Students applying for admission to the Ph.D. program are expected to have completed a master's degree in information studies, communication, library science, media studies, or another related academic or professional field. Highly qualified students from strong programs or research backgrounds without a master's degree may also apply in special circumstances, but should contact the program director before doing so.

Applicants for the Ph.D. program will be evaluated on the basis of:

• Graduate Records Exam (GRE) scores (verbal and quantitative combined scores normally exceed 300 on the new scale; a strong writing score is valued also). Verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning concordance tables are available at: http://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/concordance_information.pdf.
• Undergraduate and graduate academic records (applicants should have records equivalent to at least the 3.0 or B level)
• Three letters of recommendation from persons who know the applicant in academic (or professional) contexts
• Personal statement portion of the application relating experience and research interests to the Ph.D. program
• Score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for nonnative English-speaking applicants (applicants ideally should have a score above 600 paper-based or 80 internet-based).

The application should be completed online at http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu, or forms are available upon request from the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 18 Bishop Place, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8530.

The application deadline for the fall semester is January 5 of each year (with late applications considered at a May 1 deadline). Students requesting financial aid must apply by deadlines specified on the website. We only admit students for a fall semester start; no one begins the program in the spring.

Applicants should read and be familiar with the program requirements before submitting an application.

There is no language or residency requirement, and students may pursue the Ph.D. degree on either a full- or part-time basis. However, students are expected to enroll in at least two courses each semester, even when enrolled part time.