Admission To The Program

Acceptance into the UWW Master’s in Communication degree program is based on an evaluation of an applicant’s undergraduate grade point, undergraduate transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and a writing statement.  No GRE exam is required for admission to the Communication program. 

In regards to undergraduate GPA and admission to the program, the following policies stand:

A. Applicants with a completed baccalaureate degree must have an undergraduate GPA (or equivalent) at 3.0 or higher to be accepted into the communication graduate program in “good standing.”

B. Applicants with a completed baccalaureate degree whose cumulative undergraduate GPA (or equivalent) is between a 2.75 and a 2.99 may be accepted into the communication graduate program “on probation.”

C. Applicants who do not meet the above requirements for admission to the program [i.e. applicants with a completed baccalaureate degree whose cumulative undergraduate GPA (or equivalent) is under a 2.75] will be reviewed on a case by case basis.  Such applicants MAY BE admitted into the program on probationary status based on credible evidence of ability to do satisfactory graduate work.  Such evidence will be determined by the communication graduate program coordinator in consultation with the department graduate faculty, and could be an exemplary postgraduate employment record; a satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Examination, GMAT or Miller Analogies Test; and/or the successful completion of 9 or more credits of graduate work with a cumulative 3.0 GPA level or higher at a regionally accredited institution.

Students admitted on probation must achieve a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 within the first 12 units of graduate credits attempted, including repeated courses. Those failing to do so will be ineligible to take further graduate work in the program.

D. Students who are not accepted to the program may enroll as a Noncandidate for Degree (NCFD).  This category allows the student to enroll in graduate level courses and to receive graduate credit for this work.  No more than 12 graduate units taken as a NCFD can be applied toward the completion of a graduate degree program at UW-Whitewater.  Thus, before completing more than 12 units as an NCFD, a student is encouraged to reapply for the communication degree program.  Students who achieve a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher in 9-12 credits of graduate level communication coursework (including repeated courses) taken as a NCFD may be accepted into the program on probation.  All undergraduate deficiencies must be completed prior to registering for any related 700 level courses as a NCFD. 

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Deficiencies

Students admitted to the degree program must demonstrate an appropriate background through undergraduate coursework or professional experience.  Students found to lack preparation for advanced level course work will be required to complete undergraduate foundation coursework as follows:

A. For both emphases, undergraduate coursework in communication theory and communication research methods (Speech 422 and Speech 485) or their equivalents, is required.

B. For students in the Corporate Communication emphasis course work equivalent to SPEECH 327, Introduction to Organizational Communication, is required.

C. For students in the Mass Communication emphasis, course work equivalent to either SPEECH 232, Foundations of Electronic Media, or SPEECH 431, Mass Communication in Society (as determined by the graduate coordinator), is required. 

D. Students must achieve a C grade or better (a C- is not acceptable) in a deficiency course.  If a student does not achieve this grade, they may retake the course following the University of Wisconsin Whitewater’s undergraduate course retake policy.  Students may not take the related graduate level courses (i.e. 785, 722, 629, 627, and 731) until a C grade status is achieved in the related undergraduate deficiency course. 

E. All undergraduate deficiency courses must be completed before the student will be allowed to take more than 9 credits at the graduate level. 

F. Undergraduate deficiency coursework may not be taken for graduate credit, and undergraduate courses taken as foundation courses for the graduate degree are not calculated into your graduate GPA.

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APPLICATION MATERIALS

The following materials are required for consideration for admission to the Master's program in Communication and should be sent to the following locations:To the Graduate School:

Application for Graduate Admission

Official copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts (unless your undergraduate degree was from UW-Whitewater)
Transfer of Credit Form (s) if you are planning to transfer non-UW-Whitewater graduate course credits into your program. One transfer form must be completed for EACH course the student plans to transfer to their program, with a limit of 9 credits. Up to 12 graduate credits taken at UW-Whitewater prior to your admission into the program may be applied to your Communication graduate program at the discretion of the Communication Graduate Program Coordinator.

To the Communication Department (Graduate Program Coordinator):

2 letters of recommendation (at least one, preferably both, should be academic references from former instructors who can assess the student's ability to succeed in graduate level courses).
A Statement of Goals which is a 2-3 page document describing why the applicant is interested in attaining an advanced degree in Communication. This document will be closely evaluated for writing proficiency as well as goodness of fit between your goals and our program.

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In addition, INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS must:

Arrange for an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score to be sent directly to the Graduate Office if English is not the native language. A minimum TOEFL score of 540-553 (Paper) or 207-220 (Computer) is required for admission into the program.
Send a completed Certification of Finance form to the Graduate Office to demonstrate that there is adequate financial support available during the planned period of study. Forms will be issued upon request by the Graduate Studies Office or are available on-line at: www.uww.edu/gradstudies/
Have a former professor send an additional letter of recommendation directly to the Graduate Office attesting to the student's ability to pursue graduate study in the United States.

STUDENTS APPLYING TO THE COMMUNICATION PROGRAM SHOULD:

  1. Submit all required forms to the Graduate School and Communication Department as outlined earlier.
  2. Meet the deadlines for submission of materials as found on-line at: http://www.uww.edu/gradstudies/ We cannot guarantee the review of completed applications after deadlines in the graduate bulletin have passed.
  3. Information on graduate fellowships and assistantships is available in the School of Graduate Studies office or on-line at: http://www.uww.edu/gradstudies/. Benefits are offered to those who qualify, but be advised that assistantships are contingent on available funding. See the "assistantships" link on the Communication departments graduate website for more info on assistantships as well. (http://academics.uww.edu/commgrads/index.html)

Timeline

The communication department accepts applicants for Fall, Spring, and Summer Sessions on a rolling admission basis (until all spots for that term are filled). Thus, we have no firm application deadline per-term, but the earlier you apply, the more likely you will be to enroll in the upcoming term. All applicants must meet UW graduate school deadlines to be considered. In addition, applicants for graduate assistantships have firm deadlines by which all application materials must be submitted (see link to application page).

The timeframe from application to formal notification of acceptance varies.  The single biggest factor that results in delay is applicants who submit their materials to the graduate school office, but then fail to send their letters and goals statement to the Communication Department graduate program coordinator.  Once the program coordinator has all materials, he/she will process the application.  Usually, within 2-3 weeks of receiving all of an applicant’s materials, the graduate program coordinator will notify a student via email and via snail mail of his/her acceptance or rejection to the program.  However, the process can take significantly longer for applications that require full graduate faculty review. 

After a letter has been received from the School of Graduate Studies office confirming a student’s admission status, the student will be encouraged to meet with the Program Coordinator who will act as the student’s advisor. It is the student’s responsibility to meet with their advisor each semester prior to enrollment in classes. Regular meetings with an advisor will insure that a student is completing requirements in a timely manner. Meeting with an advisor is required before a student is "cleared" to register for courses each semester. Advisement is also important because not all graduate courses are offered every semester. A student should plan to take a required course when it is offered, as that course may not be offered for two or three semesters. Thus, when choosing courses, improper selections will result in the delay of completion of coursework, and course substitutions of required courses are generally not allowed. A normal course load for graduate students is 9 credits. If more than 12 credits is taken in one semester, permission must be granted by the School of Graduate Studies and the appropriate form must be completed.

Graduate students must complete undergraduate foundation courses before taking graduate credits. Prior to registration, classes being offered can be found on the WINS system.