Apply to this Program

Admission Requirements

Applicants should have at least seven years of experience working in corporate communications for a multinational corporation or global nonprofit organization, with a title of vice president or higher.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate the ability for critical thinking and analysis, be fluent in English, write clearly, concisely, and convincingly, using proper grammar. They must also be expert in basic office software, Internet research, and data gathering.

Applicants who are non-native speakers of English are required to demonstrate satisfactory English proficiency by submitting recent official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). (Use school code 2594 to report TOEFL scores.) Applicants must have a score of at least 600 on the paper version of the TOEFL, 250 on the computer version, or 100 on the Internet-based version to be considered for admission.

Application Materials

  1. Completed application form (PDF). Mail it, together with all supporting documents, to the address below.
  2. $50.00 nonrefundable application fee ( U.S. currency). Applicants may pay in the form of a check or money order made out to Columbia University , or provide credit card information on the application form. Do not send cash. Checks must be in U.S. currency drawn on a U.S. bank.
  3. Résumé
  4. At least two letters of recommendation, either from current or former supervisors. The letters should address your ability to think critically, to analyze and organize complex information, and to write fluently.
  5. Statement of academic purpose (no more than 750 words) addressing the following:
    • What do you expect to contribute to the program?
    • What do you anticipate being the greatest challenge of this two-week program?
  6. An admissions interview may be required.

Submitting the Application

  1. Applicants should submit their application and all supporting materials in a single packet. While the Office of Admissions will accept materials submitted piecemeal, such submissions substantially delay the admissions process.
  2. All submitted materials should clearly bear the applicant's name and the name of the program.
  3. Applications are not considered complete until all required materials (including the application fee, and TOEFL scores if necessary) have been received. Only complete applications are reviewed.

Mailing Address and Contact Information

Strategic Communications Summer Program
Office of Admissions
School of Continuing Education
203 Lewisohn Hall
2970 Broadway, Mail Code 4119
New York, NY 10027-6902
212-854-9666
Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM; Friday, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM

Important: Students are notified of admissions decisions via e-mail. In most cases it takes two to three weeks for an applicant to receive a decision on a completed application.