Ph.D. Program

Application and Admission - admission requirements; assistantships; financial aid; tuition

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Whether concerned with the everyday world of developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships, operating effectively in various organizations understanding and acting in relation to cultural practices and contexts of power, or fulfilling the responsibilities of public citizenship and service, knowledge of and skill in the practice of human communication is essential to broad-scale social effectiveness. At the same time, greater societal interest in mediated and nonmediated communicative phenomena also means greater need for individuals trained in advanced research skills and perspectives.

As the study of communication has grown in importance, so, too, has its programmatic study at UNC-CH. The study of classical rhetoric was considered a valuable component of the curriculum in 1795, and the appointment of the first Professor of Rhetoric and Logic in 1819 began a period of growth and commitment that has continued to this day. For more than forty years, for instance, graduates from the Department of Radio, Television and Motion Pictures have provided leadership and artistry for the broadcasting, media, and entertainment industries. For nearly fifty years, a Division of Speech in the English Department, and later a Department of Speech Communication, taught students about and conducted research in communication as it occurs in many aspects of our lives. On August 1, 1993, a still stronger commitment was made by the University to focus and expand its study of communication by combining the Department of Radio, Television and Motion Pictures and the Department of Speech Communication into a new Department of Communication Studies. Although the Department of Communication Studies is a new department on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus, its history may be traced to the roots of the University's inception.

The Department of Communication Studies includes twenty four faculty and over 900 undergraduate majors and over 40 graduate students. The Department and personnel are recognized for significant contributions to the profession and to the University, state, and nation.

Through its teaching, research, and service, the Department of Communication Studies: addresses the many ways communication functions to create, sustain, and transform personal life, social relations, political institutions, economic organizations, and cultural and aesthetic conventions in society; promotes competencies required for various modes of mediated and nonmediated communication; and develops skills for analyzing, interpreting, and critiquing communication problems and questions.

The program of study offered by the Department thus provides a firm foundation for enriched personal living, for professional effectiveness regardless of the specific career you may pursue, and for informed participation in the human community.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The doctoral program in Communication Studies emphasizes the development of programs of study appropriate both to each student's particular interests and to normative expectations for sophisticated, focused dissertation research.  Each student is required to take courses appropriate for her or his program of study from four groups.

The first group, Core Courses, assures that each student is exposed to the variety of communication theories prominent in the discipline and current communication research practices.

The second group, courses in an area of Specialization, includes a research methods course in the area of Specialization, a Specialization core seminar, advanced seminars that require students to produce original research in the area of the Specialization, and a research practicum that serves as the springboard for dissertation work.

The third group, courses in a Secondary Concentration, includes a minimum of three courses in an area of the department not selected as the arena of Specialization.

Finally, the fourth area, Cognate Courses, includes at least two courses outside of Communication Studies related to the work done in the Specialization and/or the Secondary Concentration.

Completion of the PhD program--including course work, a qualifying examination, and a dissertation--normally requires four years of study beyond the MA degree.

SPECIAL NOTE

• Download the Ph.D. Handbook in Adobe Acrobat Reader format (*.pdf)
• Ph.D. Plan of Study Form (*.pdf)
  
• Important Information About Registration
• Faculty Profiles - a listing of faculty members with their teaching and research interests. 
• Areas of Study - brief descriptions of some broad-based areas of concentration within the Department of Communication Studies. 
• Course Offerings - a comprehensive listing of Department courses that may be offered during any given semester. 
• MA - information about the Master's program in Communication Studies. 
• Graduate Students Association
• List of Dissertations