Communications

The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Communications offers a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the relationships between people and media in their cultural, social, political, historical, economic and technological contexts.

With the guidance of an interdisciplinary faculty advisory committee, students craft individual courses of study drawing on the university's graduate resources in the humanities, the social and practical sciences, the arts and the professional schools.

Our goal is to connect the strengths of the Columbia journalism tradition with intellectual work in the humanities and human sciences to enhance our understanding of media and journalism in society. Dissertation projects have included "fake news" and political culture; the ordinary person's experience of appearing in the news; the evolution of the photographic pose; fact‐checking and objectivity in the age of digital media; and media, mobilization and political campaigns.

Nearly half of our graduates now hold full-time tenured or tenure‐track teaching positions, while others work in government, industry, consulting, research, policy, finance or the law.

A full time Ph.D. student is generally offered a standard financial aid package that can include tuition exemptions, coverage of medical fees and a stipend. Some service as a teaching or research assistant is required.

A dissertation embodying original research and its defense before an appropriate committee constitute the major requirement of the Ph.D. During the research and writing stage each student must have three approved faculty advisers, including one who serves as the sponsor or primary adviser. The dissertation proposal must be approved by the three advisers by the end of the semester that follows the term in which the comprehensive examinations were taken. The proposal, at least 20 pages, should include:

• A clear statement of the argument or thesis and how it will be developed
• A brief review of the relevant literature, describing the contributions this work will make to the field
• A description of the sources (whether published or human) and research methodologies to be employed
• A work plan indicating what's already been done, what's expected and any research travel, surveys or other tasks to be carried out, with an estimated schedule
• Any additional matter the advisers may require

University and federal regulations require that any project that involves research with human subjects be approved beforehand by the Institutional Review Board(link is external). The regulations generally apply to research methods such as focus groups, surveys, or polls. While one‐on‐one interviews with scholars or experts discussing their specialties probably do not require approval, students are urged to consult with the board if they have any doubt.

When both the student's sponsor and the chair of his or her defense committee have approved the draft as acceptable for defense, it may be distributed to the rest of the committee.

Both logistics and courtesy dictate that the defense be scheduled at least four weeks after the date of the distribution so that committee members have ample time to read the dissertation. The semester in which the student distributes the dissertation is the last term in which she or he must register and pay the m&f fees, even if the defense takes place in the succeeding semester. The last day of the fall semester is the Friday before the beginning of spring term, generally the Friday before the Martin Luther King holiday; the last day of the spring semester is the Friday before the beginning of the fall term, generally the Friday before Labor Day. (There is no summer term or summer registration in the Communications program.)

The Application for the Dissertation Defense (link is external)form will be submitted to the GSAS Dissertation Office by the program director, not by the student, as soon as the five proposed examiners have been finalized. This form must be reviewed and approved by GSAS before the defense may take place. It is best practice to submit this form as soon as the five examiners are chosen, even if the defense has not yet been scheduled. The Dissertation Office must receive this form from the program office at least four weeks before a defense takes place.

The doctoral defense will be conducted by a committee composed of exactly five members. It is the responsibility of the student's sponsor and/or defense chair, not the student, to choose and invite the final two members of the defense committee. GSAS policy states that students should NOT be put in the position of approaching faculty members about serving on their committee.

In recognition of the increasing interdisciplinarity of work being done in many doctoral programs, as of the 2010/2011 academic year, GSAS has broadened the definition of "insider" and "outsider" as applied to defense committees. For the Communications program it will allow a committee that has either one or two outsiders and at least two faculty advisers from the Communications subcommittee. The composition of the final defense committee must therefore fulfill all of the following conditions:

• at least three of the five members, the "insiders," must be from GSAS's list of approved Ph.D. sponsors,(link is external)AND
• at least two of those insiders must be members of the Communications program subcommittee of core faculty advisers, AND
• at least one of the five, the "outsider(s)," must be either 1) a faculty member, clinician or practitioner who holds a position at another university or research institution; or 2) a full‐time faculty member at Columbia University outside the student's own department or program; or 3) a research scientist at Columbia University outside the student's own department or program; or 4) an adjunct professor at Columbia University outside the student's own department or program; or 5) a full‐time faculty member whose appointment is at Barnard College, Jewish Theological Seminary or Union Theological Seminary; or 6) a full‐time faculty member in the student's interdisciplinary program whose field is outside of the student's dissertation field.

If the student's sponsor/primary adviser is not a member of the Communications subcommittee, he or she will be named a co‐sponsor along with an approved sponsor from the Communications program.

For both practical and financial reasons, no committee may include more than one member who will be traveling from outside the Greater New York area, and any travelers must be coming from within the Boston‐Washington corridor. Although all five members of the committee will ideally be physically present at the defense, the Dissertation Office will permit up to two members to participate remotely by audio or video conferencing as long as both the sponsor and the chair are present.

Requirements

• $100 nonrefundable application fee
• Official transcript(s)
• Three letters of recommendation
• Proof of English language proficiency (where applicable for non-native speakers of English)
• Personal essay
• Essay on your academic interests
• Resume
• Academic writing sample
• GRE scores

Scholarships

Tuition and Stipends

Tuition charges are waived for the two or three years of full­-time coursework. The number of years of coursework required depends on the amount of advanced standing credit granted.

A stipend is awarded in each of a student’s first three years. Students must maintain full-­time status (at least 12 points per semester) and make satisfactory academic progress toward their degree to remain eligible for a stipend. Financial aid may be cancelled at any time for failure to maintain a high standard of academic excellence or to comply with the terms of the award. While receiving a stipend, students may not take paid work for more than an average of 10 hours per week (or 20 by petition to the program director).

Each student, whether domestic or international, is responsible for accurately reporting stipend amounts and for making estimated tax payments if appropriate.

Research and Teaching Assistantships

During the first year of coursework no service is required, but in each semester of the second and third years students will be assigned an assistantship that will require research or teaching. International students must hold F­1 visas in order to receive their stipends and assistantships; holders of other types of visas are urged to consult with the International Students and Scholars Office(link is external) to clarify their status.

Outside Awards

Students are encouraged to apply for scholarships and fellowships from outside sources. As an incentive, students will be permitted to retain a combination of external and school funds up to a specified cap that is higher than the standard stipend; for the 2016­-2017 year the cap is $33,335.