Ph.D. Student Application Process

The process to apply for admission for the 2026-2027 academic year will remain open until January 15, 2026. Once the Department has reviewed all completed applications, a decision for acceptance will be made. Upon acceptance into the program, applicants will receive written notification from both the Department and the University.

Applications completed by the deadline will receive full consideration. Certain application requirements may be waived based on a preliminary review of an application by the program.

The application for admission to graduate school at West Virginia University can be accessed online. A nonrefundable fee of $60.00 must be received by the Office of Admissions before the application will be processed. On Line 16 of the application, 1473 should be identified as the Major Code and Communication Studies should be identified as the Intended Major.

WVU Graduate School Application

Consideration for Admission

To be considered for admission, applicants to the Ph.D. degree program in Communication Studies must upload the following documentation within the graduate application:

• A curriculum vitae that includes all formal education, any teaching or professional work experience, and any research projects conducted to date.
• A personal statement, which is a 3-4 page typed document in which applicants identify (1) their reasons for pursuing a Ph.D. in Communication Studies, (2) their reasons for wanting to attain their Ph.D. degree in Communication Studies at West Virginia University, (3) their research interests and how these interests correspond with the research conducted by the Department faculty, (4) the faculty members whose research interests are most closely aligned with their own educational and career goals, and (5) why attaining the Ph.D. degree in Communication Studies specifically from West Virginia University is vital to the achievement of their career goals.
  
• A sole-authored sample of scholarly writing completed in the applicant’s M.A. program. This sample can be a course paper, a conference paper, a thesis or major project, or a journal article.
  
• The names and e-mail addresses of three recommenders. 

You will not be able to submit your application until the above documents are uploaded and your recommenders' names and e-mail addresses are provided.

In addition to the above documentation, applicants must submit unofficial/official undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Unofficial transcripts from all previously attended institutions must be submitted. A minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 and a minimum graduate GPA of 3.25 are preferred. 

The preferred method to submit all official transcripts is through a secure, online service such as eScript, The National Clearing House, or Parchment to graduateadmissions@mail.wvu.edu. Alternatively, if you are unable to submit an electronic version of your official transcript, the physical, sealed, untampered transcript can be mailed to WVU Graduate Admissions, P.O. Box 6510, Morgantown, WV 26506-6510.