stanford phd in communication

Doctoral Students

Main navigation, daniel akselrad.

[email protected] CV

Daniel works at the intersection of technology, rhetoric, and organizations, using historical and ethnographic methods to study language, ideology, and organizational culture. He has used this lens to examine distributed decision-making in fighter jet cockpits, the role of euphemism in Nazi bureaucracy, and the internal communications of the global cigarette industry.

[email protected]   CV

Appel combines insights and methods from psychology, political science and computer science to develop and evaluate evidence-based interventions to promote the social good. She is particularly passionate about preventing the spread of misinformation, promoting wellbeing and mental health, and addressing ethical challenges related to new technologies. 

Rachel Bergmann

[email protected] CV

Bergmann uses interpretive and archival methods to deeply and critically contextualize contemporary information technologies. Her research interests include histories of computing, feminist science and technology studies, and the cultural politics of AI and algorithmic systems.

Caitlin Burke

[email protected]

Burke is interested in user experience design, design ethics, and human-computer interaction.

Catherine Chen

[email protected] CV catherinechenty.com

Chen's research interests revolve around understanding the antecedents, structure, and consequences of political attitudes among Americans. Specifically, her work focuses on examining people’s attitudes toward science, climate change, and vaccines. Chen is currently on the academic job market, seeking an assistant professor position set to commence in the fall of 2024.

[email protected]

Chi is interested in leveraging media consumption and mobile sensing data and deep learning for the detection and prediction of mental well-being related issues.

Ross Dahlke

[email protected]   CV

Dahlke researches the connection between online and offline civic life, particularly participation in political collective action such as social media use and political donations. 

Matthew DeButts

[email protected]

Matt is interested in how institutions get people to believe things, especially in China and the United States (media, politics, beliefs).

Cid Decatur

[email protected] CV

Decatur focuses on the cognitive impacts of social media, social networks, language, and jargon online.

Cyan DeVeaux

[email protected]   CV

DeVeaux is interested in augmented and virtual reality, human-computer interaction, and human-centered design.

Elizabeth Fetterolf

[email protected]   CV

Fetterolf is interested in how care work technologies shape and are shaped by the ongoing crisis of care in the US, particularly as this relates to workplace and intimate surveillance. 

Thay Graciano

[email protected]   CV

Graciano is interested in reducing political polarization and ensuring policy-making is guided by the wishes of common citizens through the implementation of Deliberative Democracy methods.

Tomás Guarna

[email protected] CV

Guarna is interested in the new meanings of citizenship, trust, and legitimacy in the digital public sphere.  

[email protected] CV

Han is interested in understanding how virtual reality environments and the embodiment of digital identities transform cognitive processes.

Zhenchao Hu 

[email protected] CV

Zhenchao is interested in (intensive) longitudinal methods, social media uses and effects, interpersonal relationships, children and adolescents' identity development, sexuality, and well-being.

Young Jee Kim

[email protected] CV

Kim studies democratic processes for risk prevention in society through deliberative practices.

[email protected] CV

Lee is interested in understanding the impact of media and technology on users’ health and well-being by studying psychological processes such as mindsets, particularly in the context of adolescent and parent-child relationships.

Rebecca Lewis 

Becca Lewis researches ideological and social histories of Silicon Valley and the internet.

Marijn Mado

[email protected] CV

Mado studies media literacy education. She uses ethnographic methods to explore the practices and epistemological assumptions that underlie the design and teaching of media literacy programs.

[email protected] CV

Moore is interested in older adults’ digital media use. 

Natalie Neufeld

[email protected] CV

Neufeld is interested in political polarization, party loyalty, and persuasion techniques that lead to lasting attitude change.

Michelle Ng

[email protected]   CV

Ng is interested in how media can be leveraged by community-based organizations to advocate for more equitable natural resource management.

Rinseo Park

[email protected] CV

Park is interested in understanding how individual decision-making diverges from policy actors’ (e.g., political elites or scientific experts) views and the underlying cognitive processes.

Katherine Roehrick

[email protected]   CV

Roehrick uses computational and linguistic analyses to study human-computer interaction and digital media. She is a Stanford Graduate Fellow.

Reagan Ross

Reagan is interested in the intersections of race, gender, and new media and technology. She is also interested in understanding how new technology might be used to disrupt anti-Black racism.

Monique Santoso

[email protected] CV

Santoso is interested in the social, psychological, and behavioral implications of virtual reality, particularly in the context of climate and sustainability.  

[email protected]  

Soh is interested in understanding how identity development unfolds in the digital context, particularly in terms of how digital interventions can be designed to promote positive identity development. 

Noah Vinoya 

[email protected] CV

Vinoya is interested in how digital media can be leveraged as a tool to understand human behavior in a more natural context. Particularly, media habits can be captured to help unveil aspects of personality expression, well-being, and life outcomes.

Morgan Weiland

[email protected] CV morganweiland.com

Morgan N. Weiland is the  Executive Director of the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School , where she received her JD in 2015. She is in the process of completing the first joint degree program between SLS and Stanford’s Communication Department, where she is a PhD candidate. Her dissertation investigates the structural role of speech platforms like Facebook and Twitter in the public sphere to understand what responsibilities these companies have to the public, and what policies ought to be enacted to ensure both free expression and accountability.

Weiland was a Lecturer in Law at SLS during the 2017-18 academic year, when she developed and taught a new course about platforms, law, and ethics with Professor Barbara van Schewick. She is also a Graduate Fellow at SLS’s Center for Internet & Society. She clerked for the Honorable M. Margaret McKeown on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals during the 2018-19 term. She is admitted to the California Bar.

Doctoral Program

The Ph.D. program emphasizes rigorous theoretical work that has at its base a firm empirical foundation in language data. 

Students are provided with a broad-based background in linguistics, teaching experience in the classroom and other forums, and opportunities for original and high-quality research.  Our Ph.D. students write dissertations on a wide range of topics spanning and bridging many subareas of the field.  See our Ph.D. Alumni  page for dissertation titles and job placement information.

Overview of the Program

Through the completion of advanced coursework and strong methodological and analytical training, the  Ph.D. program prepares students to make original contributions to knowledge in linguistics, to articulate the results of their work, and to demonstrate its significance to linguistics and related fields.  At every stage in the program, students are encouraged to present and publish their research and to develop active professional profiles. 

Students generally complete the program in five years

• Coursework in core areas of linguistics, chosen by each student in consultation with faculty advisors to build the foundation that best suits their interests and goals.
• Fall Quarter: Includes seminar to introduce students to the research of faculty in the department
• Winter Quarter: Includes participation in small research groups or in one-on-one apprenticeships
• Spring Quarter: Includes beginning to work on the first of 2 qualifying research papers

Years 2 and 3

• Balance shifts from coursework to development of research skills
• Students complete two qualifying papers and then selects a principal advisor and committee for their dissertation by the end of year 3.

Years 4 and 5

• Devoted to dissertation and advanced research

Teaching Experience

As they move through the Ph.D. program, students also gain teaching experience by serving as teaching assistants in their second, third, and fourth year of graduate study. They also have access to the many programs provided by Stanford's Vice Provost for  Teaching and Learning , including the varied resources of the Teaching Commons .

Offers of admission to the Linguistics P.h.D program include funding for the full five years of doctoral study, including tuition and stipend, regardless of citizenship. 

We also encourage our applicants to apply for as many external fellowships and scholarships as they are eligible for; a compilation of funding opportunities for Linguistics graduate students can be found on our  Fellowship and Funding Information page .  Applicants should note that the deadlines for these fellowships are typically in the fall of the year prior to admission.

In addition, the  Knight-Hennessy Scholars  program is designed to build a multidisciplinary community of Stanford graduate students dedicated to finding creative solutions to the world's greatest challenges. The program awards up to 100 high-achieving students every year with full funding to pursue a graduate education at Stanford, including the Ph.D. degree in Linguistics. 

Additional information is available about the student budget , Stanford graduate fellowships , and other support programs .

Outside the classroom, there are many opportunities, both formal and informal, for the discussion of linguistic issues and ongoing research, including colloquia, workshops, and reading groups.

Partnership Opportunities

Although not part of the formal doctoral program, there are numerous opportunities for research and development work at the Center for the Study of Language and Information and  off-campus at local companies.  

Admissions Information

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NCA's Doctoral Program Guide

Stanford university, department of communication.

The Ph.D. program in the Department of Communication at Stanford University prepares students to conduct original research on communication processes and effects, within the tradition of the social and behavioral sciences. Most of Stanford's doctoral graduates enter academic teaching and research careers, or communication-related professions that require research skills. After a core curriculum of courses in both quantitative and qualitative methods, statistics, and mass communication theory, each student builds a research specialization through advanced courses and seminars in Communication and related departments, research projects, teaching, and an examination in the area of concentration. These requirements are normally completed in four years, and the dissertation in the fifth year.

Areas of Study 

• Media Psychology
• Political Communication
• Journalism, Media and Culture

QS World University Rankings — Communication & Media Studies

• #2 of 200 World Universities

URAP University Rankings — Language, Communication, & Culture

• #26 of 300 World Universities

Admission Requirements 

• Statement of Purpose
• Transcripts
• TOEFL Scores (for international applicants)
• Letters of Recommendation

Graduate Faculty 

• Professor Jeremy Bailenson, Ph.D., Northwestern University
• Assistant Professor Angèle Christin, Ph.D., Princeton University
• Professor James S. Fishkin, Ph.D., Yale University
• Professor James T. Hamilton, Ph.D., Harvard University
• Professor Jeff Hancock, Ph.D., Dalhousie University
• Assistant Professor Gabriella Harari, Ph.D., University of Texas
• Professor Shanto Iyengar, Ph.D., University of Iowa
• Professor Jon A. Krosnick, Ph.D., University of Michigan
• Assistant Professor Jennifer Pan, Ph.D., Harvard University
• Professor Nathaniel Persily, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
• Professor Byron Reeves, Ph.D., Michigan State University
• Professor Fred Turner, Ph.D., University of California, San Diego

NCA Awards Received by Faculty and Students, 2000-present 

• Miller Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, 2008
• Golden Outstanding Student Essay in Rhetoric Award, 2008

Information Systems & Science

Broadly construed, research in ISS focuses on the development and application of mathematical models, techniques, and algorithms for information processing.

In addition to work in the core disciplines of information theory and coding, communications and networking, control and optimization, signal processing, and learning and inference, IS research spans several application areas, including biomedical imaging, optical communications, wireless communications and networks, multimedia communications, Internet, energy systems, transportation systems, financial systems, and computational imaging and display.  

• Control & Optimization
• Information Theory & Applications
• Machine Learning
• Communications Systems
• Societal Networks
• Signal Processing & Multimedia
• Biomedical Imaging
• Data Science

Faculty in Information Systems & Science

COMMU-MA - Communication (MA)

Program overview, master of arts in communication.

The department offers a coterminal MA degree program in Communication with a subplan in Media Studies. The department also awards both a terminal and a coterminal MA degree in Communication with a subplan in Journalism. The subplan prints on the transcript but not on the diploma. 

The university requires that the graduate advisor be assigned in the student’s first graduate quarter even though the undergraduate career may still be open. The university also requires that the Master’s Degree Program Proposal be completed by the student and approved by the department by the end of the student’s first graduate quarter.

Coterminal Master of Arts in Communication – Media Studies Subplan

The coterminal MA Degree Program in Communication - Media Studies subplan is a small program that permits current Stanford undergraduates to study for a bachelor’s and a master’s degree simultaneously. The program provides a broad introduction to digital communication and media/multimedia by examining communication processes, their origins, and their psychological, political, and cultural effects. Areas of coursework include research about media psychology on human-computer interactions, regulation of digital technologies, digital communication, multimedia development, and emerging trends in digital communication technologies and markets. 

With early and careful planning, students may be able to complete the coterminal Master of Arts in Communication by the end of their senior year or within one to two additional quarters. See the Registrar’s Office information about  coterminal degree programs  and contact the Student Services Manager to discuss your options.

The following majors best provide a grounding in a theoretical tradition relevant to the study of communication: communication, computer science, economics, English, history, linguistics, philosophy, political science, psychology, public policy, STS, sociology, and symbolic systems.

Master of Arts in Communication  — Journalism Subplan

The department awards both a terminal and a coterminal MA degree in Communication with a subplan in Journalism. 

Stanford Journalism Program

The master’s program in Journalism focuses on the knowledge and skills required to report, analyze, and write authoritatively about public issues and digital media. The curriculum combines a sequence of specialized digital reporting and writing courses with seminars and courses devoted to deepening the student’s understanding of the roles and responsibilities of American news media in their coverage of public issues. Coursework emphasizes the combination of data journalism and storytelling skills. 

The program’s objective is twofold:

To graduate talented reporters and writers to foster public understanding of the significance and consequences of public issues and the debates they engender

To graduate thoughtful journalists to respond openly and eloquently when called upon to explain and defend their reporting and writing methods and quality.

See the program’s  Mission Statement .

Admissions Information

Admission to the coterminal master’s program in communication — media studies subplan.

See the  Coterminal MA in Communication – Media Studies Track  website for additional information on application requirements.

Applicants must submit their application and, if admitted, respond to the offer of admission no later than the quarter before the expected completion of their undergraduate degree. Applicants must have declared an undergraduate major and earned a minimum of 120 units toward graduation (UTG) as shown on the unofficial undergraduate transcript (including allowable advanced placement (AP) and transfer credit) and completed at least six academic quarters.

A $125 application fee is assessed for each coterminal application. This fee will be added to the student’s university bill once the applicant has been admitted and accepted the offer of admission.

Application Deadline: Feb. 1, 2024, at 3 p.m. to start the program in spring quarter 2023-24. Recommenders must submit their online recommendation letters by Feb. 4, 2024.

Requirements include:

Application for Admission to Coterminal Master’s Program

Preliminary program proposal

Statement of purpose

Master’s project advising confirmation form

Letters of recommendation from two Stanford professors other than the coterminal advisor

A current unofficial Stanford transcript

GRE scores are not required.

Admission to the Terminal Master’s Program in Communication - Journalism

Detailed information on application requirements is available on the  Graduate Program in Journalism  website provides detailed information on application requirements. GRE scores are not required. 

Prospective applicants to the terminal master’s program in Communication with a subplan in Journalism must submit the following:

Application for Graduate Admissions

Three journalistic samples

Transcripts

Three letters of recommendation

TOEFL test scores for non-native speakers of English. Exemptions are granted to applicants who have earned (or will earn before enrolling at Stanford) a United States (U.S.) bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association in the U.S. or the international equivalent degree from a university of recognized standing in a country in which all instruction is provided in English.

Admission to the Coterminal Master’s Program in Communication - Journalism Subplan

The Coterminal MA in Communication – Journalism Track  website provides detailed information on application requirements . See the Registrar’s Office information about  coterminal degree programs  and contact the Student Services Manager to discuss your options.

Online applications must be submitted no later than Feb. 1, 2024, to start the spring quarter 2023-24 program. 

Applicants submit the following:

Application for Admission to Coterminal Master’s Program .

Three letters of recommendation and recommendation forms from Stanford professors

Three samples of journalistic work

Communication Courses

Main navigation, academic discussion, instructors:.

• Lockwood, R.
• Streichler, S.

Academic Writing in Graduate Education

Advanced graduate writing, advanced interacting in english, advanced listening comprehension, and vocabulary development, advanced pronunciation and intonation, applied grant-writing skills for fellowships.

• Gullberg, R.

Applied Grant-Writing Skills for Science and Engineering Students

Building communication skills through improvisation, concepts in environmental communication, designing emotion: for reactive car interfaces.

• Karanian, B.

Directed Writing Projects

• O'Nan, J.
• McDevitt, M.
• Harrison, K.
• Modifica, L.
• Sullivan, E.

Dramatic Writing: The Fundamentals

Effective scientific presentation and public speaking, english for business, industry and professional life, environmental journalism.

• Peterson-Nafziger, C.
• Dutta Gupta, T.

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In the field of organizational behavior we research fundamental questions about the behavior of individuals, groups and organizations, from both psychological and sociological perspectives.

A distinguishing feature of Stanford’s PhD Program in organizational behavior is the broad interdisciplinary training it provides. Our students benefit from their interactions with scholars from many disciplines within the Graduate School of Business, as well as from Stanford University’s long-standing strength in the study of psychology, organizations, and economic sociology.  The program is broken down into two broad subareas: Macro Organizational Behavior and Micro Organizational Behavior .

Cross-registration in courses, access to faculty, and participation in colloquia are available in other Stanford departments, such as sociology and psychology . Strong relations with these departments mean that students can build their careers on the foundation of strong disciplinary training in psychology and sociology, respectively.

A small number of students are accepted into the program each year, with a total of about 20 organizational behavior students in residence.

The doctoral program places a heavy emphasis on training students through active engagement in the process of doing research. In addition to formal seminars with invited presenters, our faculty and students exchange research ideas and advice at informal weekly lunches and lab meetings. Students work as research assistants and are expected to conduct independent research early in the program. 

Macro Organizational Behavior: Organizational Theory and Economic Sociology

The Macro OB track is dedicated to training students who will be leading researchers in the fields of organizational theory and economic sociology. Our faculty members are among the foremost scholars who bring a sociological approach to the study of organizations and markets.

The training provides a deep grounding in the study of:

• Organizations as social systems
• The dynamics of change in organizations
• Industries and markets
• The relationships between organizations and their environments

Faculty study a range of topics, such as:

• The role of identity and categories in organizational processes
• Organizational culture and its dynamics
• Change in cultural categories and markets
• Social movements and their influence on firms and markets
• Firm strategies and the effects of long-run histories of strategic interaction
• The impact of workforce demographic change and labor market inequality
• Organizational learning processes
• Social networks
• Entrepreneurship and firm formation processes

Micro Organizational Behavior

The study of how individuals and groups affect and are affected by organizational context. Drawing primarily on psychological approaches to social science questions, this area includes such topics as:

• Decision-making
• Moral judgment
• Social norms
• Negotiation and bargaining
• Cooperation and altruism
• Group processes
• Stereotyping and injustice
• Personality
• Power, status and influence

There is also a formal institutional link between the behavioral side of marketing and the micro side of organizational behavior, which is called the Behavioral Interest Group. The Stanford GSB Behavioral Lab links members of this group. This lab supports work across field boundaries among those with behavioral interests.

Preparation and Qualifications

All students are required to have, or to obtain during their first year, mathematical skills at the level of one course each of calculus and linear algebra, probability, and mathematical statistics.

Macro Organizational Behavior Faculty

William p. barnett, robert a. burgelman, glenn r. carroll, julien clement, amir goldberg, helena miton, hayagreeva rao, sarah a. soule, jesper b. sørensen, micro organizational behavior faculty, justin m. berg, jennifer eberhardt, francis j. flynn, michele j. gelfand, deborah h. gruenfeld, michal kosinski, brian s. lowery, ashley martin, david melnikoff, dale t. miller, benoît monin, charles a. o’reilly, jeffrey pfeffer, emeriti faculty, michael t. hannan, roderick m. kramer, joanne martin, margaret ann neale, jerry i. porras, recent publications in organizational behavior, social norm change: drivers and consequences, bayesianism and wishful thinking are compatible, changes in social norms during the early stages of the covid-19 pandemic across 43 countries, recent insights by stanford business, why investors throw money at eccentric ceos, psst — wanna know why gossip has evolved in every human society, unlocking the “iron cage” of corporate conformity.

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Communication

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School of Humanities and Sciences

Analyze the social, cultural and psychological impact of communication processes, technologies, and media using both quantitative and qualitative methods.

What You'll Study

Majors in Communication analyze the social, cultural and psychological impact of communication processes, technologies, and media using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Stanford's Communication Department has traditionally focused on three questions: How do communication practices and particularly journalism shape political life? How do media interact with the human psyche? And how do changes in media technologies and practices produce changes in culture over time? Students explore these questions at several levels, including a core curriculum, intermediate and advanced coursework, and optional internships. Majors also have opportunity to do advanced research projects. Students will graduate with the analytical and critical skills needed for success in graduate programs, professional schools, or immediate career entry.

Degrees Offered

More information.

Learn more about Communication in the Stanford Bulletin

• Department of Communication
• School of Humanities & Sciences
• Explore IntroSems related to this major

Exploratory Courses

Comm 1.

Introduction to Communication

COMM 104W

Reporting, Writing, and Understanding the News

COMM 124

Truth, Trust, and Tech (COMM 224)

COMM 158

Censorship and Propaganda (COMM 258)

COMM 164

The Psychology of Communication About Politics in America (COMM 264, POLISCI 124L, POLISCI 324L, PSYCH 170, PUBLPOL 164)

COMM 166

Virtual People (COMM 266)

COMM 172

Media Psychology (COMM 272)

COMM 1B

Media, Culture, and Society (AMSTUD 1B)

Related Links

Pathways through the Communication Major

Undergraduate Bachelors

Honors Program

Coterminal Masters in Media Studies

Law and Communication

This joint degree program offers students the opportunity to pursue academic, public policy, and private practice careers at the intersection of a variety of cutting edge debates in theory and policy, including: legal and normative First Amendment theories of speech and press; media and communications economy and policy issues; questions of the relationship between citizens and the state, especially regarding mass surveillance and big data; and cultural and normative questions about the implications of the shift to the digital realm. These and other questions are best informed by a blended education that draws on the methodological and substantive traditions of communication, coupled with the doctrinal foundation, legal writing skills, and policy plus clinical training uniquely available through a legal educations. This program embodies the belief that many of the most pressing questions in both communication law and policy can be best answered by the scholars who are able to draw on both traditions, and who would be situated to publish top scholarship, weigh in on policy debates, and potentially represent clients whose legal claims could benefit from the scholars’ expertise.

Course Requirements

Broad pieces of each curriculum are relevant to the other field. The Law School shall approve courses from the Communication program that may count toward the JD degree, and the Communication program shall approve courses from the Law School that may count toward the Ph.D. degree in Communication. In either case, approval may consist of a list applicable to all joint degree students or may be tailored to each individual student’s program.

Note to applicants:  The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program awards full funding to Stanford graduate students from all disciplines, with additional opportunities for leadership training and collaboration across fields. Joint Degree applicants are encouraged to apply to the  Knight – Hennessy Scholars Program.  Please be aware that the Knight-Hennessy Scholars applications are due in early Autumn one year prior to enrollment. View dates and deadlines: knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/dates-and-deadlines .

Pursuing the joint degree has afforded me opportunities to engage in novel scholarship about free expression at the intersection of law and communication, as well as made it possible for me to help shape the outcome of pressing policy issues, including federal shield legislation and network neutrality.

Morgan Weiland, JD '15, PhD '18

Barbara van Schewick

• M. Elizabeth Magill Professor of Law
• Director, Center for Internet and Society
• Professor, by courtesy, Electrical Engineering

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Admissions & Aid

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Application requirements for all doctoral programs (phd).

All of our doctoral programs are designed to develop outstanding educational researchers who have a deep understanding of the scientific, practical and policy issues they study. All require full-time study, and we promise five years of full-time financial support for every student we admit. Our doctoral programs are small, typically ranging from about 25 to 35 new students a year. The small size of our doctoral cohorts creates big educational advantages for students: the classes are almost always small, students receive individualized attention from their advisors, and they have many opportunities to develop close collegial relationships with fellow students.

It is extremely important to demonstrate in your statement of purpose that your interests converge closely with the current research of faculty who work in the program to which you are applying. Other doctoral applicants will certainly do this, and if you don't, you will forfeit an important competitive advantage to them. 

If you wish to contact faculty, please read our Which Degree Which Program article, by Professor Eamonn Callan, which outlines the appropriate process for contacting faculty with whom you share research interests. 

• Program website:  Degrees and Programs/PhD
• Length of Program:  5 years (average length)
• Tuition: fellowship/assistantship salary and tuition guaranteed for first five years of the program (autumn, winter and spring quarters) for all students, including international students. Funding includes two summers.

Application Requirements:

Application form.

Complete and submit Stanford's graduate online application .

Application Fee

The application fee is $125 , is non-refundable, and must be received by the application deadline.

Application Fee Waivers

Stanford offers three types of application fee waivers for which GSE applicants may apply and be considered:

• GRE Fee Reduction Certificate-Based Waiver
• Diversity Program Participation-Based Waiver
• School-Based Waiver

Please visit the Stanford Graduate Diversity website for instructions, deadlines, and the fee waiver application form.

Statement of Purpose

A Statement of Purpose is required. Your statement should be typed, single-spaced and should be between one to two pages . Describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the proposed program, your preparation for this field of study, and why our program is a good fit for you, your future career plans, and other aspects of your background as well as interests which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study. You may indicate potential faculty mentors as part of your study and research interests. Be sure to keep a copy for your records. What's a Good Statement of Purpose?

A resume or CV  is required of all applicants, depending on which document is most appropriate for your background. There is no page limit for resumes or CVs, though we typically see resumes of one page in length. Please upload your resume or CV in the online application.

Three (3) Letters of Recommendation

Applicants are required to submit three letters of recommendation . In the online application, you will be asked to identify your recommenders and their email addresses. Please notify your recommenders that they will receive an email prompt to submit their recommendation online. You can submit your request for letters of recommendation through the system without submitting the entire online application.  Stanford GSE only accepts online recommendations through the application system ; Stanford GSE cannot accept mailed, emailed or faxed recommendations.

Recommendations should be written by people who have supervised you in an academic, employment, or community service setting. We very strongly recommend that at least one of these letters be from a university professor familiar with your academic work. Your recommendations should directly address your suitability for admission to a graduate program at Stanford GSE.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all three letters of recommendation are submitted through the system by the application deadline , so please work closely with your recommenders to remind them of the deadline.

College and University Transcripts

Transcripts are required from every college and university you have attended for at least one academic year as a full-time student. When submitting your online application, transcripts should be uploaded to the application as a scanned copy or PDF ; this is sufficient for the application review process. Please refrain from sending a secured PDF/transcript with a digital signature as our system cannot upload these properly. The best way to ensure we receive an upload-able document is for you to print out the secured transcript, scan it, and upload the scanned copy (not to exceed 10MB) as a PDF. 

If you earned a degree at the institution from which you are submitting a transcript, please ensure that the degree conferral date and the degree conferred is clearly visible on the document. If you are currently enrolled in a degree program and will not have earned the respective degree by the time of submitting your GSE application, you should submit your most recent in-progress transcript from your institution.

Only if admitted will we contact you with instructions on sending two copies of your official transcripts to our office. We cannot accept mailed, emailed or faxed copies of your transcripts during the application process. Please note: the instructions for sending transcripts on the online application and on the general Stanford Graduate Admissions Office website differ from this Stanford GSE requirement.

Concerning course work completed in a study abroad program

If the coursework and grades are reflected on the transcript of your home institution, you do not need to submit original transcripts from the study abroad institution.

Concerning foreign institutions

If your institution provides a transcript in a language other than English, we require that you submit a translation of the transcript that is either provided by the institution or a certified translator. Translations must be literal and complete versions of the original records.

If your transcript does not include your degree conferral date and the degree conferred , please submit a scanned copy of your diploma, a conferral statement, or a conferral document in addition to your transcript . If you are currently enrolled in a degree program and will not have earned the respective degree by the time of submitting your GSE application, you should submit your most recent in-progress transcript from your institution.

Stanford University requires the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) from all applicants whose native language is not English. The GSE requires a minimum TOEFL score of 250 for the computer-based test, 600 for the paper-based test or 100 for the internet-based test in order to be considered for admission. The Test of Written English (TWE) portion of the TOEFL is not required. Applicants who have completed a four-year bachelor's degree or a two-year master's program (or its equivalent) in the U.S. or at an institution where English is the main language of instruction are not required to take the TOEFL. For more information on TOEFL requirements, please refer to the Required Exams  page on the main Stanford Graduate Admissions website. You may register for the TOEFL test directly at the ETS website .

TOEFL Dates and Deadlines

PhD applicants who are required to take the TOEFL should plan to take the internet-based TOEFL test and have official TOEFL scores sent electronically to Stanford at institution code 4704 (department code does not matter) no later than November 1 . This will give your official TOEFL scores time to be sent from ETS and be received by our system in time for the December 1 deadline. PhD applicants to Knight-Hennessy Scholars should plan to take the internet-based TOEFL test no later than October 16 so your scores can be received by our system in time for the November 16 KHS GSE deadline. Please note that the TOEFL may be taken no earlier than 18 months prior to the application deadline.

Does Stanford accept tests other than TOEFL?

No. We accept only TOEFL scores; we do not accept IELTS or other test scores.

Contact Information

Admissions:  [email protected]  

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ExploreDegrees Archive, 2011-12

Explore courses, alphabetical index, bulletin archive.

This archived information is dated to the 2011-12 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin .

Master of Arts in Communication

University requirements for the master's degree are described in the " Graduate Degrees " section of this bulletin.

The department awards a terminal M.A. degree in Communication with a field of study in Journalism. Applicants for this program are evaluated for admission on different criteria. Work to fulfill graduate degree requirements must be in courses numbered 100 or above.

Stanford students who are completing an M.A. degree and who desire entry into the Ph.D. program must file a Graduate Program Authorization Petition in Axess. Such students are considered alongside all other doctoral applicants.

Stanford's graduate program in Journalism focuses on the knowledge and skills required to report, analyze, and write authoritatively about public issues and digital media. The curriculum combines a sequence of specialized reporting and writing courses with seminars and courses devoted to deepening the students' understanding of the roles and responsibilities of American news media in their coverage of public issues.

The program emphasizes preparation for the practice of journalism and a critical perspective from which to understand it. The program's objective is twofold: (1) to graduate talented reporters and writers to foster public understanding of the significance and consequences of public issues and the debates they engender; and (2) to graduate thoughtful journalists to respond openly and eloquently when called on to explain and defend the methods of their reporting and the quality of their writing.

The curriculum includes several required courses, examples of which are shown below, and a master's project:

• COMM 216. Journalism Law
• COMM 217. Digital Journalism
• COMM 225. Perspectives on American Journalism
• COMM 240. Digital Media Entrepreneurship
• COMM 273,274. Public Issues Reporting I,II
• COMM 275. Multimedia Storytelling
• COMM 289. Journalism M.A. Project
• COMM 291. Graduate Journalism Seminar

Additionally, students are usually required to take two specialized writing courses, chosen from a list of seven or eight, and two approved electives from among graduate-level courses in the Department of Communication, or from among courses on campus that deal substantively with issues of public importance. The M.A. degree in Communication (Journalism) requires a minimum of 45 units.

Except for the Graduate Journalism Seminar and the Journalism Project, all courses must be taken for a letter grade. To remain in good academic standing, students must maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better. Graduation requires a GPA of 3.0 or better.

JOURNALISM PROJECT

The Journalism master's project, a requirement for graduation, is intended as an opportunity for students to showcase their talents as writers and reporters. It is also an opportunity to undertake an in-depth critique of an area of journalism in which the author has a special interest. Work on the project usually begins during Winter Quarter and continues through Spring Quarter. Completed master's projects must be submitted to the project adviser no later than the last day of classes in the Spring Quarter. The project represents a major commitment of time, research, and writing. Although it is not a requirement that the project be published, it must be judged by a member of the faculty to be of a quality acceptable for publication. At a minimum, the project should demonstrate the rigor and discipline required of good scholarship and good journalism; it should offer ample evidence of students' ability to gather, analyze, and synthesize information in a manner that goes beyond what ordinarily appears in daily news media.

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