Graduate Application FAQs

We do not mail information packets or application materials to prospective applicants. If you have a specific question that cannot be answered after visiting our website, please contact our Graduate Program Manager, Lindsey Bliefernicht, at lindsey.bliefernicht@wisc.edu.

The application submission deadline is December 15 for admission in the following fall semester for all graduate programs. We will accept letters of recommendation for several days after that date.

Professional MA students may apply for spring matriculation, but we generally recommend Fall program start for the best cohort experience. Spring matriculation deadline is April 15 for the following spring semester.

The graduate committee pays careful attention to an applicant’s ability to outline clear and appropriate goals for graduate study. Provide a brief, focused statement of your educational and career goals and your reasons for selecting this graduate program. Discuss those factors — personal, professional, academic — that have prepared you to pursue a graduate degree. All Professional MA applicants should indicate in some detail what kind of specialty they will seek and why. The statement should be about 750 words in length.

Applicants to the Professional MA program, Research MA program and PhD in SJMC must submit a writing sample.  Please limit any supplementary materials to 25 pages. Please do not submit CDs, DVDs, etc.

No, but you should demonstrate a strong interest and genuine aptitude for the field that might help you compete with applicants with a background in mass communication.

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication no longer requires GRE scores for any applicants to our graduate programs, though you may submit them if you are happy with your score. The Graduate Committee takes a holistic approach to admissions, reviewing all parts of the application to get a picture of the person’s academic and professional background, interests and goals, and fit with what our program offers.

A five-member committee of faculty members examines all aspects of an application — grades, statement of purpose, recommendations, resume/CV — and provides an overall judgment of the applicant’s qualifications.

No, you can finish your application while waiting for the letters of recommendation to come in. You can check the status of recommendation submissions in the graduate application portal and send reminders to your recommender. The letters must be sent electronically through the application system.

Yes, you may apply for an application fee waiver. We have very few waivers to give and requests must be made by December 1st.

Domestic applicants should first check to see if they are eligible for a fee grant through the Graduate School’s Fee Grants program. Those who are eligible should apply there first and if they receive one, let us know as soon as possible so that we can consider other students for our limited fee waivers.

International applicants are not eligible for Graduate School fee grants, but may apply for a fee waiver through our department. Please note the fee waiver does not cover the international document processing fee.

Apply for an application fee waiver through SJMC here: https://go.wisc.edu/wdm798

You will be notified sometime in February.

Yes. Please make arrangements with our Graduate Program Manager, Lindsey Bliefernicht. You can email her at lindsey.bliefernicht@wisc.edu. We host a visit day in March every year for prospective recruits.

There are approximately 85 SJMC graduate students total in our degree programs at various levels of progress. Our current students are listed here: https://journalism.wisc.edu/graduate/students/

The Research MA degree usually requires four semesters. Professional MA students typically graduate in three semesters.

Typically, completing a doctorate, including coursework, preliminary exams, research and dissertation defense, takes four to five years.

The Professional MA focuses on specialized training in journalism and communication skills that lead to careers in the information industries.

The Research MA focuses on developing skills in mass communication research and writing a thesis and often leads to enrolling in a doctoral program.

You may only apply to one of the Named Options. If you are unsure which one fits your goals, please reach out to our Graduate Program Manager, Lindsey Bliefernicht, to discuss.

Officially, any class designated 300-level and above can count towards a graduate degree. However, doctoral students are strongly advised to register for courses with small enrollments and avoid large lecture courses. Skills courses such as 400-level undergraduate offerings on reporting or strategic communication would count towards the Professional MA degree, but not towards other graduate degrees.

Students take about nine credits per semester. Graduate enrollment requirements are listed here: UW-1208

New PhD and Research MA students enroll in J901, Mass Communication Colloquium. Course work for the Research MA should be planned in consultation with your advisor. As for the PhD, you will work with your advisor to select courses from departmental offerings as well as from other appropriate departments to craft a plan tailored to your interests and needs. As a general rule, doctoral students should strive to balance theory and methods, deepen their knowledge in areas of specific interest, and broaden their intellectual horizons.

The Professional MA requires enrollment in J335: Intermediate Reporting in the first semester. In the first semester, students develop a program plan in consultation with their advisor.

We offer funding to our top-ranked PhD and Research MA applicants. The typical funding package includes 4 years for PhD and 2 years for Research MA as a teaching assistant (TA) or project assistant (PA). These positions include tuition remission, a biweekly stipend and eligibility for high-quality, low-cost health insurance. Depending on available funds, we offer scholarships to our top-ranked Professional MA students. Some students work as TAs or PAs in other departments on campus. They apply through the UW student job center website.

No, you do not need to identify an advisor or supervisor before applying. If you are admitted to our graduate program, we will match you with temporary faculty contacts who will help you select courses for the initial semesters. After a year or more, we ask that PhD and Research MA students identify who would be the best fit as an advisor for your program. Professional MA students will work with the program director and may identify a closer fit for advisor after one semester.

Please visit the Office of Student Financial Aid website for the estimated cost of attending Graduate School at UW Madison.