The doctoral program requires a minimum of 60 credit hours beyond the master's degree: 48 credits of coursework and 12 credits of dissertation work. The curriculum consists of courses in three core areas with required and elective courses available. Additional electives are being developed. Students will be required to develop a planned program of study in consultation with their advisor and the doctoral coordinator.

  • Media Research and Teaching: Provide students with tools for designing data gathering activities, analyzing data, interpreting existing research, and synthesizing new and old information into useful answers and productive new questions.

  • Media Uses and Effects: Familiarize students with models of thought and develop a cognition that critically analyzes the impact of media on culture and instruction as well as the impact of culture and instruction on media.

  • Media Processes and Production: Broaden media development skills while enabling learners to begin work on exploring new media formats and applications.

Media Research and Teaching (12 Credits: 4 Courses)
Course Number Course Name Credits
COMM 800 Comm. Research Statistics 3
COMM 815
Teaching Communications Media
3
COMM 825 Quantitative Methods in Communications Research 3
COMM 828 Qualitative Methods in Communications Research 3
COMM 857
Doctoral Seminar in Communication
3
COMM 910 Advanced Doctoral Research in Communications 3
Media Uses and Effects (9 Credits: 3 Courses)
Course Number Course Name Credits
COMM 801 Ideas that Shape Media 3
COMM 812
Media Ethics
3
COMM 814 Crisis Communication
3
COMM 818
Media Criticism
3
COMM 820
Political Communication
3
COMM 822
Children and Media
3
COMM 835
Global Media, Communication, and Culture
3
COMM 845
Health Communication
COMM 853
Corporate Communication
3
COMM 881
Special Topics
3
COMM 882 Culture of Cyberspace
3
Media Processes and Production (12 Credits: 4 Courses)
Course Number Course Name Credits
COMM 830 Media Preproduction 3
COMM 831
Multiplatform Media Production
3
COMM 832 Media Production 3
COMM 834 Organizational Video Production
3
COMM 836
Video Production
3
COMM 837
Audio Production
3
COMM 838
Digital Photography and Imaging
3
COMM 841
Documentary Production
3
COMM 876
Online Media
3
COMM 882
Simulation and Games
3

Bold indicates core/required courses (24 credits); the remaining 24 credits of coursework will come from a combination of electives listed above.

Dissertation (12 credits)
Course Number Course Name Credits
COMM 995 Dissertation 12

Total: 60 credits beyond a master's or master's equivalencies