Filing a Program
The Ph.D. student, with the regular adviser, must fill out and file a Program Form (available in the Graduate School, 3rd floor, Johnston Hall) indicating the courses planned for completion of the degree. All programs must be approved first by the adviser, then by the DGS, and finally by the Graduate School.
The student is advised to get this form soon to become aware of what must be included in it. Further, the student should file this program soon after the regular adviser has been chosen, ordinarily by the end of the first year of doctoral work.
Credit requirements: The Department of Communication Studies and the Graduate School set no minimum total number of credits for the Ph.D. degree, but most students submit programs consisting of 64-75 credits (Including M.A. work relevant to the Ph.D.). The Ph.D. program is not a simple addition of courses to the M.A. program. It is a rational, defensible plan of additional course work, which will prepare the student to take comprehensive examinations, and do original research culminating in the writing of a dissertation, and the referred publication of research results.
Credit Requirements
Recommended course work for the Ph.D.
A total of 66-75 credits (course and thesis combined) are recommended. These may include 12 credits of relevant M.A. work.
Credits may be transferred from M.A. credits in Communication Studies taken at Minnesota, or other approved graduate institutions, or taken as a Ph.D. student at another approved graduate institution. Extension credits taken at other schools may not be transferred, but graduate-level credits earned at Minnesota during the first semester as an adult special, in the summer session or as a summer special student may be transferred. A maximum of 9 credits in Continuing Education and Extension (CEE), taken for graduate credit, and from an instructor with graduate school rank, may be included on the program.
Since the Ph.D. course work provides background preparation for exams and the dissertation, it is preferable that students have the subject area and methodology of investigation for the dissertation in mind when deciding upon courses for the Ph.D. program.
Minimum Requirements for the Ph.D.
In This Department Only
At least 30 credit hours in the Department of Communication Studies are required. Most of these courses must be taken in the student's chosen area of concentration, though relevant M.A. course work taken here may be included. Ideally students will take at least some work in all three areas of the department, but students must list at least two courses in one of the other areas of the Department.
Outside The Department
At least 12 credit hours in a supporting program are required. Most of this work should be taken at this university. If the traditional minor is chosen, the work will be in a single field related to the student's Ph.D. plans, and approved by the DGS in that field. If a supporting program is offered, it must consist of a coherent pattern of courses related to the student's special area of research. A supporting program normally includes courses in at least two disciplines.
To be acceptable to the Graduate School a Supporting Program must meet two criteria:
l) the supporting work must complement the major so as to make a coherent overall program. Courses must not be selected at random, but either constitute a substantive whole, or individually complement various components of the major program; and 2) must represent enough work in each discipline so the student can be examined on that discipline.
Only in rare circumstances should a single course be allowed to represent a discipline within the supporting program, for instance, when the course is supported by allied courses in other departments. One way to provide a rationale for the supporting program or minor is to relate it to the likely dissertation topic. Another way is to develop a particular intellectual perspective on the total Ph.D. program, and orient supporting course work to a set of consistent topics in Communication Studies.
When selecting a supporting program or a minor, keep in mind that Ph.D. students must have at least two faculty from outside the Department on their preliminary oral, and their final oral examining committee. Normally, these "outside" faculty are persons from whom the student has taken supporting or minor program work. Students with a declared minor must have two faculty from the minor department. Therefore, it is important that at least two or three "outside" faculty are familiar with you and your work, and are able to assist you with your dissertation, and serve on your oral examining committee.
Research Tool Requirement
In addition to the above requirements, the program chosen should reflect the student's preparation to handle whatever research tools are relevant to the sort of research that best support his or her scholarly work both in completing the degree and in continuing a scholarly career. The latter consideration should encourage the students to think about a breadth of associations that they will have throughout their career. Each student must obtain 12 credit hours in the following general types of method study:
- For quantitative studies: statistics, computer methods, experimental design, or evaluation research methods.
- For qualitative studies: fieldwork techniques, content analysis, interview methods, or participant observation.
- For historical/descriptive or critical studies:historiography, methods of rhetorical criticism, linguistic analysis, content analysis, literary criticism and/or second languages.
While preparing, the student should think of including preparation that reflects roughly twelve credits. The number of credits in this context is a guide to make a statement about extent, rather than a specific count. Students should include some work taken in the department in preparing as well as work that may have been taken before coming to Minnesota. Work taken at the masters level, as well as the Ph.D., may be included. Preparation to meet the expectation need not be limited to formal graduate course work. Some students may be highly proficient in a foreign language or in statistics from earlier education.
The students may, and probably should, include work outside Communication Studies as well as inside. Whatever the student does will not appear as a easily distinguished portion of the official Ph.D. program. If courses taken here or elsewhere that help satisfy our expectation in this regard appears there, it will appear scattered throughout the list.
In surveying the courses offered by the department, the student should give careful attention to COMM 8-501, 8-502, 8-503, and 8-504. these offerings feature research methods and have been designed to help students prepare in this regard.
Any student who chooses a second language as a research tool must have prior approval of the adviser and the DGS. With the adviser the student must contact the relevant department to develop a course of study to prepare for the proficiency exams, and to determine criteria, the form, and the level of competence required for passing the exam. Proficiency involves being able to read and translate technical works in the student's field. Some language departments offer special courses for graduate students. The student using this option must demonstrate to the adviser and to the DGS that the language will be directly useful in doing the doctoral dissertation research. If the student elects for the language option, a note must be attached to the Ph.D. program indicating how preparation for the proficiency exam will take place, when they will likely be taken, and how the language will be used in the research.
Courses taken to prepare for the foreign language proficiency exam are not listed on the Ph.D. program. Indicate the chosen language in the space provided in the upper left corner of the program form. After passing the language proficiency exam, pick up a Language Certification Card from the Graduate School. Take it to the appropriate language department, have it signed, and return it to the Graduate School.
Transfer Credits
Transfer of work is accomplished by the listing of the courses on the program form, and attaching thereto the relevant transcripts. The student must list transfer credits taken on the semester system with the same number of credits received at the original institution. Credits for courses taken on the semester system must be translated into semester credits on the program forms. Each semester credit equals 1.5 quarter credits.
Thesis Credits
Student must complete 24 doctoral thesis credits before receiving the degree (Grad 8-888. Ph.D. Thesis credits can be registered for only after the preliminary oral exam has been passed.
Completing Ph.D. Program Forms
While referring to the Department Ph.D. draft program form, the student should discuss the proposed program with the permanent adviser. When they are agreed on the content of the program, the student should fill out an official Graduate School program form.
The student must fill out the Graduate School form chronologically, with courses taken first in time listed first. The Departmental form is available from the Graduate Secretary, and the Graduate School form may be obtained from the rack across from 313 Johnston Hall. the student needs first to obtain the adviser's signature on the completed Graduate School form, then submit both forms to the DGS, together with transcripts of all work at Minnesota listed on the program, notes of explanation (if necessary), and a separate note attached to the form with suggested names of members of the final examining committee.
The composition of this committee is very important to the student. It is this committee which will conduct the preliminary oral examination. The committee assigned for the dissertation is technically a different committee, but it often is composed of the same persons. The dissertation committee is formed when you file your thesis title form. Three of its members, the regular adviser, one other member of the Communication Studies faculty, and one "outside" member will be reviewers of the dissertation as it goes through its many drafts, giving the student direction on this important work. The other member will read the dissertation before the final oral examination, and may require changes or modifications to be made.
If the DGS approves the program and the committee, then it will be sent to the Graduate School. The student will be notified if the DGS finds problems with the program or committee. The Graduate School will notify the student whether they have approved the program a few weeks after it is submitted. Whenever possible, include on the program the names of the instructors of the courses listed. This is often helpful in understanding why particular final oral examining committee members are being proposed.
When students apply for graduation the Graduate School will compare their program to their transcripts to make sure they have completed all courses listed thereon. The course numbers must be listed accurately, therefore, and the courses listed must actually have been completed.
When completing the Graduate School program form, do not fill in the names of the proposed committee members on the cover sheet. Rather, write a note listing the names and correct departmental affiliation of all committee members. Give this to the DGS together with the program form for approval. The proposed committee should include the regular adviser, at least two other Communication Studies faculty, and one "outside" faculty who is familiar with the student's work, and who are willing to advise the student on the dissertation and participate in the final oral examination.
It is expected that all committee members have agreed to serve.
The student and the adviser must check with each member individually before her or his name is listed by the DGS on the program forms.
Once approved, an official program must be fulfilled in every detail to meet graduation requirements. Some students find it necessary to change courses originally listed on the program. To do this, get a "Petition Form" (in the rack across from 313 Johnston Hall), and list brief, but clear reasons for the change. The forms must be approved by the adviser in the designated minor (if applicable), the adviser, and DGS, who will send it to the Graduate School. If changes are substantial, a new revised program should be submitted.