Applicants to the international ASCoR PhD program are required to have a Research Master degree in Communication Science or equivalent qualifications.

A Research Master degree is a 2-year Master program with 60 ECTS in methodology and statistics. Candidates who do not meet this criterion will be asked to follow a made-to-measure transfer program prior to the start of the PhD project.

Candidates who do not have a Master degree in Communication Science, or a closely related field - such as (Mass) Communication Studies, Media Studies, or Journalism - will be asked to follow a made-to-measure transfer program. The program usually consists of the Intensive Introduction to Communication Science taught in August and January, to be completed prior to the start of the PhD project, plus some Master coursework up to ca. 12 ECTS during the first two years of the PhD project.

Admission will take into account the student's performance at University, the quality of his or her Master's thesis, and personal motivation to conduct a PhD research project. In general, our PhD candidates are among the top Master students.

Towards the end of the first year of each PhD project, the ASCoR Board reviews the student's progress and decides whether admission will be continued to finish the PhD project. This decision depends on an evaluation of a First Year Paper, an assessment by the supervisors, and progress of coursework.