Doctor of Philosophy in Communications

Photo/Photo/Eileen Barroso

A multidisciplinary approach to the study of communications

The Doctor of Philosophy degree gathers and focuses the resources of Columbia University on a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of communications. Students craft individual courses of study drawing upon the wide array of departments and divisions at the university. In addition to the School of Journalism, these include the departments of political science and sociology; the professional schools of business and law; and Teachers College. Four students are chosen each year for the Ph.D. program. Each chooses to concentrate in one of three areas of study:

• Journalism and public life
• Social impact of media
• Economic, legal, and policy aspects of communication

Ph.D. Brochure

Candidates for the Ph.D. are required to:

1. Complete five core courses reaching across the three specialties of the program.
   • At the Journalism School:
     • J8040 Proseminar in Communications
     • J6030 Social Impact of Mass Media
     • J9042 Communication Research Problems
   • At the Business School:
     • Business Economics B8210: Management of Information, Communication and Media
   • At the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences:
     • Political Science G8247: Mass-Mediated American and Global Politics
2. Complete a series of courses to constitute a concentration, chosen in consultation with the student’s adviser, from such areas as economics, history, law, political science, sociology, anthropology, comparative literature, film studies, international affairs and business;
3. Show mastery of research methods appropriate to the subject of the dissertation;
4. Show proficiency in a foreign language;
5. Complete a set of comprehensive examinations;
6. Complete and defend a doctoral dissertation.

In all, the doctoral candidate will be required to complete 84 graduate-level points in addition to the dissertation. The goal is to connect the strengths of the Columbia journalism tradition with intellectual work in the humanities and human sciences in a way that enhances the practice of and our understanding of journalism and media in society.

(If you've begun graduate-level or post graduate-level work in journalism, communications or a related field, please note our Transfer of Credit Policy.)

Current dissertation projects include the history and culture of college radio; the concept of “public interest” in communications regulation; the social uses of wi-fi hotspots; myth and archetype in journalistic writing; journalistic authority and professional education in the Internet age; and the culture of video games.

During the first year of matriculation, the doctoral program faculty will consider prior graduate-level coursework for advanced standing credit on a case-by-case basis.

A full-time Ph.D. student is generally offered a tuition exemption during the years he or she is completing coursework. Stipends are typically awarded for three years and generally require service as a teaching or research assistant. During the school year, stipend holders may not take outside paid work for more than 10 hours a week.

Many students find they must supplement their stipends with loans, savings, summer jobs or family contributions. Funded students must submit the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) every year.