Admissions Requirements
Entrance into either the M.A. or Ph.D. programs in Communication Studies is limited to the best qualified applicants. A minimum CGPA of 3.3 or the equivalent, i.e. 75%, is required.
M.A. Program
An Honours Bachelor's degree or quivalent is required of applicants for the MA program with a minimum CGPA of 3.3 on 4.0. In any case, the transcript must show breadth or depth in related area of study.
Ph.D. Program
Applicants for the Ph.D. program are expected to have completed the equivalent of an M.A. degree. Admission will be based on academic achievement and evidence of talent and strong motivation in communication studies. Candidates with an M.A. will be admitted into Phase II of the doctoral program, thereby gaining credit for one year of resident study.
Application Deadlines
Date for Guaranteed Consideration:
MA: January 15 for following September admission.
PhD: January 15 for following September admission.
There are no January admissions for the M.A. and Ph.D. programs.
The only application method is online via the McGill website at: http://www.mcgill.ca/applying/online. For any problems with your online application contact the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office.
Application Checklist
All supplemental application materials should be forwarded to:
Graduate Administrative Coordinator
Department of Art History and Communication Studies
McGill University
853 Sherbrooke Street West Arts Building – Room W225
Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2T6
CANADA
1. Application form (to be filled out online).
2. Application fee (payable by credit card when filling out the online application).
3. Transcripts (2 official copies).*
4. Letters of Recommendation (2 original letters on letterhead).*
5. Written samples (2 samples in English or French).
6. Statement of interest of at least 500 words addressing the student's interest in Communication and the proposed area of research.
7. Proof of Citizenship (Copy of Passport or Birth Certificate).
8. For international applicants whose first language is not English please follow this link.
* TRANSCRIPTS and RECOMMENDATION LETTERS:
The two official sets of transcripts and the two letters of recommendation may be mailed directly from your university to our department or they may be included in your application package provided the letters are sealed in envelopes and signed by the recommender across the seal. The letters must be written on the department letterhead of the person writing the letter.
For any admissions problems, please contact Maureen Coote, the Graduate Administrative Coordinator (Office: Arts W235; Phone: (514) 398-4933; Maureen [dot] Coote [at] mcgill [dot] ca (Email) ).
Admissions Frequently Asked Questions
My undergraduate degree is in a field other than Communications, but I wish to apply for your MA. Do I need to do a BA in Communications first?
No. We accept, into our degrees, students with a wide variety of backgrounds and previous degrees. We suggest, however, that you use our Statement of Interest to explain the link between your previous degree and your intended area of study.
Does your program offer practical or professional training in journalism (or public relations or television production)?
No. Our program is oriented towards the history and analysis of communications phenomena. We do not offer professional training in journalism or media production.
What should I put in my Statement of Interest? Must I name a thesis supervisor at the moment of applying? Must I have a thesis topic already?
Because we receive applications from students with a variety of backgrounds, the Statement of Interest is very useful in helping us to decide whether an applicant will fit within our program. A good Statement of Interest will provide a succinct description of the applicant's interests and intended areas of study. It should not include vague platitudes about the importance of communications in the world. While we do not expect you to have a final idea of your MA or PhD thesis topic at the time of applying, you should have some sense of the areas or questions which you wish to pursue.
You are not required to choose a supervisor at the time of application, and we encourage students to get to know the various professors in the Program before choosing a supervisor. Nevertheless, it is helpful to us if, in your application, you can show how your intended area of study relates to the research or teaching areas of faculty within the Program.
My interests cover both Communications and Art History. What is the exact relationship between the two disciplines within the Department? Can I do a joint degree in both programs?
The degree programs in Art History and Communications Studies are separate offerings within our Department. Nevertheless, many students in one discipline will take one or more courses in the other, or include a Faculty member from the other discipline on their synthesis exam or thesis committees. While the disciplines are distinct, we are looking to develop areas of possible overlap, such as the study of new media arts or histories of representational technologies (for example, photography.) As yet, we do not offer joint degrees in Art History and Communications Studies, though we may develop such degrees in the future.