The collegewide doctor of philosophy degree in the College of Communication and Information Sciences is designed to:
- prepare communication scholars for positions of leadership in education, public service, the media, libraries, information-management positions, and other communication-related fields
- add to a student's usable body of knowledge in a chosen area of specialization within the field of communication and information sciences
- develop each student's research, teaching, and professional capabilities
- promote scholarly achievement and advancement of knowledge in the communication and information science disciplines, through basic and applied research
Representing four academic units of Advertising and Public Relations, Communication Studies, Journalism and Creative Media, and Library and Information Studies, C&IS offers a multidisciplinary doctoral program in communication and information sciences that enables students to either build an interdisciplinary plan of study or specialize in one of seven concentrations, in Advertising and Public Relations, Book and Publishing Studies, Health Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Media Processes and Effects, Rhetoric and Political Discourse, or Social Justice and Inclusion Advocacy. The interdisciplinary plan of study allows students to craft a curricular plan unique to their skills and interests while the concentrations provide students an opportunity to earn distinction through a prescribed suite of courses preparing them to contribute to the academe as distinguished scholars and teachers at a variety of institutions across the globe.
Alongside the concentrations, the program emphasizes three signature areas of interdisciplinary research: emergent media, health communication, and sports communication. A core group of world-class graduate faculty across various disciplines focus their research agendas around these three areas.
Students who take the interdisciplinary approach or select a concentration are encouraged to pursue their own research agendas in tandem with their coursework.