Graduate Bulletin

Mass Media and Communication, Ph.D.

SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THEATER

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: January 1

All Ph.D. applications are evaluated together after the deadline date.

Letters of Reference:

Number Required: 3

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from evaluators, particularly college/university faculty, who can provide insight into your abilities and talents, as well as comment on your aptitude for graduate study.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration:

All applicants must present credentials that are the equivalent of the baccalaureate degree at Temple University.

Master's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline:

No.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline:

No.

Statement of Goals:

The Statement of Goals should be approximately 500-1,000 words in length and should include the following elements: your specific interest in Temple's program; your research goals; your future career goals; and your academic and research achievements.

Standardized Test Scores:

The GRE is required. Applicants should have attained a total GRE score in the range of 65% to 80% on the verbal and quantitative sections.

Minimum TOEFL score or range of scores needed to be accepted: 590 paper-based or 243 computer-based. Any student admitted with a TOEFL score below 600 on the paper-based or 250 on the computer-based examination must pass an English skills course or successfully pass the SPEAK test during the first semester of enrollment at Temple University.

Resume:

A resume is required.

Advanced Standing:

Students who enter the MM&C Ph.D. program may receive credit for previous relevant coursework at the graduate level. To apply for this credit, students must submit a Petition for Transfer Credit at the beginning of their second semester. The petition is then evaluated by the program faculty. The maximum number of advanced standing credits awarded is 30.

Program Requirements

Campus Location:

Main Campus

Full-Time/Part-Time Status:

Students are required to complete the degree program through classes offered before and after 4:30 p.m.

General Program Requirements:

Number of Didactic Credits Required Beyond the Master's: 42

Required Courses:

MMC 400, 420, 500, 540, and 945

MMC 945 must be taken during both the Fall and Spring of the student's first year in the program.

Internship: No internship is required.

Language Examination: No language examination is required.

Additional Requirements:

Preliminary Examinations:

Under the direction of an approved faculty committee, the Ph.D. student must satisfactorily complete written and oral examinations prior to formal Ph.D. candidacy. Areas of examination and the constituency of the examining committee are tailored to the individual student.

The preliminary examinations should be completed no more than one semester after the student completes the coursework component of the program. Students who are preparing to write their preliminary examinations should confirm a date and time with the chair of their Doctoral Advisory Committee (DAC) and register this information with the graduate secretary. The student and chair will receive confirmation for the date, time, and, where applicable, room and proctor, for the examination. The examinations must be completed before the student defends his or her dissertation proposal.

The exams are designed to demonstrate the student's critical and interpretive knowledge of specialized areas of mass media and communication. The examinations evaluate the student's ability to apply specific research foci to related issues in the discipline. The examinations are defended orally approximately three weeks after they are written.

The subject areas will be determined, in advance, by the student and the DAC. The examination consists of essay questions in three areas written by the members of the student's DAC.

The DAC will evaluate the examinations. The student must answer every question on the examinations in order to be evaluated. The evaluators look for breadth and depth of understanding of specific research areas; a critical application of that knowledge to specific mass media and communication issues; and an ability to write technical prose in a manner consistent with mass media and communication research. Each committee member votes to pass or fail the student. In order to pass, a majority of the committee members must agree that the exams have been satisfactorily completed.

Culminating Events:

Dissertation:

With the guidance of his/her academic advisor, who is a member of the MM&C faculty, and at least two other committee members, the student proposes, conducts, and creates a written report of an original, theoretically motivated research project. The proposal should consist of the following: the context and background surrounding a particular research problem; identification of the theoretical and, if relevant, practical importance of the problem; an exhaustive survey and review of literature related to the problem; and a detailed methodological plan for investigating the problem. The proposal should be completed and approved no more than one semester after the student completes coursework. It cannot be defended before the preliminary examinations are taken. Upon approval, a timeline for completing the investigation and the writing process will be established.

The doctoral dissertation is an original empirical study that makes a significant contribution to the field of mass media and communication. It should expand the existing knowledge and demonstrate the student's knowledge of both research methods and his/her primary area of interest. Dissertations should be rigorously investigated; uphold the ethics and standards of the communication field; demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the primary area of interest and the broader field of mass media and communication; and be prepared for publication in a professional journal.

The Doctoral Advising Committee (DAC) is formed to oversee the student's dissertation research and is comprised of at least three graduate faculty members. Two members, including the chair, must be from the MM&C program. Committee compositions must be approved by the MM&C faculty. The chair is responsible for overseeing and guiding the student's progress, coordinating the responses of the DAC members, and informing the student of his/her academic progress.

The Doctoral Examining Committee (DEC) evaluates the student's dissertation and oral defense. This committee is composed of the DAC and at least one additional graduate faculty member from outside the MM&C program. The outside examiner should be identified no later than the beginning of the semester in which the student will defend the dissertation. The DEC will evaluate the student's ability to express verbally his/her research question, methodological approach, primary findings, and implications. It will vote to pass or fail the dissertation and the defense at the conclusion of the public presentation.

If a student needs to change a member of a Committee, the new member must be approved by the program's faculty and registered with the graduate secretary and the Graduate School.

Students who are preparing to defend their dissertation should confirm a date and time with their DEC members and register with the graduate secretary at least 15 days before the defense. The graduate secretary will arrange the date, time, and room within two working days and forward to the student the appropriate forms. After the graduate secretary has made the appropriate arrangements for the defense, the student must send a completed "Announcement of Dissertation Defense" form to the Graduate School at least 10 days before the defense. The MM&C program will announce the defense via e-mail.

Contacts

Program Contact Information:

www.temple.edu/mmc/

Department Information:

Graduate Office

School of Communications and Theater
344 Annenberg Hall (011-00)
2020 North 13th Street
Philadelphia PA 19122
dolores.stanley@temple.edu
215-204-8409

Department Contacts:

Admissions:

Dolores Stanley
dolores.stanley@temple.edu
215-204-8409

Program Coordinator:

Zizi Papacharissi, Ph.D.
zpapacha@temple.edu
215-204-5181

Graduate Chairperson:

Renee Hobbs, Ph.D.
renee.hobbs@temple.edu
215-204-4291

Chairperson:

Renee Hobbs, Ph.D.
renee.hobbs@temple.edu
215-204-4291

About the Program

The Ph.D. in Mass Media and Communication offers a comprehensive curriculum in communication theory and research designed to provide advanced students with the breadth and depth of knowledge needed to make significant contributions in the academic and professional field of mediated communication and, generally, communication.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 7 years

Campus Location:

Main Campus

Students are required to complete the degree program through classes offered before and after 4:30 p.m. Students are able to complete the degree program on a part-time basis (8 credit hours or less per semester).

Department Information:

Graduate Office

School of Communications and Theater
344 Annenberg Hall (011-00)
2020 North 13th Street
Philadelphia PA 19122
dolores.stanley@temple.edu
215-204-8409

Ranking:

Not applicable.

Accreditation:

Not applicable.

Areas of Specialization:

Faculty members specialize and offer substantial coursework in diverse areas related to communication, including international communication, social change, media institutions, communication history, new media, psychological processing of media, and gender studies.

Job Placement:

The MM&C Ph.D. program is designed to prepare graduates for work as professors in colleges and universities around the world.  Graduates are also prepared to hold a variety of positions in the communication and other commercial industries as well as in non-profit organizations.

Affiliation(s):

Not applicable.

Interdisciplinary Study:

The MM&C Ph.D. program encourages interdisciplinary coursework, research, and interactions among faculty and students with interests in sociology, psychology, political science, business, and other fields. Students also may complete a limited amount of production coursework in audio, video, film, and/or journalism.

Study Abroad:

MM&C doctoral students can take advantage of Temple's London program, which offers a unique opportunity to study British media. Other international study opportunities include programs in Rome and Japan.

Licensure:

Not applicable.

Non-Degree Student Policy:

Non-matriculated students are restricted to taking the following courses: MMC 400 and MMC 500. These courses may only be taken with permission of the instructor. If the student is admitted to the program, these courses may be applied toward the degree.

Financing Opportunities

Both teaching and research assistantships carry a stipend and full tuition remission (up to nine credits per semester). The principal duties of a Teaching Assistant include assisting faculty members in classroom and laboratory instruction, preparing material for presentation and demonstration, conducting tutorials and discussion sections, and grading quizzes and exams. Research Assistants are assigned to a faculty member or principal investigator who is investigating a specific research project. The appropriate subjects are determined by consultation between the student and the student's research and academic advisors. The program makes offers of assistantships on or before March 15. April 5 is the final date to accept or decline the offer.

Other Financial Opportunities