Course Requirements

Coursework credits are as follows:

• 6 credits of program core requirements
• 27-30 credits within the student's selected area of study within the program (LIS requires 30 credits)
• 12-24 additional credits of graduate course work including, but not limited to, master's degree transfer of credits (LIS and MS allow for transfer of up to 12 and COM up to 24 transfer credits)
• 24-27 dissertation research credits (MS requires 27 credits)

Upon completion of program core requirements (6 credits), requirements within the selected area of study (27-30 credits, as required by the respective area of study), and the additional graduate credits from a master's program (including the transfer of up to 12 or up to 24 as approved by the respective area and program director), the candidate is eligible to take the qualifying examination (see later section).
    

1. Core Requirements (6 credits)

The interdisciplinary core requirements include 6 credits of course work, including the first-year proseminar (3 credits), the successful completion of one research practicum (3 credits), and attendance at the Ph.D. Colloquia. With the exception of the zero-credit colloquium, and dissertation research credits, all courses are three credits.

Core Courses (6 credits)

REQUIRED: 16:194:600  Colloquium (0) taken during each semester of coursework
REQUIRED: 16:194:601  Communication, Information, and Media Proseminar (3)
REQUIRED: 16:194:608  Research Practicum (3)

First-Year Proseminar (3 credits)

16:194:601  Communication, Information, and Media Proseminar (3)

The proseminar addresses the nature of communication, information, and media processes and their role in individual, social, and institutional behavior. Particular emphasis will be on the conceptual linkages between communication, information, and media processes, as well as theory and metatheory. Panels will alternate between interdisciplinary and area-specific topics featuring communication, information, and library studies (CILS) program faculty as speakers. Proseminar will include topics in professional development, academic integrity, responsible and ethical conduct of research, intellectual property. Students will pass the human subjects certification program as part of the course.

Research Practicum (3 credits)

16:194:608  Research Practicum (3)

This requirement is met by a student registering for this course with a member of the program faculty who has agreed to supervise the student's participation in a research project of interest. Some semesters, prior to registration for the next semester, faculty who would like to supervise one or more research practica may publicly announce the topics and/or projects in which they are interested; in many cases, students are expected to contact faculty directly with practicum projects/ideas. The expected outcome of the research practicum is a paper (single or coauthored) submitted to a recognized conference or refereed journal. The results of the research practicum will be presented by the student at a Ph.D. Interactive Display Session Colloquium typically held at the end of each semester.
  

2. Program Area Course Requirements (27-30 credits)

Each program area sets its own curriculum and course requirements.

COMMUNICATION

Ph.D. students in the communication area select a major and minor focus of study. All students are required to take Research Design (3) and Foundations of Communication Theory (3) as area requirements and two specialized methods courses (6 credits). Fifteen credit hours (five electives) are required in two content areas. With the assistance of their advisers, students may designate major and minor areas that fit their interests. These may include foci within the communication area (e.g., communication and technology, interpersonal communication, health communication, language and social interaction, or organizational communication), but are not limited to these areas of communication study. Students may also choose as a minor area one of the other areas of the Ph.D. program, or programs elsewhere in the university. A qualifying exam in each area will be taken once the student has completed all coursework. All qualifying exam questions will contain a methods component.

Methods:

Two specialized methods courses (6 credits) offered in the program or outside the program

Required Courses:

• 16:194:623  Research Design (3)*
• 16:194:671  [course number will change spring 2016] Foundations of Communication Theory (3)

Elective Courses (several courses under the following general headings):

• Topics in Communication and Technology (e.g., Mediated Communication Theory, Social Media, Communication Design, Work and Technology)
• Topics in Interpersonal Communication (e.g., Interpersonal Communication Theory, Uncertainty and Communication, Relational and Family Communication)
• Topics in Health Communication (e.g., Health Campaigns, Interpersonal Health Communication, Professional Practices and Issues of Health)
• Topics in Language and Social Interaction (e.g., Basic Structures of Social Interaction, Persuasion and Social Influence, Communication and Gender)
• Topics in Organizational Communication (e.g., Conflict and Collaboration, Dynamics of Global Organizations, Leadership, Organizational Change, Communication Networks)

LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE

Ph.D. students in the LIS area must have two areas of study. Study in LIS must consist of at least 12 credits (four courses, including Research Foundations, Seminar in Information Studies, and Human Information Behavior), and study in the second area must consist of at least 6 credits (two courses). With the assistance of their advisers, students select a relevant second area from one of the other areas of the Ph.D. program or from elsewhere in the university. The LIS Ph.D. area curriculum is structured around five themes: human information behavior; information retrieval, language, and communication; information agencies and artifacts; learning, youth, information, and technology; social and community informatics. Ph.D. students in the LIS area may choose to specialize in any of these themes. Courses within these themes will be offered on a regular basis, and students will select courses in consultation with their adviser.

Methods:

Students must take three methods courses (9 credits). Two of three core methods courses required combine Quantitative Research Methods (16:194:604) (3), and either Qualitative Research Methods (16:194:603) (3) or Critical Research Methods (16:194:605) (3), one of which may count toward LIS or secondary area credits. An additional advanced methods course can be from elsewhere in the university, or 603/605.

Courses Required For All Students in the LIS Area:

• 16:194:602  Research Foundations (3)
• 16:194:610  Seminar in Information Studies (3)
• 16:194:612  Human Information Behavior (3)
• Two additional courses in LIS (6 credits)
• Two additional courses outside of LIS (6 credits)

Courses Recommended for All Students in the LIS Area:

Students should take at least two other courses in the LIS area (6 credits) in addition to the required LIS area courses from among the five themes. Some examples of courses include:

• 16:194:614  Information Retrieval Theory (3)
• 16:194:619  Experiment and Evaluation in Information Systems (3)
  
• 16:194:641  Information Policy and Technology (3)
• 16:194:656  Theories and Issues in Library Studies (3)
• 
  

MEDIA STUDIES

Students in the media studies area must take 27 credits, including two required 3-credit courses (Media Theory and Critical Research Methods); three 3-credit area courses from courses listed as Contemporary issues in Media Studies (i.e., 16:680-684 Topics in MS I-V); and, three 3-credit elective courses approved by the adviser. With the assistance of their advisers and the area coordinator, students may designate major and minor areas that fit their interests. Students may choose as a minor area one of the other areas of the Ph.D. program, or may choose a minor area elsewhere in the university. A qualifying exam in each area will be taken once the student has completed all coursework.

Methods:

Students must take Critical Research Methods (16:194:605) (3) and one additional methods course to be determined in consultation with adviser (3 credits).

All Students in the MS Area must take the following Required Courses:

• 16:194:631  Media Theory (3)

Course needs to be taken in the first semester of study.

• 16:194:680-684  Topics in Media Studies I-V (Contemporary Issues in Media Studies) (9)

Students must take three media studies area courses (9 credits) from a list of courses under the general heading Contemporary Issues in Media Studies. Their titles and descriptions will be circulated before registration each semester.

Three Elective Courses:

The remaining three courses (9 credits) can be taken from any department at the university or from any school in the consortium (with approval). At least one of these MUST be a course in one of the other areas in the CILS Ph.D. program, as approved by the student's adviser.

3. Transfer of Approved Master's Degree Course Credits

Up to 12 credits may be transferred from master's level courses taken elsewhere or at the School of Communication and Information for students in the library and information science or media studies concentrations, and up to 24 credits of graduate coursework can be transferred by students in communication area of concentration. Students should consult their adviser before applying for transfer of credits. The program director will then recommend to the Graduate School-New Brunswick which and how many courses are approved for transfer. It is not uncommon to limit transfer credits to less than 12 or less than 24 hours (depending on the program area and individual student circumstances). Transferred courses must be theoretical or research-based courses in communication, information science and library studies, media, or closely related fields. Students must have received a B or better on any coursework to be transferred, and courses should have been taken within the previous six years. Applied or professional courses (such as internships, video production or newswriting) are not acceptable. For further information, request a copy of the transfer credit policy from the Graduate School-New Brunswick.

The Application for Transfer of Credit should be completed as soon as the student has finished 12 hours of doctoral studies in the program. Failing to do so in a timely manner could result in additional coursework requirements and/or delays in taking qualifying exams.

4. Dissertation Research Credits (24-27 credits)

Students must complete a minimum of 24 credits of dissertation research under the supervision of their dissertation adviser. For students in media studies area, the minimum is 27 credits. Credits are variable; the number taken during a particular semester should reflect the degree of involvement of the student and faculty during that semester.