Admission to the Program
Applicants must meet the minimum university requirements for graduate study. Admission to the program requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with at least a 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) grade point average in last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework.
Applicants whose first and primary language is not English are required to submit results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Duolingo English Test, unless they hold a degree from a U.S.-accredited institution before enrollment at SOC. The minimum TOEFL score for full admissions consideration is 100 on the Internet-based test (iBT) or 600 on the paper-based test (PBT). The minimum IELTS score is 7.0. The minimum Duolingo score is 120.
Official transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and a 1,000-word essay on the applicant’s commitment to pursuing graduate study in the program are submitted with the application.
If available, samples of relevant work, especially written analytic work, should be submitted. A limited number of graduate assistantships are awarded on the basis of merit as well as school and program needs.
Admission to the program is for the fall semester. Students are generally expected to complete the program in 12 months, although a two-year part-time option also exists.
Qualified undergraduate students may apply to a combined bachelor’s/master’s program and use up to 6 credit hours of 500-level courses or select 600-level cross listed courses to satisfy the requirements of both degrees.
Upon advancement to candidacy, Communication (PhD) students may apply for the Media, Technology, and Democracy (MA) to be granted en passant.
