FAQs

GRE: Yes. We will waive the GRE requirement if you submit a solo-authored writing sample.

Application fee: No. We cannot waive the application fee.

Yes, our doctoral students are all supported with assistantships and most of our masters students receive them. MA students who are admitted late into our program after the initial group of admissions decisions in the spring may not be eligible for an assistantship. Our assistantship decisions are subject to university policy and available funds. Our assistantships almost always are teaching-focused.

No. Our Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) may make an exception due to pressing personal circumstances for doctoral students only. However, fall enrollment is the main option for graduate students.

Between Dec. 1 and Feb. 15. We perform initial screenings of applicants on a rolling basis from Dec. 1 onward, with full reviews of applicants after our February 15 priority deadline. Communication on decisions comes from our department after the full review. Applying early does not impact our decision.

Our DGS conducts initial screenings of applications and final admissions decisions after consulting a committee of department faculty on the fit and potential of each candidate. Doctoral students may be asked to meet with faculty over Zoom if the committee has questions on your application.

It is hard for us to answer this definitively, yet we typically look for a GPA of at least 3.0 out of 4. In reviewing applications, we look at the entirety of an application—NOT just your GPA. Reference letters, work experience, relevance of your application letter (see below), and your coursework all factor into our decision-making.

Our graduate program is focused on the two broad areas: Organizational communication and mediated/media communication. Under these umbrellas, our classes and faculty expertise centers predominately on workplace and leadership communication, communication in higher/ primary education, computer-mediated communication and the effects of human-computer interaction, the social foundations and contexts of communication technology, mass media history, and journalism/public relations/advertising/marketing strategies and practice. We also have faculty who specialize in pop
culture studies and rhetoric, although these are not the focus areas of our classes and our graduate committees.

Follow the guidelines provided by NDSU's International Studies Office.

Make the most of your application letter because it is one of the most important pieces of evidence we use in admissions decisions. Review our faculty members’ expertise areas and show us in your letter that you have a good understanding of our department. It is important to state your goals for graduate school, to highlight how your prior academic and work experiences have prepared you to meet those goals, and to link your interests to our department’s strengths.

No, but U.S-based students can purchase it on their own. All international students studying in North Dakota are required to purchase the North Dakota state-mandated health insurance policy.

Interested students should closely review faculty members’ websites and check our website. Do not send faculty your CV and transcripts for an initial review. If you seek additional information about our program, email Dr. Justin Walden, Director of Graduate Studies.

Bring heavy mittens, a thick coat and trust us, there’s nothing quite as chilling as a blast of Arctic air in the middle of winter! Don’t worry-- we have walkways between many buildings and our main parking lot is very close to our office building.