In general, students applying for admission to the PhD program in Mass Communication must have completed a master’s degree by the time they enroll. However, in special cases where an applicant has a particularly strong academic record or exceptionally strong professional experience in the field, a student may be admitted directly to the PhD program.

Applicants to our Master of Arts in Mass Communication program should have completed a four-year bachelor’s degree by the time they enroll.

Applicants must have a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants to the School of Journalism and Mass Communication do not need to submit scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

International students should have a score of at least 108 on the TOEFL iBT test or a score of at least 7.5 on the IELTS, or Duolingo (DET) score of 130. Applicants can receive a waiver if they are a citizen, or have earned the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree, Master's degree or Ph.D in the United States, or any of the countries listed on the Graduate College website.

How to Apply?

Apply online, using the UI Graduate and Professional Admissions website.

After you submit your application, you will receive email instructions on how to establish your HawkID and password in order to access your Admissions Profile on MyUI, our online portal for students. All supporting materials can and should be uploaded through your Admissions Profile. If your academic program requires letters of recommendation, you will be asked to provide the contact information of your recommenders on your Profile. The recommender will then receive an email from the Office of Admissions instructing them on how to upload a recommendation letter and/or recommendation form.

Applicants for admission to the graduate program must meet the Admission Requirements of the Graduate College and the department offering the degree program (review the General Catalog for departmental requirements). See the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College on the Graduate College website for additional information.

Important Deadlines

Application Deadline for Fall semester:
January 1st (MA in Mass Communication, PhD in Mass Communication),
July 15th (MA in Strategic Communication)
Application Deadline for Spring semester:
December 1st (MA in Strategic Communication)
Application Deadline for Summer semester:
April 15th (MA in Strategic Communication)

Questions?

If you have any questions about the program, the application process, or need assistance with a requirement listed above, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies:

Brian Ekdale
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Director of Graduate Studies / Associate Professor
E324 Adler Journalism Building (AJB)
319-384-3605 
brian-ekdale@uiowa.edu