will be determined in discussion between the student and an adviser. Among the ways knowledge may be demonstrated are reading and/or assignments directed by the adviser; prior professional experience; completion of a correspondence course; passage of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) test with a 50 th percentile or better score; course work with a grade of "C" or better at the University of Florida or another university, college or junior college.
If a student has passed a course in statistics, was exempted through CLEP, or has satisfied the requirement in any other way, they should provide written verification to the Graduate Division.
Background Reading
Many new students have little or no academic or professional background in the specialties they intend to pursue. Consequently, the graduate coordinators and other specialty heads of the College have suggested some reading that might be useful before the start of classes.
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