NCA's Doctoral Program Guide

The University of Delaware's Department of Communication offers both a Masters of Arts (MA) and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree program. Students who receive graduate degrees in the Department of Communication will earn degrees which are based in a social science tradition, giving them a strong foundation built on theory and quantitative research methodologies. Graduate students in the Department of Communication are able to focus their studies in a number of areas of study including interpersonal communication, media communication, political communication, and public relations.

Admission Requirements 

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, in communication or an allied discipline, with an accompanying transcript from that institution.
• A master's degree in communication or other related discipline from an accredited college or university.
• A Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score is required, with a combined score of 300 for the verbal and quantitative reasoning sections expected. Also expected is a minimum score of 4.5 for the analytical writing portion of the GRE.
• An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher as well as a within major minimum GPA of 3.0 is required. If the applicant has earned a master's degree, a minimum GPA of 3.5 is required for that degree.
• A written statement of goals and objectives (the personal statement) that clearly identifies the applicant's research and curriculum interests and describes how admission to the program will facilitate their professional objectives. The statement should indicate how the applicant's research interest is consistent with the research expertise of the department's faculty.
• Three letters of recommendation from an academic, employer, and/or other professional source who can address the scholarship potential of the applicant.
• For international applicants, official results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam taken with the last 2 years (for non-native English speaking applicants only). For the TOEFL a score of at least 650 for the paper based exam, 280 for the computer based exam, or 114 for the internet based exam is required. For the IELTS exam a minimum score of 8.5 is expected.
• A curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé.
• A critical writing sample.
• A video essay, not to extend beyond one minute, based on the topic, "Why are you interested in the University of Delaware's Department of Communication's graduate program?"

Graduate Faculty 

• Professor Amy Bleakley, Ph.D., Columbia University
• Professor Paul Brewer, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• Associate Professor Scott Caplan, Ph.D., Purdue University
• Professor John Courtright, Ph.D., University of Iowa
• Assistant Professor John Crowley, Ph.D., University of Washington
• Associate Professor Juliet Dee, Ph.D., Temple University
• Associate Professor Lindsay Hoffman, Ph.D., Ohio State University
• Assistant Professor Tracey Quigley Holden, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University
• Associate Profesor Jennifer Lambe, Ph.D., University of Minnesota
• Associate Professor Barbara Ley, Ph.D., University of California, Santa Cruz
• Associate Professor Steven Mortenson, Ph.D., Purdue University
• Professor Kami Silk, Ph.D., University of Georgia
• Assistant Professor Lydia Timmins, Ph.D., Temple University
• Associate Professor Danna Young, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania