StudyQA — PhD: Communication — University of Pennsylvania

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Description Contents Requirements Funding More

The Communication Program helps students understand the nature and process of communication in various forms of media. It enables students to explore how messages are created and adapted to audiences and to examine the implications of those messages for individuals and society. Students examine the history and theory of social and mass communication, public policy as it relates to mass communication and popular culture, concerns about the relationship between communication and social change and social control of communication in society, and the structure, management and social function of communication organizations, policies and industries.

The Annenberg School for Communication offers students a firm grounding in various approaches to the study of communication and its methods drawn from both the humanities and the social sciences. The purpose of the Ph.D. program is to prepare students to make professional contributions to communication scholarship, research, and policy.

The classroom experience is structured around courses designed to help the student become an expert in a chosen research area.

20 classes are required; up to five of these may be transferred from a previous Master’s program with approval from the student’s academic advisor.
All students are required to take a noncredit proseminar as well as introductory classes in research methods and statistics.
All Ph.D. students must take at least one separate class with each of at least five different ASC standing faculty members. The intent of this is to foster students’ knowledge of a diverse range of approaches to communication.
Students with a master's degree may transfer in up to five classes with the permission of their Annenberg advisor. Transferring in three or more classes will reduce the funding by one semester.

A typical course plan for a student entering ASC without a Master’s degree includes these components:

seven semesters of courses, typically three courses per semester
three required classes— Proseminar, research methods, and statistics
a Qualifications Evaluation at the end of semester 4
a proposal defense in semester 8
dissertation research in semesters 8 through 10
dissertation defense and graduation at the end of semester 10

Required documents:

Three Letters of Recommendation
Statement of Purpose
CV or Resume
Graduate Record Examination Aptitude (GRE)
Tests for Non-Native Speakers of English
Academic Transcripts
Optional Writing Sample

Average Undergraduate GPA for Graduate Applicants: 3.76

Average TOEFL of Admitted Candidates: 110

All Annenberg students who continue to make appropriate academic progress and meet all necessary funding conditions will receive four years of fellowship support, a full tuition and fee waiver, and personal health insurance. In addition, each student receives an annual budget for attending scholarly conferences to present research, as well as opportunities for additional funding in the summer. Dissertation fellowship and tuition support is also available for those students who qualify.

Research Areas: