丁香园AV

School of Communication | Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology
丁香园AV Calendar 2012 Spring

The School of Communication draws on a variety of perspectives, but it is most readily distinguished by the fact that it treats communication as a humanistic social science, with both theoretical and applied dimensions. Students explore communication theory and practice, and are encouraged to apply research and theory to issues and problems in contemporary societies and cultures.

Fields of Study and Research

Faculty resources support graduate studies in a range of areas of expertise that can be generally summarized by the following thematic clusters.

Media and culture: media analysis; media education; media and democracy; advocacy; cultural forms and genres; media production and design; memory and post-colonial studies.

Politics and political economy: media governance; cultural policy; intellectual property; media industries and markets; communication and social movements; media systems and institutions; knowledge systems.

Science, technology and society: history of communication technology; surveillance and citizenship; health informatics; philosophy of technology; technological innovation and social change; crisis and emergency communication; information society and economy.

Other themes of research and study cut across all of these thematic clusters, and are foundational to all research and training in the school, among them: globalization, policy, and identity studies. All clusters consider theory,history, and methodology.

丁香园AV Requirements

丁香园AV requirements will normally include a master鈥檚 degree or an exceptional record of undergraduate and/or graduate work in a relevant area of study. Enrolment is strictly limited.

For general university admission requirements, see . In addition, applicants will provide

• an online application along with the application fee
• a two to three page succinct account of their past academic experience, which would include scholarly work, research accomplished or in progress, relevant teaching experience and degree of responsibility for course content
• samples of scholarly writing, research reports, or other material that is relevant to the applicant's research objectives
• three references (at least two of whom should be familiar with the applicant鈥檚 academic work) in sealed envelopes
• a brief outline of the applicant鈥檚 research objectives, with representative bibliographical references and other source material, where applicable, including a statement of interest with an explanation or account of how they see their research objectives fitting in with the School of Communication and potential supervisors

The application deadline is December 15. The committee announces its decisions before the last week of April. Students enter in the fall term.

Advising and Supervision

Students are advised to read section 6 of the General Regulations and the school鈥檚 Guidelines for Supervisory Committees.

Upon admission, students are assigned an interim advisor. The student selects a senior supervisor and, in consultation with their senior supervisor, selects two or three other faculty members for a supervisory committee by the beginning of the third term. Although the graduate studies committee endeavors to select interim advisors with expertise in the student鈥檚 research area, there is no obligation to choose the interim advisor to be senior supervisor.

Students have the right to discuss their programs and status with the graduate program chair, to ask for a review of any recommendation or grade, and to appeal committee, supervisor or faculty decisions.

Program Requirements

Doctoral candidates complete course work, comprehensive exams, a dissertation proposal, and submit a dissertation which demonstrates an original contribution to the field of communication.

Course Groups

Graduate courses are divided into six groups.

Group 1 Surveys of History and Theory

This course group contains survey courses that define and map the field and expose students to faculty interests and research programs.

• CMNS 800-5 Contemporary Approaches in Communication Studies
• CMNS 802-5 History of Communication Theory
• CMNS 804-5 Seminar in Advanced Communication Theory

Group 2 Research Design and Methods

This course group contains research methods and methodology courses that help with research projects.

• CMNS 801-5 Design and Methodology in Communication Research
• CMNS 805-5 Communication Research Methods and Techniques

Group 3 Research Area Courses

This course group contains the school鈥檚 various research area and selected topics courses.

• CMNS 815-5 Social construction of Communication Technologies
• CMNS 830-5 Popular Culture and Media Theory
• CMNS 840-5 Political Economy of Communications
• CMNS 845-5 Communication and Development
• CMNS 855-5 Selected Topics in Communication Studies
• CMNS 856-4 Graduate Seminar
• CMNS 857-5 Selected Topics in Communication Studies
• CMNS 858-5 Selected Topics in Communication Studies
• CMNS 859-5 Acoustic Dimensions of Communications

Group 4 Research Internship and Fieldwork

This course group contains courses, in which students complete field work, or work and study in a professional setting.

• CMNS 881-5 Research Internship
• CMNS 882-5 Research Field Work

Group 5 Directed Readings and Studies

This course group contains courses, in which students perform research and/or reading under faculty member supervision.

• CMNS 850-5 Directed Readings and Research
• CMNS 851-5 Directed Studies
• CMNS 880-5 Directed Readings and Research

Group 6 Colloquia and Theses

This course group refers to the course designations for work on dissertations in process, and for comprehensive examinations.

• CMNS 895-6 Comprehensive Examinations
• CMNS 899-6 PhD Thesis

Course Requirements

Candidates normally satisfy the following requirements.

Students complete a minimum of nine graduate courses for those only with a bachelor鈥檚 degree (including CMNS 860), or five graduate courses for those with a master鈥檚 degree.

The graduate studies committee may require additional courses depending on the student鈥檚 background and dissertation project. These courses are normally completed before completing the comprehensive examinations, or beginning a dissertation.

Students complete two courses from Group 1 Surveys of History and Theory as follows.

• CMNS 800-5 Contemporary Approaches in Communication Studies
• CMNS 802-5 History of Communication Theory
• CMNS 804-5 Seminar in Advanced Communication Theory

As well students are required to complete one course from Group 2 Research Design and Methods as follows.

• CMNS 801-5 Design and Methodology in Communication Research
• CMNS 805-5 Communication Research Methods and Techniques

For those entering with a master鈥檚 degree, students complete a minimum of two additional five-unit courses, at least one of which is selected from within the school, and may include other courses from and (see above).

For those entering without a master's degree, a minimum of six additional courses is required. A minimum of four of these must be completed from the school鈥檚 course offerings.

For all students, a maximum of two courses may be completed from and , but no more than two of or may be completed with the same instructor, except with graduate studies committee permission.

Language Requirement

Students will be required by the communication graduate studies committee to demonstrate adequate command of any language that is essential to the completion of their dissertations.

Comprehensive Examinations

In consultation with their supervisory committee, students must apply to complete the comprehensive examination, following completion of required course work, and normally no later than their sixth term. Upon passing, the student is admitted to full degree candidacy. The examinations may be retaken once.

To prepare for the comprehensive exams, students select and design two comprehensive fields which may be related to the dissertation topic itself or carve out an area of potential teaching competence. At least one examination shall survey a range of theoretical or methodological frameworks within the study of communication to meet a breadth requirement.

The student submits definition papers, including bibliographies, on each of the fields in preparation for both written and oral examinations.

Dissertation Proposal

Students enrol in CMNS 899 in the term immediately following completion of the comprehensive exams, and will present a full dissertation proposal to their supervisory committee. Specific comprehensive examinations and dissertation proposal guidelines are available from the graduate program co-ordinator.

Original Dissertation

PhD students complete a doctoral dissertation that demonstrates an ability to make an original contribution to the field of communication.

Academic Requirements within the Graduate General Regulations

All graduate students must satisfy the academic requirements that are specified in the (residence, course work, academic progress, supervision, research competence requirement, completion time, and degree completion), as well as the specific requirements for the program in which they are enrolled, as shown above.