Admissions & Funding
Application Deadlines
February 15: To be considered for funding
To be considered for a paid Graduate Assistant/Graduate Teaching Assistant position (tuition remission + stipend), you must submit an application for the Fall semester by February 15. (Assistantships are allocated in early March.)
Rolling admissions for those not seeking internal funding
If you do not seek an MCPH graduate assistantship, you can apply at any time for admission to the next semester.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Transcripts from your undergraduate institution. (The Graduate School will need your official transcripts eventually, but the MCPH Steering Committee can make initial admissions decisions based on unofficial transcripts.)
- 3 letters of recommendation. At least two should be written by faculty at your undergraduate institution.
- A personal statement (~750 words) outlining your preparation and goals
- Writing Sample (usually between 10 and 20 pages)
- GRE Scores (optional)
- Any other personal documents required by the Graduate School’s general application
- Undergraduate BS or BA degree, preferably in the humanities or design disciplines (e.g., American Studies, Architecture, Area Studies, Art History, Classics, Communication, Folklore, History, History of Design, Interior Design, Industrial Design, Landscape Architecture, Political Science, Religion and Culture)
- A strong undergraduate GPA, ideally 3.5 in-major undergraduate, 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA.
- For international students, a TOEFL score of 550 (written) or 213 (computerized) or 80 (IBT)
Please note that these requirements have some flexibility; in accordance with the Graduate School’s philosophy of Holistic Admissions, we consider applicants as people, not numbers. Consequently, we sometimes admit students with lower GPAs or GRE scores when those scores are offset by other factors, including:
- Community engagement/service
- Demonstrated leadership
- Personal/professional ethics
- Documented achievements
- Research and scholarship
- Social, economic, and physical challenges, or other barriers
Usually within 10 business days for our admissions decision. We try to finalize our funding decisions by March 1 (for those who have submitted applications by February 15 for consideration of funding).
Find Funding
The MCPH Program funds as many students as possible, but sometimes we have more students than available funding lines.
In-house Funding
To be considered for funding through the MCPH Program, applicants must submit their applications by February 15 (for the following fall semester).
Funding Options
Most MCPH students have graduate assistantships. These come with a full tuition waiver, a modest stipend, and–per the Commonwealth of Virginia–require 20 hours of work per week and a 12-credit course load each semester.
- Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) help faculty teach undergraduate classes.
- Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) help faculty with research projects.
- Graduate Assistants (GAs) help faculty and administrators with clerical and/or administrative work.
Please see this link to the Graduate School for more in-depth information regarding assistantships as well as the basic criteria for eligibility for assistantships.
Other kinds of funding (scholarships, fellowships, and work-life grants) are available through the Graduate School. Note that these options have their own deadlines and eligibility criteria, and they are awarded by the Graduate School, not the MCPH Program. See link for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
The MCPH Program tries to renew the funding of all full-time students funded by the program during their first year. Thus, students who enter with funding typically have funding for four semesters (two years). However, because we are subject to changes in the University’s annual budget, we cannot guarantee funding beyond a one-year period. Furthermore, the MCPH Steering Committee reserves the right to withdraw funding from any student who fails to meet contractual duties or whose coursework fails to meet basic standards.
GTA positions may be located in the Department of Religion & Culture or the School of Visual Arts. Virginia Tech’s Moss Center for the Arts also employs two MCPH students each year. The MCPH Steering Committee assigns new students based on applicant profiles and apparent aptitudes. Positions available through the Graduate School do not require work hours, and are thus quite competitive.
The cost of the MCPH Program is set by the VT Graduate School (see link). If a student does not receive funding, we work to help them complete the degree as efficiently as possible.