Communication, Ph.D.

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The Ph.D. in Communication Studies is mainly designed to prepare students for positions in academia, but also equips those seeking professional advancement in research-based communication industry careers. Doctoral training is grounded in multiple approaches to theories and methods in communication as well as communication pedagogy. With foundational knowledge in place, a student can build specializations in such areas as health communication, strategic communication/persuasion, global communication, media uses and effects, and critical and cultural studies of communication (among others).

Additional Admission Requirements

In addition to the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Communication has the following requirements:

A statement of educational or career goals
Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can evaluate the applicant’s potential to do graduate work in Communication
An above average undergraduate and master’s grade point average
A sufficiently high score on the verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) prior to consideration for acceptance into the graduate degree program (and for international students, the TOEFL examination)
A writing sample that demonstrates their ability to conduct and effectively present academic research

NOTE: All applicants for the Ph.D. in Communication must have earned a master’s degree before entering the program.

Students who have substantial records of professional experience in a communication field may also provide a one-page summary of their experience.

Applicants for the Ph.D. program will be admitted for the fall semester only. The department will not consider requests for Special Graduate Status admission.

Degree Requirements

Core Courses (17 hours)

COMM 8015 - Quantitative Research Methods 3 Credit Hours
COMM 8035 - Doctoral Colloquium in Communication Pedagogy 3 Credit Hours
COMM 8111 - Introduction to Graduate Studies 2 Credit Hours
COMM 8410 - Qualitative Methods 3 Credit Hours
COMM 8590 - Scientific Approaches to Communication 3 Credit Hours
COMM 8690 - Critical and Cultural Approaches to Communication 3 Credit Hours

Additional Requirements

Twenty-four hours in coursework to develop interdisciplinary specialization among such areas as health communication, strategic communication, media uses and effects, and global communication.
Six hours of research courses to develop methodological specialization
Minimum of twenty-one hours of COMM 9999 Dissertation Research
A written comprehensive examination
A successful oral defense of the comprehensive exams
A successful dissertation prospectus defense
A successful dissertation defense

Graduate Assistants

Graduate assistants are required to enroll for a minimum of 12 credit hours each for the fall/spring semesters and 9 credit hours for the summer semester. These credit hours will consist of courses required for the prescribed program of study, as well additional hours of COMM 6990, COMM 8780, COMM 9999.

COMM 6990 - Thesis Research 1 to 20 Credit Hours
COMM 8780 - Directed Research in Communication 1 to 20 Credit Hours
COMM 9999 - Doctoral Dissertation Research 1 to 20 Credit Hours