FAQ
- Application Opens: September 15, 2026
- Application Deadline: December 1, 2026
No. Individual faculty welcome emails from prospective students, but applicants should know that students will be admitted to the program, not to study under specific faculty per se.
Yes. Faculty members beyond the core faculty may be available to advise students in Rhetoric, Media, and Publics. We recommend contacting any such faculty before applying. We also recommend listing any such faculty on your application.
No. We only admit students who can attend full-time.
No. We only admit students who can attend full-time.
No. Because we admit graduate students as a cohort, students can only begin their studies in the fall term.
Yes. Individuals who wish to study for the doctorate, but do not have a MA should apply to the MA/PHD program. Students admitted to the MA/PHD program complete their MA in Rhetoric, Media, and Publics as part of their preparation for the doctorate.
All students who are admitted to our MA/PHD or PHD programs receive financial support packages including both fellowships and teaching assistantships.
No application is necessary. Those who apply for admission to the MA/PHD and PHD programs are automatically considered for funding.
Yes. Regardless of whether applicants are domestic or international, all who are admitted to either our MA/PHD or PHD program receive funding. To receive funding, international students must demonstrate proficiency in English by providing official transcripts verifying an undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year institution or equivalent, where the language of instruction is English or scoring 5 (100) or higher on the Internet Based TOEFL (IBT) and have ETS send your official scores to the institution code 1565 for The NU Graduate School.
No. To be considered for admission, all international students must take the IBT at least two months prior to submitting their application for admission; the IBT must have been completed no more than two years prior to the intended quarter of entry.
No. You may still submit GRE scores to Northwestern, however. Applicants should have ETS send their official GRE scores (verbal, quantitative and analytical writing) to the institution code 1565 for The NU Graduate School. We do not require any of the special area tests.