Admissions

Deadline

The deadline for receipt of all materials is December 1, 2012, for admission to start September 2013.

Updates

The online application process for Fall 2013 admission will open in September 2012. [Updated 4/20/12]

Our advising staff offer online chat sessions for prospective graduate students. View the chat session schedule.

Application Forms and Instructions

Application forms and instructions are available from the NYU Steinhardt Office of Graduate Admissions.

Please send all materials to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Processing of an application will be delayed if materials are sent to the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication.

An application to the PhD program in Media, Culture, and Communication includes:

1. The application form and fee (major code: MCCD)
2. A brief essay (2 - 3 pages single-spaced or 4 - 5 pages double-spaced) on the research area/topic you expect to pursue, your background preparation for advanced work in that area/topic, and some of the scholars whose work in that area has shaped your thinking (this is the statement of purpose/personal statement)
3. A copy of your Master's thesis, or comparable evidence of sustained intellectual inquiry/writing you have done, preferably in the area in which you expect to focus your advanced study
4. Three letters of recommendation from persons in a position to assess your qualifications for advanced study and research
5. A résumé of your academic and professional experience 
6. Transcripts
7. GRE scores* (General Test, institution code 2556, no departmental code required).

International applicants should carefully review the Special Instructions for International Applicants.

Minimum Requirements and Selection Criteria for Admission

Admission to the PhD Program in Media, Culture, and Communication (MCCD) is very competitive. In late February, six applicants are admitted and begin the program the following September. Doctoral students in Media, Culture, and Communication typically receive full fellowship funding for five years.

Applicants are rarely accepted who score below 600 on the Verbal section of the GRE and whose combined score is below 1100 on the Verbal and Quantitative sections. That said, no applicant will be admitted nor denied admission solely on the basis of a single score. 

Success in a theory- and research-driven doctoral program such as the Media, Culture, and Communication depends heavily on a candidate's ability to read and think critically, to reason with acuity, and to write with clarity, precision, and fluency. We devote particular attention in selecting candidates for admission to evidence of an applicant's abilities in these areas, and to the background work of an applicant in the area/topic s/he intends to pursue.

No matter how qualified an applicant may be to pursue advanced study in the area/topic s/he has identified, s/he will require the direction and support of the faculty members both knowledgeable about and interested in that area/topic. Particular attention is given, in selecting candidates for admission, to the "goodness of fit" between an applicant and her/his interests and the qualifications, competencies, and interests of the department's faculty.

We receive an enormous number of inquiries about our program. Our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page will provide you with basic information and the steps you should take in order to become familiar with our faculty and program.