The doctor of philosophy degree in communication at Mason examines the powerful roles performed by communication in contemporary society. The program has two major areas of emphasis: health and strategic communication.
It prepares students for increasingly complex public and private communication environments. Students receive a strong theoretical and multi-methodological foundation, which enables them to examine the critical role communication performs in health promotion, disease prevention, quality of care, risk assessment, and crisis management. Students may also emphasize science communication in conjunction with either of these areas of focus.
Reduction of Credit
Students must have a master’s degree before being admitted to the PhD in communication. Most students receive a reduction of study of 30 credits based on their previous master’s degree.
Advancement to Candidacy
To advance to candidacy, students must complete all course work required on their approved program of study. Students must also successfully pass a written qualifying exam and an oral qualifying exam. In addition, students must have a dissertation committee appointed by the Dean’s Office as well as an approved proposal. Evidence of the approved proposal must be on file in the Dean’s Office before a student can advance to candidacy.
Degree Requirements (Catalog Year 2012-2013)
In addition to meeting the following requirements for this degree, students must meet the university requirements for all doctoral degrees.
To receive the PhD in communication, students must complete a minimum of 90 credits, 60 beyond the master’s degree, including core courses in theory and research methods, course work in substantive fields of study, and a research practicum. Following completion of all required course work, students must pass a written qualifying examination and an oral defense of it, after which they are advanced to candidacy by the dean and complete a dissertation, an original and independent research project.
If specific requirements are waived, students must complete substitutions, which are recorded on their Program of Study. All substitutions to degree requirements must be approved by the graduate committee.
- Four theory courses (12 credits)
- One required theory course (3 credits): COMM 600
- Three additional theory courses (9 credits) chosen from: COMM 602, 605, 634, 635
- Three research methods courses (9 credits)
- One required methods course: COMM 650
- One qualitative methods course (3 credits)
Students may take COMM 725 or another course at 700-level or above as approved by the graduate committee. - One additional research methods course at the 700-level or above
This course should be chosen to help prepare for the dissertation and must be approved by the graduate committee.
- Six courses (18 credits) in one of the following substantive fields of study
- Health Communication: Three courses (9 credits) chosen from COMM 620, 705, 720, 820 and 3 elective courses (9 credits) chosen with approval of the advisor and director
- Strategic Communication: Three courses (9 credits) chosen from COMM 630, 705, 706, 735 and 3 elective courses (9 credits) chosen with approval of the advisor and director
- One research practicum (3 credits) chosen from: COMM 604, 890, 896
- Electives (0-30 credits)
Students complete the remainder of the 90 credits through additional elective courses chosen in consultation with an advisor. - Dissertation proposal and research (18 credits) Once enrolled in 998, students in this degree program must maintain continuous registration for at least 1 credit. Once enrolled in 999, student must maintain continuous registration each semester (excluding summers) until the dissertation is submitted to and accepted by the University Libraries. Once enrolled in 999, students must follow the university’s continuous registration policy as specified in the Academic Policies chapter of the catalog. Students who defend in the summer must be registered for at least 1 credit of 999.
Students may apply to this degree a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6 credits of 998 and a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 15 credits of 999. They may apply a maximum of 18 dissertation credits (998 and 999 combined) to the degree. Because of the continuous registration policy, students may be required to register for additional credits of these courses.- COMM 998 (3 credits)
- COMM 999 (15 credits)
Total: 90 Credits
Requirements may be different for earlier catalog years. See the University Catalog archives.