Degree Requirements
The Media Studies, Ph.D. is a minimum three year, 72 credit hour degree program. Students must complete the following requirements.
Core Courses: 21 credit hours
Students must complete each of the following courses.
Media History Requirement: 3 credit hours
Students must complete one (1) course at the 7000 level or above on the History of Media:
Media Research Methods Requirements: 6 credit hours
Students must select two (2) courses from the list below to fulfill this requirement.
Electives: 30 credits
Selected courses must be approved by the student’s research advisor. Students may request approval to complete electives from elsewhere in the university.
Research Requirement: minimum of 12 credit hours
All students will enroll in MDST 9999: Non-Topical Research for a minimum of four (4) semesters to complete independent research and writing (e.g., major research project, dissertation proposal, and dissertation). Students may enroll in this course prior to advancing to candidacy. Students may take this course more than four (4) times, however only 12 credits will be counted in fulfillment of degree requirements.
Degree Milestones
Students are expected select a research advisor no later than the end of their second term.
Students are expected to complete a major research project of potentially publishable quality. This project must be submitted to the Media Studies Graduate Curriculum Committee (GCC) for approval no later than the end of the student’s fourth term.
Students are expected to have approval of their major research project by the end of the student’s fifth term in order to proceed to the doctorate.
Students are expected schedule the three comprehensive exams with their research advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies during the semester in which the student completes their required graded coursework. Students who fail to pass the exams on their first attempt will be given the opportunity to retake the exams.
Students are expected to prepare and present a dissertation prospectus to their committee for approval by the conclusion of the sixth term of study.
Students are expected to complete all requirements stated above prior to the beginning of the seventh term of study.
Students are expected to write and defend a dissertation.
