AdmissionsAdmissionsAdmissions

Admissions Overview

The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University seeks curious, thoughtful and innovative professionals who believe the world can be changed for the better through the field of communications. We encourage you to apply if your academic and professional backgrounds have prepared you to meet the demands of a rigorous master’s degree program.

Explore Tuition and Financial Aid

Visit our tuition and financial aid page to learn more about ways to fund your education and scholarship opportunities.

Start Dates

The online communication programs from the Newhouse School offer class start dates four times a year. Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. The current start dates are below.

January

April

July

October

Application Deadlines

Program Start DateEarly Priority DeadlinePriority DeadlineApplication Deadline
January 2025
September 27, 2024
October 18, 2024
November 15, 2024

Application Requirements

The online communication programs from the Newhouse School require applicants to hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university. To complete your application, you must submit the following:

Online Application

You can access the online application here.

Resume

Your resume should be current and detail your employment history, academic honors, publications, leadership roles and/or other academic, professional and community activities.

Personal Statement

Your statement should be written entirely by you, with no assistance. The 500-word essay should describe any personal experiences or achievements related to your decision to pursue your master’s degree, why you chose the Newhouse School, your career goals and how you expect the degree to aid you in achieving those goals.

Transcripts

Official degree-bearing transcripts are required. You may be required to submit transcripts from the other academic institutions you have attended as well. Please send transcripts to:

Syracuse University
Application Processing Center
Newhouse School Online
P.O. Box 30096 017-002
College Station, TX 77842

Many schools issue transcripts electronically, either through their own web services or through vendors. If this option is available through the institutions you attended, please specify that your transcript(s) be sent to applicationservices@communications.syr.edu as this will expedite the delivery of your transcript(s) and the completion of your application.

Letters of Recommendation

Two letters of recommendation are required. Professional or academic references are acceptable.

Test Scores

Known for academic excellence, the Newhouse School seeks applicants who have the potential to become communications leaders. Although standardized test scores can sometimes indicate this potential, we believe that students’ professional experience, past academic excellence and recommendations are better indicators than the result of any single examination.

Applicants to the online master’s in communications programs are not required to submit GRE scores. If, however, you think your GRE scores or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores could be an asset to your application, you can request that your official scores be sent to us. Syracuse University’s GRE school code is 2823, and our GMAT school code is NG0-HT-87.

Our admissions committee will evaluate your application holistically to ensure that your cohort comprises high-achieving students who bring a wealth of experience and perspectives to the online classroom.

The admissions committee reserves the right to request a GRE score from any applicant. In rare cases during the review process, the committee may not be able to make an informed decision solely on the information provided. In these cases, an admissions counselor will request a test score on the committee’s behalf.

Video Interview

An online video interview, conducted and submitted via Kira Talent, is required for admission. Each interview consists of four questions that will include a combination of written and oral components. You will have a chance to answer practice questions to prepare, but the actual interview questions will not be available until you begin the interview. No prior preparation is necessary. You will receive an invitation to register for the interview within a few days of submitting your application.

Application Fee

The application fee is $75, and it is nonrefundable. If you apply by the priority deadline, the application fee is $45. Application fee waivers are available for active-duty service members, veterans, McNair Scholars, current Syracuse University undergraduate and graduate students, Syracuse University alumni and Syracuse University employees. Speak with an admissions counselor to learn more.

Experience Requirements

Since the M.S. in Communications Management program is designed for experienced professionals, applicants must have at least five years of communications work experience to be considered for admission. There is not an experience requirement for the M.S. in Communications program.