School of Communication

Admission Requirements

Eligibility:

You must satisfy the general admission requirements of the Graduate College.
You must have completed undergraduate work in communication, speech or allied disciplines and have achieved at least a 3.0 grade point average in your last two years of course work.
Additional course work may be required at the time of admission into the program, as deemed necessary by the director of graduate studies.

Before you begin!

Contact Dr. Joe Kayany, Director of Graduate Studies and discuss your plan to apply to the graduate program. Make an appointment and meet with him if possible. (Phone: 269.387.3592. Email: joseph.kayany@wmich.edu. Office: 318 Sprau)

Application Process

These are the steps to applying to the graduate program:

Step 1: Complete the university's application process. You can find the step by step guide to submitting the application here. You can apply online. When asked to indicate the degree you are seeking, use the scrollbox and choose "Communication (MA)".

Step 2: Request all post-secondary institutions you attended (undergraduate and/or graduate), to send your official transcripts to Western Michigan University, Office of Admissions, 1903 W Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo MI 49008-5211. For degrees from WMU, you don't need to request an official transcript. We will access your transcripts directly from the WMU system.

Step 3: Complete the school of Communication application process by providing

Evidence of academic interest and ability: Fill out and print the Graduate Student Information Form.
A writing sample: Make a copy of your best academic paper, written for an undergraduate course, presented at a conference, etc. Scholarly, theoretical, research-oriented papers are preferred. Or you may also submit a professional paper as writing sample.

Mail both the Graduate Student Information Form and the writing sample to the Director of Graduate Studies, School of Communication, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5318.

Step 4: Download WMU Graduate Reference Form and make three copies of it. Fill out the top portion of the form and mail to three references. It is recommended that two of the three references be former professors who can speak to your academic performance, intellectual abilities, and your potential as a graduate student. Request your references to mail the recommendations directly to the Director of Graduate Studies, School of Communication, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5318.

Readmission Procedure:

If you are seeking readmission to the graduate program, please use the Graduate Readmission application (PDF).

International Admissions:

For Step 1, international students must use the online application available at the Office of International Admissions and Services website. They must satisfy the international admission requirements. (Please see application forms and requirements).

For Steps 2- 4, the requirements for International students is the same as described above.

Deadlines for Applications:

Applications will be reviewed only if we receive before the deadline all the required documents:

online application form
official transcripts
graduate student information form
writing sample, and
three letters of recommendation

For Fall admission, the deadline is February 1.

For Spring admission, the deadline is October 15.

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