Program Overview | Financial Aid & Fellowships | Application Materials Science Studies Program | Graduate Students | GradNEWS | Catalog Course Description Courses Text Reserves | Communication List Server | Employment Opportunities | Misc. Resources Internships & Summer Employment | Call for Papers | Frequently Asked Questions | Research Affairs FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT UCSD'S GRADUATE PROGRAM IN COMMUNICATION   1.         What types of degrees do you offer?   We offer an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in communication theory and research.  We do not offer a Master's degree program.  We also do not offer a specialization or programs in advertising, public relations, journalism, intercultural communication, speech communication or rhetoric.   2.         Is a master's degree required to apply to your Ph.D. program?   No; the only degree requirement is the bachelor's degree.  If your degree was received outside of the United States, we recommend you contact the Office of Graduate Admissions to confirm its equivalency to U.S. standards.  They may be reached at: 858-534-3555 or gradadmissions@ucsd.edu.   3.         Does your undergraduate degree have to be in Communication?   No.  Our program is an interdisciplinary program and our students come from a variety of academic backgrounds, as do our faculty.   4.         What are your GRE  requirements?    We do not have a 'minimum acceptable' score, however a strong performance on the exam is required.  We do put more emphasis on the verbal and analytical sections of the exam, as our program is not quantitative in nature.  Please refer to the following webpage for reports on median GRE scores for students accepted to our program over the past few years: http://ogs.ucsd.edu/.    *          Please note that in some countries the computer-based exam (CBT) is no longer available.  Although UCSD will accept official CBT scores from ETS for exams taken prior to October 1, 2002.   5.         What are your TOEFL requirements?   The TOEFL exam is required of all foreign applicants to UCSD who's first language is a language other than English.  The minimum score accepted by UCSD is 79-80 (Internet-based exam), 213 (computer-based exam*) or 550 (written exam). Exemptions from this requirement are made when an applicant has studied full-time for a minimum of one year in a university program in an English-speaking country, such as, the United States, Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand or Australia.   6.         What are your GRE and TOEFL university and department codes:   GRE and TOEFL University Code 4836 GRE Department Code 4502 or 4599 TOEFL Department Code 83 7.         How long is your program?   Normative time for our program is six years.  Some students complete it in as few as five years, but many others take up to seven.   8.         Do you accept transfer work?   The number of required courses for our program are few.  Consequently, we will accept a maximum of two graduate level courses as transfer credit (one methodology and one theory/history).  These courses would be evaluated after you are admitted and have started the program.   Do not expect that transferring courses will reduce your time to degree.   9.         What application materials are required?               Ÿ          Application for Graduate Admission and Fee             Ÿ          Statement of Purpose             Ÿ          Three sealed academic letters of reference             Ÿ          Official transcripts from all colleges attended             Ÿ          Official GRE scores             Ÿ          Official TOEFL scores (if foreign applicant)             Ÿ          Academic writing sample(s)              NO ADDITIONAL MATERIALS OR APPLICATIONS ARE REQUIRED!   10.      Can I get some information on the number of applications your receive, percent admitted and other background information, such as GPA requirements?   Please refer to the following webpage for reports on students accepted to our program over the past few years: http://ogs.ucsd.edu/reports/grad_reports.htm.   You may also review information on a host of other topics related to the admission process, graduate study at UCSD and life in San Diego by reviewing the homepage for the Office of Graduate Studies at http://ogs.ucsd.edu/   11.      What is your admissions deadline and when will applications be available?  When will students be notified of your decision and how?               Applications will be available on September 1 of each year.  Application is done at (http://graduateapp.ucsd.edu/), UCSD does not offer a paper application process.               Our deadline to receive all components of your application is January 5.  We do not start our review of applications until after the deadline; we do not admit on a 'rolling' basis. All materials must be submited by the deadline to have your application considered for admission.               We try to make our decisions by the end of February.  You will be notified both my email and an official letter will be sent to you through the mail.   12.      Is there financial assistance?   As part of our offer of admission, the Department of Communication typically provides a funding offer that guarantees financial assistance for the first three and sometimes four years of our program.  This offer may come in a variety of forms, including fellowships, tuition and fee scholarships and teaching and research assistantships.    After the third year, our funding letter provides strong assurances that continued assistance in the form of dissertation fellowships and additional teaching and research assistantships will be available.  U.S. citizens and permanent residents may also apply for need-based financial aid.  For more information on financial assistance, please refer to http://ogs.ucsd.edu/financialinfo/index.htm   If you are a foreign applicant, please refer to Question 13 below for additional information.   13.      Is there financial assistance for foreign students?   Unfortunately, financial assistance for foreign applicants is quite limited.  Consequently, we are able to make offers of admission to only one or two foreign students each year.  Foreign applicants are strongly encouraged to pursue funding opportunities from their home countries' government, as well as from international funding agencies, such as the Fulbright and Ford Foundation fellowships.  In addition, foreign applicants from Canada or Mexico may wish to look into funding opportunities though the following two agencies:               Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada             UC MEXUS - The University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States   14.      What types of employment do your graduates pursue?   Most of our graduates pursue careers in academia.  Others are employed by government and non-government organizations.  Almost all are involved in some way with teaching, research or other types of educational programs and outreach.   15.      How do I know if UCSD's Ph.D. program in communication is right for me?   Please take the time to not only read about our program requirements and mission statement, but also read our faculty biographies and publications, as well as the webpages of our current students.  These will help you get an idea for the various types of research currently being conducted in our program and whether there is a 'fit' with your interests.