- Application and Admissions
Current TCU students who would like to apply should plan to complete the online application. Students must have completed at least one semester at TCU and have a TCU GPA to be eligible. Applications for fall will be available on this page from Sept. 16 to 20.
Students will need to have PDF copies of their unofficial transcript and resume to include with the application. These documents will be collected along with an essay and creative writing exercise that will be completed in the application.
In 2012, a new admission process for Strategic Communication was put into place. Admission to the major requires multiple steps and admission is competitive. Students with more than 80 college credits will not be admitted to the major, whether internal or external transfers, because course sequencing in the major requires at least five long semesters to complete.
To be considered for admission to the Department of Strategic Communication, students must complete all of the following, based on their current student status:
Once admitted to TCU, incoming students may declare the major prior to the start of orientation sessions. Students may be directly admitted to the major in the fall semester if they meet have completed no hours at TCU. (Exception for hours from AP or IB courses or dual-credit from high school or another university/college.)
Any student currently enrolled in another TCU degree program must have a 2.5 minimum overall TCU GPA and should have a 3.0 GPA to be competitive. To receive a reminder about the next application session, please email Meghan Sanderson at m.sanderson@tcu.edu to be placed on an information list.
Unless otherwise indicated, potential internal transfer students should plan to complete the online application when it is open during the first six weeks of each long semester. (Email stratcomm@tcu.edu or visit schieffercollege.tcu.edu/stratcomm/ for dates.) As part of the application, students will:
The application must include PDF copies of a resume and unofficial transcripts verifying the GPA (for internal and external transfer students only); the Personal Creative Narrative and creative assignment; the Ethics and Professionalism Statement for the Department of Strategic Communication; and the basic information form for the department records.
The TCU Office of Admission makes the decision on all transfer applicants. To be considered for provisional admission to the major during the first semester after admission to TCU, students should have at least a 3.0 transfer GPA from a four-year institution and a 3.25 GPA from a two-year institution. Students may enroll in the gateway courses (STCO 23113 or STCO 23123) during their first semester, if the GPA requirement is met; they have met with an academic adviser; and have read and signed the ethics and professionalism statement.
After admittance to the major, students must earn a C or higher and a combined 2.5 GPA in the two introductory courses, STCO 23113 Advertising and STCO 23123 Public Relations, before enrolling in additional strategic communication courses. Additionally, students must also complete MATH 10043 Elementary Statistics or INSC 20153 Statistical Analysis (or equivalent) with a C- or higher before enrolling in many of the advanced courses requiring this prerequisite. Students must earn a C or higher in each strategic communication course counted toward major degree requirements.
In the event of a formal appeal concerning the application process, the chair of the Department of Strategic Communication will appoint three faculty members in the department to review the appeal and report to the chair.