PhD in Communication at Colorado State University

Colorado State University

United States of America, Fort Collins

University Rank:#458

Colorado State University offers the PhD of Communication as a full-time degree delivered on campus at its main campus in Fort Collins , United States of America. Taught in English and completed over 4 years, the program equips students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required for communication and related professional fields. The next available intake begins on August 21, 2027.

About PhD in Communication

The Ph.D. in Communication trains scholars, teachers, and professionals to engage social, political, and professional challenges using advanced expertise in the field of communication.

The program is shaped by the three areas of expertise present in our department. These three areas examine communication and engagement from three perspectives:

Interpersonal, Intercultural, and Organizational Communication: For many individuals, engagement with the public world grows out of their relational lives and is expressed in the organizations to which they belong and in which they work. Professors and students in this area explore communication in relational or interpersonal systems, organizing and work contexts, and within national and global arenas. Here, the focus is on exploring how individuals respond to and participate as active members in various forms of community, paying special attention to the ways in which communicative actions can create, sustain, and disable engaged citizenship.
Film and Media Studies: In the contemporary, globalized world, engaged citizenship often flows through media and is represented and enacted within popular culture. Professors and students in the area explore the mediation of public culture with particular attention to film, television, digital discourse, and the globalization of media institutions. Here, the focus is on the construction of critical media literacies and understandings of how our mediated forms of communication engage or disengage individuals as community members, empowering or disempowering them as political agents.
Rhetoric and Civic Engagement: In popular conversation, "rhetoric" is often understood to mean empty speech. Communication scholars, however, trace the meaning of "rhetoric" to antiquity when thinkers such as Aristotle and Cicero placed rhetorical studies at the center of democratic engagement. Since then, rhetorical studies have explored public engagement and community building, examining the role of communication in civic life. The resurgence of rhetorical studies in the humanities is founded on a renewed sense of the importance of rhetoric to engaged citizenship in the 21st century. Professors and students in this area explore the role of public communication in creating, maintaining, and undermining civic culture.

Although these three areas of departmental emphasis are distinct, the strength of the program is the collaborative overlapping of these three areas. As a community, we developed a cutting-edge doctoral program that takes advantage of the shared commitment to study and engage in transformative communication.

Disciplines

Communication studies

Requirements and Admission Criteria for PhD in Communication at Colorado State University

Entry Requirements

GRE/GMAT Scores

Contact the academic department to verify whether the GRE/GMAT is required. For program contact information, please visit our program pages. The GRE department code can be found at www.ets.org.

Official Transcripts/Credential & Certified Translations

Official transcripts or mark sheets and any certificates, diplomas, or degrees from each college or university attended is required regardless of the length of attendance, including courses in progress. Final records will be required upon completion of the course or degree. ALL records submitted must be in the native language; any credentials written in languages other than English MUST be accompanied by a certified English translation (Colorado State University transcripts are not required). Official documents must be sent through a certified, secure document service, or through the postal mail, directly from your school to CSU. Transcripts and diplomas sent through email are not considered official documents. International students, please use the Guide to Comparable Degrees for graduate study.

Official transcripts and credentials, such as degree certificates, are issued directly by the granting institution where the coursework was completed or the degree was earned (with original seals, stamps, and/or signatures). Officially certified transcripts or degree certificates can be hard-copy photocopies of the original document provided by the issuing institution, the U.S. Consulate’s Education/Culture Departments (or representatives), or by limited U.S. sponsoring agencies (such as Fulbright, IREX, etc.). Notarized copies of transcripts/credentials are not accepted in lieu of official or officially certified documents.

Official transcripts and credentials, such as degree certificates, are issued directly by the granting institution where the coursework was completed, or the degree was earned with original seals, stamps, and/or signatures. Officially certified transcripts or degree certificates can be hard-copy photocopies of the original document provided by the issuing institution, the U.S. Consolate’s Education/Culture Departments (or representatives), or by limited U.S. sponsoring agencies (such as Fulbright, IREX, etc.). Notarized copies of transcripts/credentials are not accepted in leu of official or officially certified documents.

Letters of Recommendation

A minimum of three (3) letters of recommendation are required from previous instructors or employers who are able to comment on your abilities and potential for graduate study. You may provide contact information for up to five (5) recommenders. There is no standardized format unless specified by the academic department. Your recommenders will be notified and prompted to supply a recommendation letter through the system. Academic references should be prepared to discuss your academic knowledge and skills, aptitude for graduate study, ability for independent research, and classroom performance related to characteristics such as integrity, leadership, problem solving, and teamwork. Choosing an individual as a reference who has an impressive title but cannot discuss the aforementioned qualities will not result in an informative letter of recommendation that supports your admission. Writing any portion of the recommendations yourself, either in whole or in part, may result in rejection or dismissal.

English Requirements

PTEMin 58
IELTSMin 6.5
TOEFLMin 80

Tuition and Fee Information for PhD in Communication at Colorado State University

Application Fee 70

How to Apply for PhD in Communication at Colorado State University

When applying using the online application system, most documents are uploaded directly by the applicant. For documents that cannot be submitted through the application system, such as official transcripts and test scores, request the documents be sent to the Office of Admissions:

Send official electronic test scores using code 4075.

Graduate Admissions
Colorado State University – Office of Admissions
1062 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1062

PhD in Communication at Colorado State University

Colorado State University

United States of America, Fort Collins