The Doctor of Philosophy Degree

The Ph.D. degree requires successfully completed coursework, comprehensive exams, a dissertation prospectus, and a dissertation. The coursework requirements vary based on the year of matriculation into the program. We begin here with the requirements for PhD students starting the program in 2024. All students who began before this year must consult the subsequent set of requirements.

 

 

PhD Requirements for Students Matriculating in 2024 or Later

 

Coursework Requirements for Students Entering the Program with a Completed Master’s Degree in Communication

 

• The PhD Requires a minimum of 37 credits of coursework, plus 12 dissertation credits
• At least 24 of these credits must be in Communication
• At least 1 Survey course (a choice of Comm 613 Theories of Social Interaction, Comm 614 Media Theories, Comm 615 Survey in Performance Studies, and Comm 616 Introduction to Film Studies)
• At least 6 credits of coursework from outside the Department of Communication

 

 

Coursework Requirements for Students Entering the Program with a Completed Master’s Degree in the Humanities or Social Sciences Other than Communication:

 

• The PhD Requires a minimum of 37 credits of coursework, plus 12 dissertation credits
• At least 27 of these credits must be in Communication
• At least 2 Survey courses (a choice of Comm 613 Theories of Social Interaction, Comm 614 Media Theories, Comm 615 Survey in Performance Studies, and Comm 616 Introduction to Film Studies)
• At least 3 credits of coursework from outside the Department of Communication

 

 

Coursework Requirements for Students Entering the Program with a Bachelor’s Degree or a Master’s Degree in an Unrelated Field Outside the Humanities and Social Sciences:

 

• The PhD Requires a minimum of 46 credits of coursework, plus 12 dissertation credits
• At least 27 of these credits must be in Communication
• At least 2 Survey courses (a choice of Comm 613 Theories of Social Interaction, Comm 614 Media Theories, Comm 615 Survey in Performance Studies, and Comm 616 Introduction to Film Studies)
• At least 3 credits of coursework from outside the Department of Communication

Coursework Requirements that Apply to All PhD Students in the Department of Communication:

 

• Take Comm 611 Introduction to Theories of Communication (3 cr.), Comm 620 Qualitative Research Methods in Communication (3 cr.), Comm 621 Quantitative Research Methods in Communication (3 cr.), and Comm 801 and 802 Graduate Proseminar (1 cr.)
• Take 1 Communication class beyond the core classes (3 cr.) that represents Breadth in your academic training, as determined by your Plan of Study committee
• Take 3 classes (9 cr.) in Tools/Knowledge Production Courses that are relevant to your program of study, as determined by your plan-of-study committee. These can be methods courses or courses where you undertake original research under the supervision of the instructor. Courses in this category can be taken outside the department. No more than 1 course (3 cr.) in this category can be an independent study.
• Take 3 classes (9 cr.) in Theory/Subfield Courses that are relevant to your program of study, as determined by your plan-of-study committee. At least one course in this category must be a departmental survey course (Comm 613, 614, 615, or 616). You can take courses from outside the department to satisfy this requirement. No more than 1 course (3 cr.) in this category can be an independent study.
• A maximum of 6 credits of independent study or directed research will count towards degree requirements.
• Students may take no more than 6 credits of 500-level classes towards degree requirements.

 

For all PhD students, the following are the degree requirements beyond coursework:

 

• Successfullly complete and defend the comprehensive exams
• Write, and successfully defend a dissertation prospectus
• Write, successfully defend, and file a dissertation

 

 

 

PhD Requirements for Students Matriculating Before 2024

 

The PhD requires a minimum of 66 credits of coursework beyond the Bachelor’s degree. Many students complete credits in excess of this minimum. Computation of the required 66 credits begins with the completion of the Bachelor’s degree (not the M.A.) and is exclusive of dissertation credits. No more than 6 credits of 500-level courses, and no more than 6 Ph.D. tutorial or independent study credits, may be counted toward the degree. Courses taken at other institutions (e.g., during an M.A. program) will be credited toward the minimum requirements of the Ph.D. on a course-by-course basis at the discretion of the GPD and the student's Guidance Committee (up to 30 credits)

 

Ph.D. students will follow one of the following three sets of requirements, based on their M.A. or equivalent preparation.

 

Group 1 Requirements are for students who earned an M.A. in Communication at another university.

 

Group 2 Requirements are for students who earned an M.A. in a field other than Communication.

 

Group 3 Requirements are for exceptional students with a B.A. in Communication who have academic experience and/or additional training in the field.

 

All courses carry 3 credits unless otherwise specified.

 

Group 1 Requirements

(Ph.D. students with an M.A. in Communication from another college or university)

A.         Departmental Core Courses (13 credits)

1.         Comm 611: Introduction to Theories and Concepts of Human Communication (3 credits)

2.         Comm 620: Qualitative Methods (3 credits)

3.         Comm 621: Quantitative Methods (3 credits)

4.         Comm 801 and 802: Proseminar: Graduate Introduction to Communication (1 credit)

5.         One course (3 credits) from the following: Comm 613 Theories of Social Interaction, Comm 614 Media Theories, Comm 615 Survey in Performance Studies, and Comm 616 Introduction to Film Studies

 

[Note on core courses: Students with prior preparation in the content areas covered in the core courses may seek a waiver from the Course Instructor, but this will not reduce the overall number of credits required.]

 

B.         Research Tool (6 credits)

Two courses designated as “tool courses” beyond Comm 620 and 621 are required. Tool courses facilitate the student's dissertation research, and are typically courses which demonstrate both how to collect data or materials, and then procedures for analyzing those data or materials. It will be up to the student’s Plan of Study Committee to specify particular competencies as tools. For example, students doing quantitative research will probably need advanced work in statistics; students doing historical, critical or interpretive scholarship will probably need additional courses in qualitative, and/or other methods of research. Some students may need competency in a foreign language.

 

C.         Additional Course Requirements/Guidelines:

1.         May transfer up to 30 graduate credits from another college or university.

2.         A minimum of 6 UMass Amherst graduate course credits earned outside of the Department is required.

3.         12 department course credits at the 700-800 level, exclusive of independent study credits are required.

4.         A maximum of 6 hours of independent study credit or tutorial credit (counted toward 66) is allowed.

5.         30 hours of Communication credits (24 of which must be exclusive of independent study) are required.

 

Group 2 Requirements

(Ph.D. students with an M.A. in a field other than Communication)

A.         Departmental Core Courses (16 credits)

1.         Comm 611: Introduction to Theories and Concepts of Human Communication (3 credits)

2.         Comm 620: Qualitative Methods (3 credits)

3.         Comm 621: Quantitative Methods (3 credits)

4.         Comm 801 and 802: Proseminar: Graduate Introduction to Communication (1 credit)

5.         Two courses (6 credits) from the following: Comm 613 Theories of Social Interaction, Comm 614 Media Theories, Comm 615 Survey in Performance Studies, and Comm 616 Introduction to Film Studies

 

B.         Research Tool (6 credits)

Two courses designated as “tool courses” beyond Comm 620 and 621 are required. Tool courses facilitate the student’s dissertation research, and are typically courses which demonstrate both how to collect data or materials, and then procedures for analyzing those data or materials. It will be up to the student’s Plan of Study Committee to specify particular competencies as tools. For example, students doing quantitative research will probably need advanced work in statistics; students doing historical, critical, or interpretive scholarship will probably need additional courses in qualitative and/or other methods of research. Some students may need competency in a foreign language.

 

 

C.         Additional Course Requirements/Guidelines:

1.         May transfer up to 30 hours although fewer hours are recommended.

2.         A minimum of 3 UMass Amherst graduate course credits taken outside the Department.

3.         12 department course credits at the 700-800 level, exclusive of independent study, are required.

4.         A maximum of 6 hours independent study credit tutorial credit (counted toward 66) is allowed.

5.         33 hours of Communication credits (27 of which must be exclusive of independent study) are required.

 

 

Group 3 Requirements

(Ph.D. students with a B.A. in Communication)

A.         Departmental Core Courses (16 credits)

1.         Comm 611: Introduction to Theories and Concepts of Human Communication (3 credits)

2.         Comm 620: Qualitative Methods (3 credits)

3.         Comm 621: Quantitative Methods (3 credits)

4.         Comm 801 and 802: Proseminar: Graduate Introduction to Communication (1 credit)

5.         Two courses (6 credits) from the following: Comm 613 Theories of Social Interaction, Comm 614 Media Theories, Comm 615 Survey in Performance Studies, and Comm 616 Introduction to Film Studies

 

B.         Research Tool (9 credits)

Three courses designated as “tool courses” beyond Comm 620 and 621 are required. Tool courses facilitate the student’s dissertation research, and are typically courses which demonstrate both how to collect data or materials, and then procedures for analyzing those data or materials. It will be up to the student’s Plan of Study Committee to specify particular competencies as tools. For example, students doing quantitative   research will probably need advanced work in statistics; students doing historical, critical, or interpretive scholarship will probably need additional courses in qualitative and/or other methods of research. Some students may need competency in a foreign language.

 

C.         Additional Course Requirements/Guidelines:

1.         May transfer up to 21 hours of credit through some combination of graduate coursework, publications or additional academic training beyond the B.A. degree (as determined by GPD, Admissions, and Plan of Study Committees).

2.         A maximum of 6 UMass Amherst graduate course credits taken outside the Department.

3.         15 department course credits at the 700-800 level, exclusive of independent study, are required.

4.         A maximum of 6 hours independent study credit or tutorial credit (counted toward 66) is advised, although credits may be added per Guidance committee determination.

 

For all PhD students, the following are the degree requirements beyond coursework:

 

• Successfullly complete and defend the comprehensive exams
• Write, successfully defend, and file a dissertation prospectus
• Write, successfully defend, and file a dissertation

PhD Requirements that Apply Regardless of the Matriculation Year

 

Residence Requirements

The equivalent of at least one academic year of full-time graduate work (9 credits per semester) must be spent at the University. The requirement for a year in residence may be satisfied only by the student’s physical presence on campus for two consecutive semesters, either a fall-spring sequence or a spring-fall sequence. During the residency year, the student may not be employed more than half time.

 

Advising

The Graduate Program Director advises all incoming graduate students in their first semester of study. By the middle of the student’s second semester (in consultation with the Graduate Program Director), each student will select an advisor. The student will then consult with the advisor and Graduate Program Director in order to form a Plan of Study Committee. The Plan of Study Committee must include at least three departmental members of the Graduate Faculty, including the advisor. Students then re-constitute their committees at the comprehensive exam and dissertation stages, so these committees can change at these various stages, and must change at the dissertation stage when an outside member is required.

 

Forms and Paperwork

Most milestones or transitional points require paperwork. Pay close attention to email, consult the department website, and communicate with the Graduate Program administrator to find out what forms are required at each degree stage.

 

Filing a Plan-of-Study

By the midpoint of the second semester, the student, with their advisor and in consultation with the Plan of Study Committee, will complete a Plan-of-Study indicating the courses they plan to take. The Plan-of-Study will be signed by the student, the Chair of the Guidance Committee, and the Graduate Program Director. After approval by the Graduate Program Director, the Plan-of-Study will be filed with the Graduate Program Administrator.

 

The Plan-of-Study should be reviewed periodically and changed if necessary. Changes in the initial Plan- of-Study are to be approved by the Chair of the Guidance Committee and the Graduate Program Director. The Plan-of-Study will be reviewed by the GPD to ensure completion of all coursework requirements before the comprehensive exams can be scheduled.

 

 

 

Graduate Course Offerings

 

REQUIRED COURSES

 

•          Comm 611: Introduction to Theories and Concepts of Human Communication

•          Comm 620: Research Methods I (Qualitative Methods)

•          Comm 621: Research Methods II (Quantitative Methods)

•          Comm 801 and 802: Proseminar: Graduate Introduction to Communication

 

AREA SURVEYS

 

•          Comm 613: Theories of Social Interaction

• Comm 614: Media Theories

•          Comm 615: Survey of Performance Studies

•          Comm 616: Introduction to Film Theories

 

PERMANENT TITLES

• 540 - Internet Governance & Information Policy
• 627 - Fixing Social Media
• 690E - Ethnography of the Digital
• 705 - Race, Media and Politics
• 712 Political Communication
• 724 Audience Research and Cultural Studies
• 791E - Television Studies: Text, Culture, Industry
• 794B Critical Pedagogy
• 794M - Field Research Methods in Communication
• 795M Performance Ethnography
• 795N -Cultural Studies: Theoretical Foundations

•          796: Independent Study

• 797E - Performing Survival
• 797P Media Archaeology
• 797U - Special Topics- Techno Imaginaries and the Global South

•          Comm 896: Directed Research

•          Comm 899: Ph.D. Dissertation[EW1] 

 

SPECIAL TOPICS

 

In addition to permanent titles, graduate courses are often offered on a Special Topics basis. Topics offered in recent semesters include:

 

• Argument, Conflict, and Mediation
• Citizenships and Belongings
• Communication and the Public Sphere
• Consumer Culture
• Content Analysis
• Food as Communication
• Intercultural Communication
• Media Effects
• Media Historiography
• Media Literacy
• Narrative and Mediated Storytelling
• Political Economy of Communication
• Technology, Ethics, and Media Justice

 

Tutorials

In addition to standard course offerings, tutorials may be offered under one circumstance: if a scheduled course is under-enrolled, the faculty member may decide to offer the course as a tutorial. This is arranged at the beginning of the semester in which the course is offered and allows students to take a graduate course that does not meet minimum enrollment requirements. Tutorials are structured with a regular syllabus including reading and writing requirements, meet at least six times in the course of a semester, and enroll a minimum of two graduate students in Communication. Tutorial credits are counted toward degree requirements, although students may apply no more than two tutorials (three credits each) to their Ph.D. program. Tutorials are numbered at the 700 level and count toward level requirements in the same way as do regular courses. Tutorials are regarded as overloads for faculty members.

 

 

 

Comprehensive Examinations

 

After all coursework in the Plan of Study has been completed, the student takes a Comprehensive Examination under the guidance of the Comprehensive Exam Committee consisting of the student’s advisor and two other members of the Communication faculty. Any outside member must be in addition to three faculty members from the Department. These may or may not be the same three members from the student’s Plan of Study Committee. Students typically constitute this committee in the second half of their second year.

 

Successful completion of the comprehensive exam shows that the student is experienced in secondary research and has the skills to perform original research, can articulate their position in the discipline, and shows skills for teaching in it.

 

The comprehensive exams, or “comps,” consist of six components, only three of which are traditional exams. Students must successfully complete these six components and pass an oral defense before they can progress to their Dissertation Prospectus.

The three comps components that are not traditional exams are:

1)    A[EW2]  research paper in a “ready for journal submission” state.

2)    A reflection paper in which the student provides a statement about the communication discipline and how they position themselves in this field.

3)    A comprehensive syllabus for a 400-level seminar in the student’s area of expertise accompanied by a brief reflection paper.

Students should begin developing these three components during coursework and must have them completed by the time they take their three traditional exams.

The three traditional exams are a combination of closed-book and take-home exams that are completed during a 14-day exam period that is scheduled at least three months before the exam date. The three exams are in theories, methods, and the student’s area of specialty. At least one of these exams must be closed-book (3 hours, or 4 hours for students for whom English is their second language).

 

Guidelines for the Comps Research Paper

For this element of the comprehensive exam, you need to submit a "ready-for-submission" research paper. This paper can be a result of a seminar or prior work, which you, with your comps committee members’ help, continue to work on in order to make it ready for submission to a double-blind refereed journal. This paper should be solo-authored, and be significantly based on work completed while in the UMass Comm PhD Program. If work begun or significantly developed while in our program is published as a paper before the comps exams, it can be used as the publishable paper for these exams.

The article may have the following elements, depending on outlet, and perhaps others as suggested by your comprehensive exam committee:

 

• Title

• Abstract

• Key Words

• Introduction

• Theoretical framework

• Literature review

• Research question/ design/ methodological section

• Analysis or findings

• Conclusions

• References

The paper should be between 8000-10000 words, as this is the current word-number size for many publications in our field. Longer or shorter papers should have clear explanation for their length (unless they follow the journal's specifications). On top of the paper, you'll also need to submit the accompanying materials: 

 

1. Explanation of the reasoning for the specific journal to which the paper will be submitted. This decision can be based on either the field of the publication, relevant literature with which you engage, or other criteria. You may want to aim at a top tier journal in your area as your first choice. Design your paper to abide by the specific journal's demands for publications (length, citation style, requirements etc.) - see "author guide" or similar section in the specific journal.

 

2. A cover letter to the editor that will accompany the article itself. Such letters are important elements of the submission process, and writing the right letter to the right journal editor greatly enhances the chances of publication. The letter should be addressed to the specific editor (if journal has more than one editor) you have in mind for the publication, explaining why your article is best fitted to this journal and why this journal best fits the article. 

 

Criteria for Assessment: Each comprehensive exam committee has the flexibility to communicate their own criteria for assessing the paper. The Graduate Studies committee makes the following suggestions: 

• Originality and significance of the article and its arguments together with its clarity, coherence, and organizational structure. A passing paper should receive "submit without changes” or "minor revision" at the oral defense from all three members. 

• Appropriateness of the article for the selected journal and the reasoning for it, and prestige of the chosen journal 

• Clear argumentation of the letter to the editor and other elements requested 

The paper and its accompanying materials should be handed in to the Graduate Administrator no later than the last scheduled comprehensive exam.

 

Guidelines for the Comps Reflection Paper 

A reflection paper on communication as a field/discipline and the student's place/scholarly interest in relation to the field/discipline. This paper provides a basis for the research statement of the candidate during their job search. Although the field of communication is made up of many diverse areas, we are one professional discipline, and this paper should tell a coherent story of the student's position in this discipline, regardless of subfield and interdisciplinary influences. The paper should be based on student’s coursework, which can include required theory, methods, pro-seminar, and survey courses, among others, and other relevant scholarly or personal experiences.

You might consider the following as organizing questions: 

• Where did the idea of "communication" come from and how has it changed and/or remained constant over time and space? 

• What is the difference between Communication and Communications and does it matter? 

• How do various subfields with which you are familiar contribute (or not) to each other and what might we learn from these literatures? 

• What is interdisciplinary about the discipline/field and what might a view from "outside" contribute to your subfields? 

Format: 3000-word essay. Material from this paper should be easily transferable to a cover letter for a job, job talk, personal statement, etc. References should include general theorists on the idea of communication as well as those more specific to the student's orientation. Criteria for assessment: Each comprehensive exam committee has the flexibility to communicate their own criteria for assessing the paper. The Graduate Studies committee makes the following suggestions: 

• Student has responded to one or more of the questions above in a comprehensive fashion. 

• Student has reflected on the relationship of their subfield to the overall field/discipline of communication. 

• Student has articulated their place in the field, their research trajectory, and the ways they seek to contribute to the [EW3] field.

 

Guidelines for the Comps Syllabus 

A Syllabus of the student's design, including different elements such as: objectives, skills, assignments, week-to-week readings. This part of the exam reflects on the pro-seminar, student's teaching career, and the courses they took. It is a syllabus for a seminar (upper-level undergraduate) course in the student's area of expertise, where they demonstrate their approach to teaching and conveying the knowledge they feel is important for undergraduate students. The syllabus is also a means for the student (in the examination and on the job market) to communicate teaching philosophies, technologies, innovations, and effective teaching. For these reasons, a one-page pedagogical statement, explaining the rationale for the course topic and design should accompany the syllabus. Students should design a course syllabus for advanced undergraduates in their specialty area. The syllabus should allow the committee and future employers to position them in the field as a potential teacher of courses in, e.g., media and cultural studies, digital media and technology studies, language and interaction studies, etc. The syllabus may be included in their teaching portfolio as part of job applications and may be referred to in interviews regarding teaching. 

 

Guidelines for the three "traditional" comps exams 

Preparation:  At least three months in advance of the examination dates, the comprehensive exams committee and student meet to discuss the examination structure, timeline, and other issues relating to this process. Faculty members serving on the committee work with the student to jointly develop study questions, reading lists, or other means for delimiting examination subject areas. 

Format: At least one of the three exams will be a closed-book, 3-hour exam (four hours for students for whom English is not their first language).  The allocation of the remaining two exams between closed book and take-home exams will be determined by individual committees. All take-home portions of the exam must be completed within 48 hours of the student receiving the question. The three examination questions (all in the student’s subject area) will be distributed as follows: one question in theories, one question in methods, and one question in a specialty area defined by the committee and student. Specialty areas are defined as those areas in which a student wishes to focus her/his scholarship, e.g., ethnography of communication about nature, critical discourse analysis and race, cultural production and sustainability, gaming and media effects, performance ethnography and higher education. Theories and methods are generally comprised of theories and tools broadly as well as those that a student will most rely on for a research career in his/her specialty, e.g., social construction theories, and ethnographic research methods. The two open responses should observe the following guidelines: 

• Maximum of 15 pages, double-spaced.

• There should be a developed, integrated arc or line of argument using, and responding to, literature in the area, rather than just summarizing relevant research.

• The answers should clearly address the question posed and respond in an organized manner (e.g., utilizing subsections with headings). 

 

 

Procedures for Scheduling and Writing

 

At least three months in advance of the examination dates, the student must complete an “Approved Examination Schedule.” This must be signed by the student, the advisor, and the Graduate Program Director and submitted to the Graduate Administrator, who will schedule an examination room. The exam question materials must be submitted over 14 days from the first day of writing, and all materials (research paper, statement of the field, syllabus) must be submitted by the last day of the exam period.

 

Upon submission of the written examinations, all members of the Comprehensive Exam Committee will evaluate all the exam materials. They will provide the student’s advisor their evaluation of the materials, to let them know if the student is ready to defend their comprehensive exam orally. In cases where answers are “Unsatisfactory” the student will have one opportunity for rewriting, within the regular semester following the submission of the written materials. Once the student has satisfactorily completed the written examination, the Comprehensive Exam Committee, chaired by the advisor, will conduct an oral examination, or defense. All written and oral portions of the examination must receive the unanimous approval of the Comprehensive Exam Committee. It is the responsibility of the student’s advisor to report in writing the results of the examination to the Graduate Program Director.

 

 

Defenses

For certain milestones in the program—comprehensive exams, prospectus, and dissertation—successful completion requires an oral defense. A defense must be scheduled formally with the graduate administrator. Dissertation defenses must be scheduled at least 30 days in advance to allow for the defense to be advertised in the Graduate Bulletin for the required time period—a Graduate School rule. Comprehensive exam and prospectus exam defenses are typically private -- just the student and their committee. Dissertation defenses are by definition public (because of the publicity in the Graduate School Bulletin), but students can use their discretion in publicizing the defense within the Department and beyond.

 

Defenses for all milestones are scheduled for two hours. As of this writing, all defenses can take place online via live video, but they can also meet in person. The exact format of the defense is up to the committee chair, however they should include a question and answer period where the committee asks the student questions about their work. And they should include a confidential deliberation when the committee deliberates about the student’s work and performance in the defense in order to decide what the defense outcome will be (Pass, Fail, Request for Revisions) and what feedback to share with the student. After the deliberation the committee reconvenes with the student to share that outcome and feedback.