|
Applicants
Graduate students are admitted into the four-year doctoral program. We receive approximately 70-100 applications for 10-12 funded positions. You can apply with a bachelor's or a Master's degree. Applicants with a Master's degree and or work experience generally fare better in the admission decision process. If you apply with a bachelor's degree, you will have the opportunity to complete your Master's as you progress through the graduate program, prior to receiving the doctorate.
Because of the tightly coupled design of our core course sequence in year 1, applicants begin their doctoral studies in the Fall. Exceptions to this start time have yet to be made.
Deadlines
International students -- Dec 15 for Fall admission the next year
Domestic U.S. students -- Feb 1 for Fall admission the next year
Application Process
There are two parts to the application process.
1. Send your completed application, the application fee, transcripts of all undergraduate and/or graduate credits, report of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and, as appropriate, TOEFL score, to Graduate Student Services, Ohio University. Graduate application forms for Ohio University can be found at the following address: http://www.ohio.edu/graduate/index.cfm.
2. Send a Supplementary Information Sheet directly to Dr. Scott Titsworth, Director of Graduate Studies, School of Communication Studies, 204 Lasher Hall, Ohio University, Athens, 0hio 45701, USA. Include three letters of recommendation, evidence of scholarly work (research paper or report, term paper, etc.), and a personal statement of purpose that presents your career objectives and why our program is best suited to help you achieve those objectives. If you are applying for a teaching assistantship, tell us why you should be considered for this award. Click here for a .pdf version of the Supplementary Information Sheet.
Once we have your materials (both the set sent to OU's Graduate Student Services, and the set sent by you directly to us), your file will be reviewed by the Director of Graduate Studies and by each of the faculty serving on the School's Graduate Committee. Then, we make a recomendation that each applicant be: (a) approved unconditionally, (b) approved conditionally, or (c) denied admission.
Early Admission for Undergraduate Students
A superior undergraduate student may seek early admission to the doctoral program. One must have an overall grade-point average of at least 3.5 and have completed all undergraduate requirements, except the total credit-hour requirement, by the time of your entry into the graduate program. After obtaining the written recommendation of your department, our School Graduate Committee, and the dean of your undergraduate college, one may be admitted into the doctoral program and enroll in graduate courses for graduate credit. One can use these courses to satisfy both graduate degree requirements and undergraduate total credit-hour requirements, but one must apply for this privilege in advance of registration through the Office of Graduate Student Services. Those who qualify for early admission to the doctoral program also may apply for graduate assistantship or scholarship support.
Financial Support for Graduate Students
If you are admitted unconditionally into the doctoral program, you are eligible for a teaching assistantship or graduate scholarship. Top priority for assistantships is given to first-year doctoral students. Awards are normally granted for twelve quarters (four years), presuming adequate progress toward degree completion. The element of need does not enter into the Graduate Committee's decision. Additional quarters of support must be requested from the Director of Graduate Studies and approved by the Graduate Committee and the School Director. Some students take longer than four years to complete their Ph.D.
The two most important qualifications for being selected for a teaching assistantship are (1) the academic record of the student, and (2) the student's ability to perform effectively in the classroom. In most cases, those who receive assistantships are assigned to teach and are the instructors of record for the courses that they teach. In addition to their classroom responsibilities, teaching assistants can be assigned to assist faculty with teaching, research projects or to handle other responsibilities for the school. Since nearly all of the School's financial assistance is used for teaching assistants, it is vital to the welfare of the School that those individuals who teach are effective in the classroom.
All graduate teaching assistants are required to attend a week-long orientation workshop during the week prior to the opening of the Fall quarter. Information about the workshop will be included in the letter of appointment and in special mailings during the Summer. All graduate students, regardless of rank or status, are expected to attend. Participation in the workshop is especially important for graduate students who hope to receive an appointment as a teaching assistant at a later date or whose future plans include college teaching. An assistantship carries a waiver of instructional fees as well as a stipend, so assistantship recipients are required to register for 15 graduate hours in any quarter when they are receiving an assistantship.
| 
