The PhD in Communication explores key issues in the discipline such as communicating complex information, social influence and behavior change, the digital divide, public advocacy, intercultural sensitivity, media literacy, and national security. The PhD program offers three major areas of emphasis: health communication, science communication, and strategic communication. Faculty and students conduct research concerning health communication, risk communication, climate change communication, science communication, crisis management, organizational communication, media systems, public communication campaigns, new information technologies, communication policy, and media advocacy.
Communication
University Rank:#951
Duration4 year(s)
Tuition FeeUSD 1,642 / credit
Next IntakeAugust 21, 2026
Communication
About
1. Communication Theories and Approaches (Theory)
All graduates are expected to develop a solid conceptual grasp of a broad body of literature regarding different theories of communication.
2. Understanding Influences in the Field (Context)
All graduates must demonstrate an understanding of the social, cultural, and historical influences on strategic, health, and/or science communication.
3. Scientific Research (Methods)
Doctoral students must demonstrate a capability to conduct independent and rigorous social science research in strategic, health, and/or science communication, and demonstrate strength in methods appropriate for the student's specific area of research.
4. Contributions in the Field (Publications)
Doctoral students must demonstrate the ability to contribute to the development or testing of theories relevant to the field.
5. Effective Communication (Writing)
Doctoral students must demonstrate the ability to communicate their knowledge effectively to both academic and policy/practitioner audiences in the field.
Disciplines
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Requirements
Entry Requirements
International students interested in pursuing graduate study must meet the following requirements:
- Completed online application for graduate study and application fee
- An earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, or international equivalent, verified from copies of unofficial transcripts uploaded to the online application Self-Service Center. Note: Due to admissions deadlines, graduate students are sometimes admitted before conferral of a bachelor’s degree. Students who are awaiting conferral of the degree will be permitted to register for their first semester. However, continuance in any graduate program requires an official transcript which verifies conferral of a bachelor’s degree.
- Copies of unofficial university transcripts and any earned degree uploaded to the online application Self-Service Center from all universities attended.
- All transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be translated into English, if applicable, and submitted for evaluation to the Mason Office of Admissions. Mason will provide evaluation service free of charge for all international transcripts, however, some programs may request an outside evaluation be completed. Because of volume, more time may be needed to process applications requiring a Mason evaluation. For expedited service, students may submit their documents to any NACES member organization at their own expense. For suggested NACES evaluation services, please reference the International Transfer Requirements section above. If you decide to use an external evaluation service or if your program requires an outside evaluation, GPA and Degree equivalences must be included with your course-by-course evaluation. The Office of Admissions has final authority on all evaluations. Evaluations are used for internal purposes and are not released to applicants. For information on international transcript requirements, go here.
- Verification of English language proficiency. Please see English language requirements page.
- Official GRE, GMAT, LSAT, or MAT or other official test scores, as required by your program sent directly to Mason from the testing agency
- Other supplemental materials specified by your academic program such as essays, departmental forms, portfolios, or interviews
English Requirements
- PTEMin 67
- IELTSMin 7
- TOEFLMin 88
Fee Information
Application Fee 75
How to Apply
Your complete application package will require supplemental forms and documents to go along with your application. Examples might include your high school transcript, letters of recommendation, transcripts from universities/colleges attended, visa status, results of standardized tests, essays, resume, activity lists, etc. Materials that you supply can be prepared before you apply. For the Common Application, these items can be uploaded into your application. For Mason’s Exclusive Online Application for Admission, these items can be sent electronically or mailed as directed when you apply. The rest of your documents can be provided after you apply, just be aware of the deadlines that apply to you.
Communication
George Mason University
United States of America, Fairfax