Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School and should have completed a minimum of 24 quarter or 16 credit hours in communication studies or related subjects. A program for remedying deficiencies in background can be arranged by the school's Graduate Committee.

Inquiries regarding admission to graduate studies in communication studies should be directed to the director of graduate studies of the School of Communication Studies.

Each applicant should apply online and upload three letters of recommendation. Official transcripts should be mailed directly to the school. In addition, applicants for the Ph.D. in Communication Studies degree program may furnish a research paper as evidence of research and writing ability.
Three letters of recommendations are required. Please follow the guidelines on the Graduate School application page to insure that your letter writers can comply with your
request for a recommendation. Ideally, the letters of recommendation will be from individuals who can speak to your academic abilities.
A Statement of Purpose is requested. This is a short document (1-3 pages) that outlines why you want to pursue a graduate degree and what you hope to accomplish during your time at SIU, should you be admitted.
The GRE is optional. The School of Communication Studies no longer requires GRE scores for admittance
International students must have a TOEFL score of 600 (paper based), 250 (computer based) or 100 (internet based). The minimum required score for the IELTS is 7. Test scores must not be older than 2 years. International students should also provide a Financial Statement as outlined on the Graduate School application page.
For admission to a Master's program:
2.7 (on a grading scale with 4.0=A, approximately a B- average) on the last two years of Bachelor's coursework
3.0 on all previous graduate work (approximately a B average)