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COMMPHD - Communication

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CommunicationGraduate Degree SeekingPHD - Doctor of Philosophy

Overview

Program Requirements

Completion requirement

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Completion requirement

Core Courses (9 units): All students must complete 500, 561, and 571 with a grade of B or better in each. For students who have already completed 500, 561, 571 as part of our M.A. program or another M.A. program, those units must be replaced by 9 elective units approved by the student’s advisor.

  • COMM 500 Intro to Graduate Studies in Communication (3 units)

  • COMM 561 Research Methodologies I (3 units)

  • COMM 571 Research Methodologies II (3 units)

Required Theory Seminars (6 units): All students must complete at least two of the required theory seminars from the theory seminar rotation: 609, 610, 620, 669.

  • COMM 609 Advanced Mass Communication Theory (3 units)

  • COMM 610 Interpersonal Theory (3 units)

  • COMM 620 Theories of Social Influence (3 units)

  • COMM 669 Health Communication Theory (3 units)

Major: All students must successfully complete a minimum of 27 units in the major including: core courses, theory courses, and electives. In addition, students are expected to fulfill their research team, research tool, and dissertation requirements. Courses with grades of 'C' or lower will not count toward the degree.  

Completion requirement

Communication Electives (12 units): Students work with faculty advisor to choose elective courses that will meet the student's career goals.  

  • COMM 501 Lifespan Communication (3 units)

  • COMM 502 Communication and Music (3 units)

  • COMM 503 Theory of Small Group Communication (3 units)

  • COMM 505 Mass Communication and Children (3 units)

  • COMM 507 Family Communication (3 units)

  • COMM 509 Theories of Mass Communication (3 units)

  • COMM 510 Struggle for the Presidency (3 units)

  • COMM 511 Communication and Conflict Management (3 units)

  • COMM 514 Verbal Communication (3 units)

  • COMM 515 Nonverbal Communication (3 units)

  • COMM 517 Relational Communication (3 units)

  • COMM 517A Relational Communication: Close Relations (3 units)

  • COMM 517B Relational Communication: Work + Professional Relations (3 units)

  • COMM 519 Mass Media Policy and Regulation (3 units)

  • COMM 520 Communication and the Legal Process (3 units)

  • COMM 521 Political Communication (3 units)

  • COMM 526 Public Opinion and Communication (3 units)

  • COMM 550 Communication and Cognition (3 units)

  • COMM 599 Independent Study (1-3 units)

  • COMM 640 Research Methodologies III (3 units)

  • COMM 696A Nonverbal Communication Seminar (3 units)

  • COMM 696E Mass Media Seminar (3 units)

  • COMM 696H Communication and Health Messages Seminar (3 units)

  • COMM 696I Interpersonal Communication Seminar (3 units)

  • COMM 696O Organizational Communication Theory Seminar (3 units)

  • COMM 696P Political Communication Seminar (3 units)

  • COMM 696R Advanced Communication Research Methods Seminar (3 units)

  • COMM 696T Comm and New Technology Seminar (3 units)

  • COMM 699 Independent Study (1-3 units)

Students choose from currently offered graduate courses in Communication.  Courses from outside of the Communication Department may be used with pre-approval from advisor.

Completion requirement

Research Team (4 units):  Students must participate on a faculty-supervised research team every semester during the program, for a 1 unit research credit, until they have successfully completed and defended their comprehensive exams. A total of 4 Research units will be counted toward the degree.

Research Tool (6 units): Students must take 6 units of research or methods courses above and beyond the major and minor requirements. The tool should consist of some particular specialty that will be put to use in the dissertation research.

Comprehensive Written Exam and Oral Defense: When essentially all course work is completed, students will take written exams over the major and minor fields, typically in the fifth semester of full-time enrollment. The student must pass all sections of the written major exam and the minor exam before the oral defense can occur.

Dissertation (18 units) and Final Oral Exam: Students will enroll in 18 units of COMM 920 Dissertation while conducting research for and writing the dissertation. After student has successfully defended dissertation proposal and the required standards of scholarship have been met, the student will orally defend the dissertation.

Completion requirement

Minor(s) (9-15 units per minor): Students must have at least one minor and may take two. The requirements for these are specified by the minor department. The graduate college's minimum requirement is that 9 hours be taken in the minor department.

Completion requirement