Admission to the PhD Program
Process
We only admit students whose degree objective is the Ph.D. We do not offer a terminal Master's program.
Fall 2025 Deadline
The Communication Department only admits students once per year for the fall quarter.
The online application may be found on the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) Admissions website. For Fall 2025, the application opens on September 4, 2024, and the deadline to submit an application is December 4, 2024.
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university (undergraduate major does not need to be in Communication)
- Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent)
- GRE General Test score is not required
- International applicants: Demonstrate English language proficiency
Application Checklist
A completed admissions application includes the items below. All items must be received by the application deadline. Do not mail hard copy materials. All documents must be uploaded and submitted via the online application system.
- UCSD Online Admissions Application
- Non-refundable application fee
- Statement of Purpose (pdf; no page limit, formatting requirements, or size limit)
- Three letters of recommendation (academic references preferred)
- Academic writing samples: copies of term papers, journal articles, or other examples of intellectual work (pdf; no page limit, formatting requirements, or size limit)
- Scanned unofficial copies of transcripts from all higher education institutions attended (uploaded to online application)
- Demonstration of English proficiency (International applicants only; see "Admission Requirements" section above)
- Optional CV or resume
Admission Decision
All materials must be submitted by the deadline to be considered for admission.We do not admit on a 'rolling' basis. The review of applications begins after the application deadline.
Applicants are notified of the admission decision via email, usually by the end of February.