The deadline for submission of completed applications (including supporting documentation) for September entry into the MA program is January 31 for both domestic and international students. NOTE: Students who have attended educational institutions outside North America are encouraged to submit official transcripts to McMaster by January 1st to allow for internal McMaster processing prior to the January 31st deadline. Students applying from outside Canada are also strongly encouraged to submit their application by January 1st to allow for longer mailing times and to permit us to follow up and ensure receipt of all application materials.
The online application system will open on November 15th for September admission. Application fees are not refundable.
Only completed applications (including supporting documentation) will be reviewed. Your application materials and supporting documents must be uploaded to the application system. If you need assistance uploading a document, supporting documents can also be sent directly to the Department of Communication Studies and Media Arts via email to the Graduate Administrator at gradcnm@mcmaster.ca. If sending supporting documentation directly to the Department, please send them as PDF files in one email per the instructions listed below with the subject line “Last Name, First Name: Supporting Documents” (your name should be listed as it appears in your online application). Alternatively, you may mail your supporting documents in hard copy to the following address (DO NOT USE STAPLES):
Department of Communication Studies and Media Arts
c/o Graduate Administrative Assistant
Togo Salmon Hall 332
McMaster University
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, ON L8S 4M2
Documents required
- A completed Online application
- Application Fee (submitted during the online application process). This fee is non-refundable and must be paid in Canadian dollars by means of a credit or debit card payment.
- Two (2) academic recommendations from instructors most familiar with your work. Recommendations may be submitted directly via email from the referees to gradcnm@mcmaster.ca,or provided via the online application system. If submitting the references by postal mail or in person, please ensure that referees have signed across the seal of the envelope. NOTE: THE ONLINE APPLICATION SYSTEM WILL PROMPT YOUR REFEREES TO SUBMIT REFERENCES. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE YOUR REFERENCES ARE SUBMITTED BY THE APPLICATION DEADLINE, AND TO REQUEST THOSE LETTERS PERSONALLY, IN TIME FOR LETTERS TO BE SUBMITTED BY THE DEADLINE. PLEASE REQUEST ALL LETTERS WELL BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION.
- One (1) official transcript of all academic work completed to date (including undergraduate and graduate if applicable). Upload a scan of your transcript to the application system, and arrange to have an official transcript sent directly to the Department of Communication Studies and Media Arts from the issuing institution. If you have had the transcripts mailed to you, or you picked them up yourself from the issuing institution, they must come in a sealed envelope with the original university seal. If the final transcript does not show that a completed degree has been conferred, an official copy of your diploma is also required. Please submit your official sealed transcripts by mail to the address listed above, or by secure e-transcript from the issuing institution to gradcnm@mcmaster.ca.
- A 500-word (two pages, double-spaced) statement of interest. The statement of interest plays an important role in our assessment of your application. It is an opportunity to outline the Major Research Project (MRP) you propose to undertake and to present your theoretical interests, areas of critical or creative engagement, and your particular fields of emerging expertise. Your statement of interest should include the following:
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- The MRP model you propose to produce:
- a 40-page research paper, or
- a digital media project with short paper;
- The objectives of your critical or creative research, including the question, problem, or issue you are interested in addressing;
- The critical debates, theoretical frameworks, creative models, artistic concepts, primary works, and/or methodological approaches that will inform your MRP;
- One or more faculty members who you think might be suitable supervisors for your MRP; a list of eligible faculty members can be found here.
- A brief reflection upon activities or experiences relevant to your research and to contributing to an engaged and engaging Masters program (i.e. community engagement activities, knowledge mobilization activities, previous experience as a research assistant or teaching assistant, etc.);
- Your motivations to pursue this program;
- Important: please list the names of your two referees and their email addresses at the end of your statement. Please upload your statement of interest to the application system. You may also submit your statement of interest as a PDF file via email to gradcnm@mcmaster.ca.
- The MRP model you propose to produce:
- A sample of your academic writing. You should submit a copy of an academic essay that you’ve written for an undergraduate course; the essay should demonstrate your writing abilities and your ideas. Ideally, it should be no longer than 10 pages double-spaced. Please upload your sample of writing to the application system. You may also submit your sample of writing as a PDF file via email to gradcnm@mcmaster.ca.
- A sample of your multimedia work (if applicable). Students with a Media Arts background are strongly encouraged to submit a sample of their creative work. Please upload your sample or work or links to your sample of work to the application system. You may also submit links to your samples of work in one PDF file to gradcnm@mcmaster.ca.
- A current Curriculum Vitae (CV), preferably no longer than 2 pages.
- Evidence of competency in English: Applicants whose native language is not English and who have not graduated from/or are currently attending an institution where the medium of instruction is English will be required to provide an official record of the Test of English as a Foreign Language. A TOEFL score of 600 on the paper-based test, 250 on the computerized test, and 100 on the Internet-based test is required. If you are submitting the IELTS test, a score of 7.0 is required. Please upload your unofficial result to the application system and arrange to have your official score report sent by mail to the address listed above.
For any additional information about the application process, contact us at gradcnm@mcmaster.ca.
Apply to an MA Program in Communications & New Media