Doctor of Philosophy in Communication, Culture and Media Studies - Technology, Policy and Society

The Ph.D. in Communication, Culture and Media Studies at Howard's Graduate School welcomes applicants who hold a master's degree (M.A., M.F.A. or M.S.) with backgrounds in the social sciences, humanities, fine arts, and other communication-related fields. Our program highly encourages an interdisciplinary, multicultural approach to investigating communication issues locally, nationally, and globally. Students engage theoretical concepts across diverse fields, including critical media and cultural studies, visual culture, sociology, history, science and technology studies, anthropology, history, and political economy. As a graduate of the program, you'll be prepared to compete successfully for postdoctoral positions, tenure-track teaching appointments at colleges and universities, and senior-level communications consulting or research positions in the public or private sector. Our program emphasizes critical frameworks and mixed methodological approaches to communications studies, including quantitative and qualitative methods, discourse analysis, network analysis, semiotics, critical communication theory, and ethnography. You may choose from three distinct areas of specialization: health communication, media, and cultural studies, and technology, policy, and society. You'll enjoy a highly collegial atmosphere and the close mentorship of faculty notable for their wide-ranging research, including examinations of the role of communication in health promotion, mass communications and public policymaking, strategic communication, culture and media history, the political economy of media, multicultural and mediated communication, and interrelations between global social movements, art, and media.

Application for Admission

Online GradCAS application
Statement of purpose/ Statement of academic interest (500-1,000 words)
GRE scores required
Official transcripts sent to GradCAS
3 letters of recommendation
Master's degree from an accredited university
Resume or Curriculum Vitae
Autobiographical statement (500-750 words)
GRE Preferred Minimums
GRE Verbal Reasoning: 140
GRE Quantitative Reasoning: 135
GRE Analytical Writing: 4
GPA Required Minimums

Overall GPA minimum: 3.0
Undergrad GPA minimum: 3.0

IELTS - a minimum overall band score of 6.5, with no individual band score below 6.0.
TOEFL - (iBT) - 90