Doctor of Philosophy in Journalism - Media Sociology

A leader in journalism education and research, the School awarded the first doctor of philosophy degree in 1934. Beyond teaching and administration, our doctoral graduates add value to corporations, media entities, strategic communication firms and other organizations through their research and understanding theoretical approaches. Doctoral students:

conduct research with world-renowned faculty,
collaborate with world-class scholars and professionals in journalism and strategic communication,
gain experience as an educator alongside award-winning faculty

The eight research areas of study prepare our doctoral students for careers in the academy and industry:

Big Data
Health Communications
Journalism Studies
Media History
Media Law, Ethics and Policy
Media Sociology
Science Communication
Strategic Communication

Selecting the right doctoral program is a major decision. At the Missouri School of Journalism, our students will have the mentorship and assistance in job placement they need. Missouri graduates are represented in colleges and universities around the world, serving as deans, chairs and professors. Recent doctoral graduates are now on the faculties of Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan State, Iowa, Colorado, Louisiana State, Georgia and other accredited journalism programs.

The Media Sociology doctoral area allows you to study media, particularly journalism, within broader social, cultural, political and economic contexts.

Faculty and students in this area examine sociological concerns, such as power, socialization, labor, autonomy, ideology, identity, the dynamics of social control and social change, as well as the role of democracy in public life. They observe how these work in relation to journalism's actors, organizations, institutions, processes and routines.

You will join a team of scholars whose cutting-edge research has been published in top-tier journals. Their work spans a wide range of issues, including antecedents to journalistic behaviors, the processes of news making, the impact of economics and technology on news work, fluctuating definitions of journalism, and the cultural construction of journalism within and across national contexts. They take a pluralistic approach to scholarship, embracing paradigmatic and methodological diversity.