Contact:

Dennis Kinsey, Director of Doctoral Studies
454 Newhouse 3, 315-443-3372, masscomm@syr.edu

Faculty:

See Faculty listing for the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications 

The Ph.D. in mass communications in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications is rooted in the social and behavioral sciences. Students may draw on an extensive variety of faculty in the Newhouse School and in other schools at Syracuse University.

Students can specialize in the functions and social effects of print and electronic media or focus on media-related institutions in society. Among the topics they might consider are: influences on media content, media influence on social behavior, new communications technologies, advertising influences on consumer behavior, public relations, media law and ethics, diversity and the media, science communication, and political communication.

Coursework includes three areas of study: mass communication theory, research methods and statistics, core specialization elective courses inside and/or outside the Newhouse School (e.g., sociology, psychology, political science, information studies, health, sports).

Doctoral students complete at least 42 semester credits beyond the master’s degree. In addition to the 42 credits, 18 credits count toward the dissertation. Doctoral students should be able to complete the program in three years.