After creating an account on our application portal, you will be prompted to describe "how your lived experience informs your skillset as it relates to the graduate program for which you are applying."

These experiences can include a wide range of factors that the student views as important to share about their life experiences, such as:

• Work and Volunteer Experience: Relevant jobs, internships, or volunteer work that have provided them with practical skills or insights.

• Personal Challenges: Overcoming obstacles, whether related to socioeconomic background, health, or other life circumstances, that have contributed to their resilience and problem-solving abilities.

• Educational Journey: Unique aspects of their academic path, such as non-traditional education or learning experiences that have prepared them for graduate-level work.

We’re looking for applicants to connect these experiences to the skills and perspectives they bring to your program, highlighting how these have equipped them to succeed in a graduate school setting. Additionally, there is no character or word count limit for this prompt, so applicants are encouraged to share their experiences in as much detail as they feel necessary.

In your statement, address each item below:

• In the first section, provide a brief statement that identifies your educational and professional goals, including the areas of interest you wish to pursue in Communication Studies and your interest in the Deliberative Practices Specialization (if applicable), limiting your response to 500 words.
• In the second section (if interested), to apply for a teaching assistantship, please indicate your interest and describe the skills and experience you have that are relevant to classroom teaching, limiting your response to 250 words.

In your statement, address each item below in a separate section:

• In the first section, describe your academic and professional goals, identify the area(s) of study in which you plan to specialize, and discuss how your goals and interests align with our program.
• In the second section, include a teaching statement that describes your teaching experience, your pedagogical philosophy, and the courses that you are qualified to teach and/or interested in teaching as a doctoral student.

The application fee is $70 for international students and $60 for U.S. citizens/permanent residents. The application fee is non-refundable.

Colorado State University supports options for students to apply for free as part of our commitment to access.

Your application fee will be automatically waived if you earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally (HLC) accredited Colorado Institution or a U.S. Land-Grant Institution.

If you don’t qualify for a fee waiver, you can apply for free on December 1st, 2024. This free application day is open to all new applicants to our Master’s and Doctoral programs.

To submit your application on Free Application Days, you must provide the following materials and click the submit button on the application.

• Names and contact information for recommenders/references
• Upload Statement of Purpose
• Upload CV/resume
• Required essay and supplemental question responses
• Personal History Statement

Other required materials, such as recommendation letters, transcripts, and self-reported English proficiency scores (for international students) do not need to be submitted on or received by the free application day in order for your application to be free. However, they must be submitted by our application deadline, Dec 15th.

You can begin your application at any time, and we recommend that you do so. Your content will be saved as you fill out the application. You must click submit on your application on Dec 1st to qualify for the free application.

Please check the CSU Graduate School’s website for more information.

Yes, we accept unofficial transcripts as part of the application. However, if you receive a recommendation for admission, official transcripts will be required before final acceptance by the graduate school.

To submit official transcripts, contact your previous institutions to request that they send official transcripts to Colorado State University (use institution code 4075). Your institution can also send official transcripts directly to gradadmissions@colostate.edu.

For any documents that cannot be uploaded, submit paper copies directly to the Office of Admissions at:

Graduate Admissions
Colorado State University
1062 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1062

No, prospective candidates should not seek out a faculty advisor before submitting their applications. We encourage students to become acquainted with us and make advising decisions after they arrive and have the opportunity to get to know our faculty.

A four-year bachelor's degree is the minimum qualification for admission to a graduate program, and our graduate school requires a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0.

Students are exempt from the TOEFL or IELTS requirement if they are citizens of one of these countries OR if they have recently earned a degree at a university in the United States, OR if they have recently earned a degree from a university in one of these countries.

For other applicants, proof of proficiency is needed. The minimum acceptable English test scores are as follows:

TOEFL: 102 (Reading: 20, Listening: 22, Speaking: 25, Writing: 20)
IELTS: 7.5 (Reading: 6.5, Listening: 6.5, Speaking: 7.5, Writing: 6.0)

International students can request test centers to send score reports Colorado State University, using our institution code 4075. Photocopies will not be accepted.

No, we do not require the GRE for admission.

If you have not yet received your MA degree, we recommend applying for our MA program first. An MA degree is required for admission to our PhD program.

We offer teaching assistantships to all students who are admitted into our program. This assistantship covers tuition and provides a monthly stipend. Information about funding opportunities for MA students can be found at the bottom of this page: M.A. in Communication Studies - Communication Studies | Colorado State University (colostate.edu).

We offer teaching assistantships to all students who are admitted into our program. This assistantship covers tuition and provides a monthly stipend. Information about funding opportunities for PhD students can be found at the bottom of this page: Ph.D. in Communication - Communication Studies | Colorado State University (colostate.edu).