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.
Admission to the program is based on previous academic record, experience, letters of recommendation, Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, and scholarly fit with the program as revealed in a personal statement. Combined verbal and quantitative GRE scores of at least 1100 normally are required. Candidates whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). TOEFL scores at or above 600 on the paper-based test or 250 on the computer-based test normally are required for successful admission into the program.
The application should be completed online at 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 15 of each year (with late applications considered at a May 1 deadline). Students requesting financial aid must apply by January 15. We only admit students for a fall semester start; no one begins the program in the spring.
Applicants should understand that program requirements include:
1. A minimum of 33 credits of doctoral-level coursework at Rutgers, as specified in an individualized plan of study developed by the student and the adviser. This includes 15 credits of core requirements and 18 credits within the student's selected area of study.
2. Participation in the Ph.D. colloquium during each semester of coursework.
3. Acceptance of a maximum of 24 transfer credits of previous relevant graduate coursework, with 18-21 transfer credits being the usual number.
4. Satisfactory completion of the qualifying exam as stipulated by the area of concentration.
5. Completion of a minimum of 24 research credits for work on a dissertation.
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.
