The
doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) program is based in the School of Communication and Information
(SC&I) and provides doctoral training for students seeking theoretical and
research skills for scholarly and professional leadership in the fields of
communication, library and information science, and journalism and media studies.
The focus of the program is on the nature and function of communication, information
and media institutions, policies, processes and systems and their impact on
individuals as well as social, organizational,
national, and international affairs. Interdisciplinary approaches to these
issues are strongly supported and encouraged in the program. The program is
especially well-suited for those interested in the interaction between new
information and communication technologies, the individuals who use them, and
the social/cultural/political systems in which they are embedded. However, students
with more narrowly aligned disciplinary interests (e.g., organizational
communication, interpersonal communication, health communication, library
management, journalism, and critical/cultural studies in communication) will also
find this program serves them well. The Ph.D. program serves students who seek
to acquire theoretical and research skills for scholarly activity or for
leadership positions in the communication and information fields. The program
focuses on the nature and function of communication and information processes.
It looks at systems, institutions, and policies and assesses their impact on
individuals and organizations and upon national and international affairs. Students
may focus on any of the following areas: communication, library and information science, or media studies.Communication
(COM) reflects
faculty research and scholarship focusing on three interrelated core areas: social interaction; organizational communication; and mediated communication.
Problem-oriented research at the intersection of these areas includes prominent
contemporary communication concerns related to health, gender, conversation analysis, persuasion, identity, leadership, change, policy, culture, collaboration, and interpersonal relationships. The department houses three centers
that provide various opportunities for doctoral students: Center for
Communication and Health Issues, Center for Mobile Communication Studies, and
the Center for Organizational Development and Leadership.
Library
and Information Science (LIS) provides a strong academic foundation for students seeking theoretical
and research skills for scholarly and professional leadership in the library
and information fields. LIS offers concentrations in information science and library science. Information science focuses
on information behavior and systematic responses to it. Students in this area
develop an understanding of and research capability in human
information-seeking activity, information retrieval systems, and information
structures. Library science concentrates
on digital as well as physical libraries and information centers as part of a
diverse global information environment. The concentration considers the design,
management, and evaluation of information systems and services responsive to
users' information and cultural needs.
Media
Studies (MS) is
concerned with the political, social, psychological, and economic impact of the
media, as well as with the cultural and historical conditions that give rise to
contemporary media. The area includes the study of both the "traditional" mass
media and newer electronic technologies and telecommunications. Research and
coursework cover media content and effects; audience reception and interpretive
processes; the emergence of audiences understood in terms of race, age, gender,
class, and politics;
the sociology and production of culture; communication law, regulation, and
policy; and the media's roles in political and international communication and
in educational systems.
To earn a Ph.D. degree, students must complete a minimum of
33 credits of doctoral-level coursework and accumulate 24 credits of
dissertation research. In addition, Ph.D. candidates must have completed at
least 24 credits of coursework at the master's degree level.
As a part of the 33-credit coursework requirement, students
must take 16:194:601 Communication, Information, and Media Theory; 16:194:602
Research Foundations; 16:194:608 Research Practicum; and two of the following
three methods courses: 16:194:603 Qualitative Research Methods, 16:194:604
Quantitative Research Methods, or 16:194:605 Interpretive Research Methods.
There is no language or residency requirement, and students
may pursue the Ph.D. on a full- or part-time basis. However, students are
required to enroll for a minimum of 6 credits during the time they are taking
coursework in the program; furthermore, we currently offer no entirely online
courses. Teaching and research assistantships, which include tuition remission,
and various fellowships are available for highly qualified full-time students.
The School of Communication and Information (SC&I)
offers two master's degrees, the M.L.I.S. degree in library and information science
and the M.C.I.S. degree in communication and information studies. These
programs are described in the school's graduate catalog. The master of
philosophy degree is also available to doctoral candidates under certain
circumstances.
