School of Journalism and Mass Communications






























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DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

The Ph.D. in mass communication prepares students for research and management positions with mass media organizations and such related organizations as advertising and public relations agencies, research and marketing companies, and, especially, for teaching and research careers in higher education.

Deadline to apply to the doctoral program is February 1.

The doctoral program in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications is small and selective, permitting each student a considerable degree of flexibility in tailoring courses and areas of study to fit his or her special needs and career goals.

Admissions are voted on individually by the School's Graduate Council after careful consideration of a number of factors, including the applicant's academic record, especially work done at the master's level; performance on the Graduate Record Examination; professional experience; recommendations; and, in particular, the applicant's personal statement outlining reasons for applying for doctoral study and career hopes and expectations. Most applicants have at least a year, and often much more, of experience as journalism/mass communication professionals. International applicants are normally expected to present a TOEFL score of at least 600 (250 - computer-based score or 100 - internet-based score), depending on the exam taken.

A GRE combined score (verbal and quantitative) of 1200 and a 5.0 or better on the analytical writing score is expected, though exceptions have been made for applicants with unusually strong professional backgrounds or other evidence of outstanding professional and intellectual promise.

Doctoral students must have completed, or be in the final stages of, a master's degree. The master's need not be in journalism/mass communication, though a student whose master's is in another field may need additional coursework, as determined by the faculty after evaluating the student's Qualifying Examination (see below).

All doctoral students must earn a minimum of 48 semester hours of coursework (36 semester hours if matriculated prior to Fall 2009) beyond the master's degree and complete a minimum of 12 dissertation hours.

All must show equivalency credit for, or complete, JOUR 701, 702, 706, 720, and a statistics class before being admitted to doctoral candidacy. The doctoral core requirements are designed to equip the student with a strong background in research methods and design, communication theory, historical or legal research, and teaching experience.