COMMU-PHD - Communication (PhD)
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Program Overview
Stanford's Department of Communication focuses on media in all its forms. The department studies the processes and effects of mass communication: the nature and social role of the various media; their structure, function, and ethics; and their impact on the political system, culture, and society. In this context, it considers not only traditional mass media, such as newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and film, but also information technology, online media, virtual reality, and the Internet. Students are trained as social scientists who can study the media and as potential practitioners in the use of the media in journalism, mass communications, and digital media. The department combines theory and practice and fosters individual research opportunities for its students, employing both quantitative and qualitative approaches.
University requirements for the Ph.D. are described in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin.
The minimum number of academic units required for the Ph.D. at Stanford is 135, up to 45 of which can be transferred either from a master's degree at the University or from another accredited institution.
The department offers a Ph.D. in Communication, which focuses on theory and research. First-year students are required to complete introductory courses in communication theory and research, research methods, and statistics. These core courses, grounded in the social science literature, emphasize how people respond to media and how media institutions function. In addition, Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of three literature survey courses and related advanced seminars in Communication. Students also take significant course work outside the department in their area of interest. Each student builds a research specialty relating communication to current faculty interests in such areas as ethics, computational journalism, information processing, data science, law, online communities, human-computer interaction, politics, voting, virtual reality, psychology of technology, history of technology, critical data studies, emotion regulation, personality expression, digital media and change across the life span, knowledge production, the influence of algorithms, personality and digital media, and information technology. Regardless of the area of specialization, the Ph.D. program is designed primarily for students interested in university research and teaching or other research or analyst positions.
Students must complete the requirements listed on the Degree Requirements Tab for the Ph.D. degree in Communication. Additional information is available in the Degree Requirements and Department Procedures for Ph.D. Students and Ph.D. Advisors (pdf).
Admission
Prospective graduate students should see the Office of Graduate Admissions website and the Applications and Financial Aid section of the department website for detailed information and application materials. Submission of general Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores is optional. The Communication Department does not require any GRE subject tests.
Director of Graduate Studies
University requirements for the Ph.D. are described in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin.
The minimum number of academic units required for the Ph.D. at Stanford is 135, up to 45 of which can be transferred either from a master's degree at the University or from another accredited institution.
The department offers a Ph.D. in Communication, which focuses on theory and research. First-year students are required to complete introductory courses in communication theory and research, research methods, and statistics. These core courses, grounded in the social science literature, emphasize how people respond to media and how media institutions function. In addition, Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of three literature survey courses and related advanced seminars in Communication. Students also take significant course work outside the department in their area of interest. Each student builds a research specialty relating communication to current faculty interests in such areas as ethics, computational journalism, information processing, data science, law, online communities, human-computer interaction, politics, voting, virtual reality, psychology of technology, history of technology, critical data studies, emotion regulation, personality expression, digital media and change across the life span, knowledge production, the influence of algorithms, personality and digital media, and information technology. Regardless of the area of specialization, the Ph.D. program is designed primarily for students interested in university research and teaching or other research or analyst positions.
Students must complete the following department requirements for the Ph.D. degree in Communication. Additional information is available in the Degree Requirements and Department Procedures for Ph.D. Students and Ph.D. Advisors (pdf).
Courses must be completed with grades of 'B+' or above, with the exception of course ('B' minimum) and an advanced methods course ('B-' minimum).
Identified with the advice of the faculty, such tools may include detailed theoretical knowledge, advanced statistical methods, a foreign language, computer programming, or other technical skills.
See Teaching Requirement category for full details
Because the multifaceted nature of the department makes it possible for the Ph.D. student to specialize in areas that draw on different related disciplines, the plan of study is individualized and developed between the faculty advisor and the student.
Ph.D. candidacy is valid for five years.
All students are required to successfully complete four quarters of teaching positions under department supervision. This requirement is completed in Years 2 and 3 of the program.
Possible courses to teach include:
Apply for candidacy by the end of the first week of the student's sixth quarter.
Pass the University oral examination, which is a defense of the dissertation.
Complete at least two pre-dissertation research projects (the Major Project and the Minor Project) by the end of the student's 11th academic quarter.
Complete a dissertation proposal and proposal meeting approved by the dissertation committee.
Complete a dissertation satisfactory to a reading committee of three or more faculty members in the Department of Communication and one faculty member outside of the Department of Communication.