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To be eligible to apply for the Ph.D. program, you must have completed, or be in the process of completing, a master's degree or equivalent advanced degree. If you are interested in the Ph.D. program but do not have an advanced degree, you should apply to the M.A. in mass communication with the intent of applying for a change of status during your second year of master's study.
Once admitted to the Ph.D. program, you work closely with a faculty adviser to select your dissertation field and supporting coursework. Common areas of research include:
In addition, our curriculum's interdisciplinary nature and the ability of students to minor allows students to customize specific research and career interests.
All Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of 54 graduate credits, 24 thesis credits, and a dissertation. All course work must be taken on an A-F grading basis.
The following requirements must be fulfilled to complete the Ph.D. program in mass communication:
Social Science Methodology Core
You also must take two of the following courses:
Humanities Methodology Core
You also must take two of the following courses:
Doctoral students pursuing international communication are expected to have or obtain high language proficiency in an appropriate area. Doctoral students in other areas are encouraged to consult with their advisers regarding the appropriateness of language study.
Written and oral preliminary examinations cover the required methodology core courses, dissertation area courses, and supporting course work, and are taken when your graduate course work is complete (usually at the end of your third year of study).
As a doctoral student, you may not register for thesis credits until you have passed the preliminary oral examination. Preliminary written and oral examinations cover the required methodology core courses, dissertation area, and supporting coursework.
You may request the transfer of the following types of course credits from the Graduate School after gaining approval from your adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies.
Note: Transfer of graduate credit is not allowed for courses completed through independent (correspondence) study, completed through extension or special categories at other institutions, or taken before the awarding of a baccalaureate degree. See the Graduate School Catalog for complete transfer coursework guidelines.
Preliminary written Ph.D. examinations are scheduled to test mastery of the student's chosen area of study after coursework in the filed degree program has been completed. Written examinations cover the examinee's dissertation and supporting areas of study, including methodologies and mass communication research coursework.
Comprehensive and aimed at the highest levels of scholarship, the exams are designed to assess abilities in abstract and concrete thought, including:
An examination may include all or any combination of the above. Students should plan ahead and budget preparation time for the examinations. Generally, most students allow at least one semester for review, reading, thought and reflection in preparation for the examination.
After the Preliminary Written Examination Report has been submitted to the Graduate School, students may schedule the preliminary oral exam. Students are responsible for contacting their committee members and scheduling the oral examination. Students obtain the Graduate School Doctoral Preliminary Oral Examination Scheduling Form from the SJMC Graduate Studies Office. Preliminary oral examinations must be scheduled with the Graduate School at least one week in advance of the exam.
The preliminary oral examination is administered in compliance with the rules set forth in the Graduate School Catalog. All members of the committee and the student are expected to meet face-to-face for the examination in every circumstance possible. When a faculty member of a graduate committee cannot be present for an examination, special arrangements must be made well in advance with the Director of Graduate Studies.
Before undertaking dissertation research, Ph.D. students, in consultation with their adviser, must prepare a written proposal. While dissertation proposals are not required until after successful completion of the written preliminary and oral examinations, many students complete the proposal prior to the preliminary oral examination and distribute copies to committee members to take advantage of the opportunity to receive committee-wide feedback. Drafts of proposals are unacceptable, and students considering this process must consult with their adviser.
Candidates cannot file a Graduate School Ph.D. Thesis Proposal Form (PDF) until their adviser and at least one other member of the examination committee have approved the proposal in writing. The Ph.D. Thesis Proposal Form is normally submitted no later than the semester after passing the preliminary oral examination.
The candidate’s final oral examination committee (at least four faculty members, including two thesis readers from mass communication and one from outside the SJMC) must be listed on the Thesis Proposal Form. Committee composition commonly remains the same through both the preliminary and final examinations.
Complete information about written and oral examinations as well as the Ph.D. dissertation process can be found in the SJMC Graduate Studies Customs and Rules book (PDF).
