PhD in Communication, Culture and Media

90.0 credits.


Degree Requirements
The PhD requires a minimum of 90.0 credits beyond a Bachelor’s degree, including 45.0 credit hours of coursework prior to taking qualifying exams, 15.0 credit hours of coursework after exams, and 30.0 hours of research credits.

The PhD coursework is structured around a set of required core courses, a set of required seminars with rotating topics, and electives in graduate communication lecture courses, independent study work, and dissertation credit.

All students in the program take five common core courses. They then take no less than five courses chosen from the Culture and Communications (COM) seminar offerings. Students are encouraged to take additional seminars after meeting that requirement, since seminar courses enable collaborative relationships with professors and introduce students to the scholarly community.

After completing the core requirements and a sequence of seminars, students are expected to take a minimum of 10 additional courses from existing graduate level lecture courses (depending on their interests and research needs). Students may take up to two graduate courses (six credits) outside the department. Additional credits to meet the 90.0 credit requirements will come from independent study and dissertation credits.

Student advising will include appointments with both graduate director and an assigned mentor during the first two weeks of fall courses, where an individualized plan of study (University form D1) will be completed and approved by the program director.

Core Courses15.0 Credits  
COM 701 Contemporary Social Theory 3.0
COM 702 Communication Theory I 3.0
COM 703 Communication Theory II 3.0
COM 704 Research Methods in Communication 3.0
COM 705 Statistical Data Analysis in Communication 3.0
Seminars15.0 Credits  
There are five categories of seminar: one in which students learn advanced work and influences on a specific theorist or theoretical school; one in which students learn about theories of language, discourse and the sign; one that teaches the paradigm of structural dynamics central to social sciences theory and research; one in which students study a research methods approach; and one that deals with approaches to research ethics. Students must take a seminar in each area (COM 801 through 805). Seminars can be repeated, with a maximum of three courses taken in each area, as long as the subject covered is different each time:
COM 801 Seminar in Contemporary Theory 3.0
COM 802 Seminar in Discourse and Semiotics 3.0
COM 803 Seminar in Structural and Cultural Dynamics 3.0
COM 804 Seminar in Research Methods 3.0
COM 805 Seminar in Communication Ethics 3.0

Communication Lecture Electives		 30.0 Credits
Ten courses are required, for a total of 30.0 credit hours of electives. These may be chosen from COM 500 to 800 level courses, including 800 level seminars that are a different topic from earlier courses taken.

Dissertation Credits//Additional Electives*		 30.0 Credits
*Students may take up to two graduate-level courses outside of the Department of Culture and Communication.
COM 799 Independent Study  
For the dissertation, students work with a principal advisor, one of the Culture and Communication Department faculty, and no less than two additional faculty from within the department. Students must find one additional outside reader, and students may bring in up to two outside readers.

Qualifying Examinations
  
After students have completed 45.0 credits, which will usually be at the end of their 6th term, they will be required to take a qualifying examination. The qualifying exam will be offered at the end of June and will be composed of three parts, theory, methods and a content area. Students will be given the grade of fail, pass or high pass on the exam. A grade of pass in all three sections of the exam will be required to qualify for the PhD Students who do not pass one out of three sections of the exam on the first attempt may retake the section that they failed one time to qualify for the PhD If they do not pass the second time they take the failed section of the exam they will be dismissed from the program. When a student passes all three sections of the exam, the proper paperwork will be filed with the university graduate office and they will be advanced to candidacy.
Sample Curriculum Sequence
First Year
Fall Term
COM 701 Contemporary Social Theory 3.0
COM 704 Research Methods in Communication 3.0
Winter Term
COM 702 Communication Theory I 3.0
COM 705 Statistical Data Analysis in Communication 3.0
Spring Term
COM 703 Communication Theory II 3.0
COM 805 Seminar in Communication Ethics 3.0
Summer Term
COM 803 Seminar in Structural and Cultural Dynamics 3.0
COM 804 Seminar in Research Methods 3.0
Second Year
Fall Term
COM 803 Seminar in Structural and Cultural Dynamics 3.0
COM 802 Seminar in Discourse and Semiotics 3.0
Winter Term
COM 801 Seminar in Contemporary Theory 3.0
  Electives 6.0
Spring Term
COM 804 Seminar in Research Methods 3.0
  Elective 3.0
June of Second Year: Qualifying Exams (after a minimum of 45.0 credit hours and prior to a maximum of 54.0 credit hours)
Third Year
Fall Term
COM 803 Seminar in Structural and Cultural Dynamics 3.0
  Electives 6.0
Winter Term
  Electives 9.0
Spring Term
COM 799 Independent Study 3.0
  Electives 6.0
Summer Term
COM 799 Independent Study 3.0
  Elective 3.0
Fourth Year
Fall Term
COM 799 Independent Study 6.0
  Elective 3.0
Winter Term
COM 799 Independent Study 6.0
Dissertation Proposal Defense
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Fifth Year
  Dissertation credits  
Dissertation Defense: Students should defend the dissertation and graduate towards the end of their fifth year, during either the spring or summer quarters.

 

Visit the Department of Culture and Communication web site for more information.