College of Liberal Arts

We begin considering applications for each fall on December 1st of the previous year.  Applications will not be considered until they are complete. Those applications completed on or before December 1 will be considered in the initial group of admissions decisions. Applicants are encouraged to submit application materials before December 1.

We occasionally admit graduate students to start spring semester. Students who seek teaching assistantships, however, usually begin in the fall and complete the school's teacher training program during their first semester. Only students with substantial prior teaching experience would be admitted with a teaching assistantship in the spring.

Overview of Application Requirements

Both the School of Communication and the Graduate School have a number of documents required for a complete application.

The School requires:

1. Statement of Purpose
2. Transcripts
3. GRE Scores
4. Three Letters of Recommendation
5. Sample of Scholarly Writing
6. Additional Supporting Materials (at the applicant's discretion)

The Graduate School requires:

1. Purdue University Graduate School Application
2. Application Fee
3. TOEFL/TWE/TSE Scores (International Students)

Details of School Requirements

1. Statement of Purpose
   Submit a statement of approximately 300-500 words concerning your purpose for undertaking or continuing graduate study, your reasons for wanting to study at Purdue, and your professional plans, career goals, and research interests. You also may explain any irregularities or special circumstances applicable to your background and elaborate on your special abilities, awards, achievements, scholarly publications, and/or professional history. The statement of purpose maybe used both for the University Graduate submission, as well as for the School of Communication.
2. Transcripts
   Transcripts should reflect receipt of undergraduate degree (or master's degree if applying for doctoral program). International applicants should submit official, original-language transcripts and  certified English translation transcripts.  All international applicants must submit a photocopy of all of their degree diploma's.
3. GRE Scores
   Have ETS forward GRE scores (verbal, quantitative and analytical writing). Students are encouraged to take the GRE as early as possible so consideration of application is not delayed unnecessarily. Please arrange through Educational Testing Service (ETS) to have scores sent to Purdue University Graduate School for the database. Institution Code 1631, School Code 4599. 
4. Three Letters of Recommendation
   Letters of recommendation should be solicited from individuals qualified to judge the student's academic merit and potential. The Graduate School provides an electronic means of recommendation submission as well as an optional form for paper submission.
5. Sample of Scholarly Writing
   For master's students, this could be your best paper at the undergraduate level; for doctoral students, this could be your thesis.
6. Additional Supporting Materials
   Additional supporting materials (such as other test scores or supporting written materials) at the applicant's initiative.

Please mail materials from the list to:

Purdue University 
School of Communication 
Office of Graduate Studies 
Beering Hall of Liberal Arts and Education, Room 2123 
100 North University Street 
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2098 
USA

You may also send the appropriate items above via email to Patty Mason in the Office of Graduate Studies.

Details of Graduate School Requirements

1. Purdue University Graduate School Application
   Please complete an online graduate school application. The statement of purpose may be used both for the University graduate submission, as well as for the School of Communication. 
2. Application Fee
   Currently the application fee of $55 can be paid online by credit card payment only. 
3. TOEFL Scores (International Applicants)
   Forward TOEFL scores (including a TWE score) to the Graduate School. To be considered for admission into the graduate program, non-native, English-speaking applicants must achieve a TOEFL score of 600 or higher on the paper-based examination or 250 or higher on the computer-based examination. The score must be documented by an official report from ETS and must be no more than two years old at the time the application credentials are reviewed in the Graduate School. Non-native, English-speaking applicants also must take the Test of Written English (TWE) to be considered for admission. Non-native, English-speaking applicants who have been admitted in the past usually have scored 5.0 or higher on the TWE.
   
   In order to be considered for financial support as a teaching assistant, non-native, English-speaking applicants must also achieve a score of 50 or higher on the Test of Spoken English (TSE). The score must be documented by an official report from ETS and must be no more than two years old at the time application credentials are reviewed in the Graduate School. Because TOEFL and TWE do not test for oral proficiency, they cannot be used for the oral English proficiency certification of potential teaching assistants. The new TOEFL iBT with a score of 27 or higher as well as the IELTS with a score of 8 or higher will be accepted by the school. Only official TOEFL scores received directly from ETS are acceptable.
   
   All TOEFL/TWE/TSE scores should be sent to us from ETS as follows: Institution Code 1631, School Code 83.

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