I. Introduction.
II. Admission Requirements.
III. Degree Requirements:
A. General;
B. Core;
C. Total credits and load;
D. Research credits;
E. Termination policy.
IV. Course Rotation.
V. Preliminary Examination Requirements.
VI. Student Checklist of General Procedures.
VII. Contacts.

Features:
How to choose a graduate program.
Graduate Handbook
Master's degree enrollment statistics 1995-2002.
Graduate coursework available on line.
Where can I publish?
New! Research output of faculty and students, 2004-5.

Introduction
The doctoral program in communication at North Dakota State University is unique. Students are encouraged to engage in action-oriented research: research that seeks to solve real-world problems. While some programs produce dissertations and research that are read by few and used by no one, our program seeks to make a difference in the world. Our research goes beyond data analysis to create concrete programs of action that are implemented, evaluated, and modified, if necessary.

Although the program allows students to prepare for traditional careers in the professorate, many students are seeking advancement in careers in business, consulting, or other professional areas. The program is based on theory and research with a practical, applied, action-oriented goal. Doctoral students strive to understand issues, solve problems, and create programs that can improve organizational, educational, interpersonal, and intercultural settings and situations.

The program seeks two groups of students: Successful mid-career professionals who wish to advance within their own areas of pursuit or wish to change focus, and young scholars with exceptional undergraduate records and accomplishments. The braiding of these two groups creates a classroom atmosphere that is dynamic and allows practical wisdom to be combined with current research and theory. The doctoral program includes a wide variety of students including those who are place-bound in the Fargo-Moorhead area and those who have moved from California, New York, and Washington state, among other places, for the purpose of pursuing this unique Ph.D. program.

Doctoral-seeking students in the program come from a variety of academic backgrounds and are afforded great flexibility in course delivery and course content. Acceptance into the program is competitive, but students may enroll in up to twelve credit hours before they complete an application for the program. Sixty credit hours beyond the master's degree are required, with thirty credit hours focused on the content of the discipline, and thirty credit hours focused on research. Doctoral students must complete a dissertation acceptable to their advisor and their committee.

The strong emphasis on research in the program; the faculty's view of the centrality of teaching; the faculty's involvement in national, regional, and state associations; and the close working relationship with the doctoral advisor and other faculty members allows a number of positive outcomes. First, students generally have two to three publications and multiple convention presentations before graduation. Second, students who are pursuing careers in the professorate have a keen understanding of teaching and learning. Third, students who are interested in academic associations are encouraged to serve in multiple roles within them. Finally, students understand the importance of community and university service.

Admission to the program
A complete application includes the following materials required by the graduate school:
(1) application;
(2) reasons for graduate study statement;
(3) application fee;
(4) transcripts;
(5) letters of recommendation.

The department of communication requires, in addition,
(1) a vita or résumé which clearly identifies your current position, including your responsibilities, span of authority, and sphere of influence; your professional publications and papers, your service and professional activity; and your teaching and training experiences.
(2) a professional writing sample, which could be a master's thesis, a final paper for a course, a conference paper, a briefing paper or a news article.
(3) Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores.
(4) For international students, TOEFL test results are required. The department's TOEFL score minimum must total at least 600 paper-based, 250 computer-based, or 100 internet-based. To qualify for a teaching assistantship, TOEFL score must total 650 paper-based, 280 computer-based, or 114 internet-based.

Application deadlines
Completed applications must be at NDSU by September 15 for an October 1 decision, for enrollment the following spring semester. Completed applications must be at NDSU by January 15 for a February 1 decision, for enrollment the following fall semester.

Degree requirements
Introduction
The Ph.D. requires at least 60 semester hours beyond the master's degree. The 60 or more hours must be in a planned course of study approved and overseen by the student's advisor and advisory committee. The student's planned program will often contain more than the minimum 60 hours. Students with a master's degree in another discipline may be required to complete additional graduate course work in specific areas of communication deemed necessary by the student's advisor and advisory committee. Graduate work taken beyond the master's degree may be judged applicable by the advisory committee, but post-master's graduate credits beyond nine semester hours will not count toward the 60-hour minimum required for the Ph.D. Beginning with the 2005 entering class, students are strongly encouraged to take all of the Summer Scholars courses and required to take a minimum of two of them.

To complete the program, students must demonstrate:

• a thorough grasp of perspectives on the nature of communication as an applied science and the process of theory construction and testing;

• a broad knowledge of theories and research in various applied communication contexts;

• in-depth knowledge of the communication context chosen as the student's area of specialization;

• competence in a cognate field which supports the student's area of specialization;

• a broad knowledge of various communication research methods and statistical procedures, with expertise in either qualitative or quantitative methodologies.

Requirements
A. Minimum of 30 credit hours in didactic courses, to include

1. Core Courses (12 credit hours):
a. Comm 700, Introduction to Graduate Studies and Research in Communication.
b. Comm 611, Theories of Communication, OR Comm 637, Theories of Mass Communication
c. Comm 705, Advanced Theories of Communication
d. Comm 796, Action Oriented Research for Communication Professionals
(Note: Persons with a communication master's degree may be exempt from one, or more, of these core courses.)

2. Major Concentration: Minimum of 20 credit hours of courses including a major concentration. (Generally, the core courses will not comprise a portion of the concentration.)
a. Minimum of 15 credit hours in the departmental 700-789 courses.
b. Minimum of 6 credit hours at the 700-789 level in a cognate area outside the department that represents a coherent unit of study (such as education, sociology, psychology, or business)

B. 30 credit hours in research and research courses, to include

1. Research Courses
a. Minimum of 15 total credit hours of research courses.
b. Of these, a minimum of 12 credit hours of didactic research courses (6 credit hours may be transferred from the master's degree)
c. A maximum of 9 credit hours of independent study conducting research

2. Dissertation Credit Hours
a. Minimum of 15 credit hours of dissertation research
b. No maximum number of dissertation credit hours

A sample curriculum might include:

Year 1 

Fall
Intro to Graduate Studies/Research Methods in Communication
Advanced Intercultural Communication
Human Communication Theory OR Mass Communication Theory
Introduction to Action-Oriented Research
Communication and Change

Spring
Argument
Communication ethics
Rhetorical Criticism
Crisis Communication
Issues Management

Year 2

Fall
Organizational Communication I
Advanced Interpersonal Communication
Communication Law
Advanced Communication Theory
Advanced Qualitative Methods
Independent Research

Spring
Issues in Mass Communication
Small Group Communcation
Persuasion
Organizational Communication II
Advanced Quantitative Methods
Independent Research

Year 3

Fall
Independent Research
Dissertation

Spring
Independent Research
Dissertation

How long will it take?
To complete the Ph. D. program in three years, students need to take complete 20 credit hours per year. To complete in two years, students need to complete 30 credit hours per year. Students may take fewer credit hours per year, which will extend their doctoral study to four years or more.

Termination Policy
A review committee constituted from among the department's graduate faculty will review the progress of each student in the Ph.D. program as they reach certain credit-completion benchmarks, and annually. The initial review will occur after completion of nine credit hours, followed by subsequent reviews at the end of March of each academic year. The committee may recommend to the department's graduate faculty the termination of any student's program. The graduate faculty may then recommend termination to the graduate school. Such recommendation will be made only after consultation with the student's major advisor and advisory committee, and follow only if ratified by a two-thirds vote of the graduate faculty.

Graduate Course Rotation
Courses to be offered each semester:
690 TA Training/Media writing
690 TA Training/Pub Speaking

Courses to be offered each year:
Fall:
611 Communication Theory
637 Mass Communication Theory
700 Research Methods in Communication
708 Advanced Qualitative Methods
Spring:
705 Advanced Communication Theory
796 Action-Oriented Research
721 Intercultural Communication
710 Advanced Quantitative Methods

Courses to be offered every other year:
Fall 1:
601 Rhetorical Theory
642 Information Technology & Mass Media
683 Organizational Communication 1
680 Health Communication
Spring 1:
731 Communication Ethics
672 Public Relations Campaigns
784 Organizational Communication II
706 Advanced Interpersonal Communication
Fall 2:
602 Contemporary Rhetorical Theory
643 Mass Media & Public Opinion
785 Crisis Communication
715 Small Group Communication
Spring 2:
634 Communication Law
767 Rhetorical Criticism
725 Communication & Change
672 Public Relations Campaigns

Courses to be offered at least every two years:
636/650 Issues in Communication, or 635/751/790 (at chair’s discretion)

Preliminary or Comprehensive Examination (Updated March 2006)
When coursework is nearly completed, doctoral students will meet with their advisors to determine if they are prepared to complete a preliminary or comprehensive examination. The advisor will consider the program of study, the student’s professional presentations and publications, the student’s teaching or other applied work, and the student’s professional or other service.

When the advisor agrees, the student will complete the preliminary or comprehensive examination. After completion of the examination, the doctoral committee will evaluate the written work. If the committee deems the work to be generally acceptable, the advisor will schedule an oral examination in which the student will defend his or her exam. If the work is unacceptable, the student may rewrite the examination, or part of the exam, only one more time. A student whose work is generally acceptable may or may not pass the oral portion of the preliminary examination. If the committee is willing, the student will be allowed a second opportunity to orally defend his or her answers, but no more than a second attempt.

The preliminary exam will consist of a portfolio of six parts:

• a curriculum vita in correct form.

• a 1-2 page teaching or training philosophy.

• a 2-3 page research agenda that includes, among other matters, an answer to the "so what" question.

• copies of your publications and presentations.

• a summary (tabular) of your teaching evaluations (if applicable).

• three articles that you critique (see Resarch and Scholarship bulleted point 2).
  

Part I: Coursework.

• Include your correct and updated plan of study. 

• Summarize in 1-2 pages, what your coursework prepares you to do.

• Identify five theorist/theorist of central importance for your work. Discuss these theorist/theories, demonstrating your command of their theories and work. Conciseness and completeness are appreciated. While not a firm requirement, most faculty believe that this section could be completed in no more than 20 pages.

Part II: Research and Scholarship.

• What is your epistemology/ontology? Does your published research and convention presentations conform to your epistemology/ontology? How do they differ? If they do differ, how can you explain this discrepancy? Point/counterpoint. Articulate what a person with an alternative epistemology/ontology would say about your work and defend your work to this person. While not a firm requirement, most faculty believe that this section could be completed in no more than 10 pages.

• In what method (s) do you feel proficient? How can you demonstrate your proficiency? How would you design a study using a method in which you are proficient? Identify three articles in your area of interest that use a research method in which you are proficient and critique those articles. While again, not a firm requirement, most faculty believe that this section could be completed in no more than 20 pages.   Please include the three articles that you critique in an appendix.

• How is your research agenda different from your advisor's agenda?  We imagine that this section will include a brief summary of your advisor's work and a discussion of what makes your work distinct.   Most faculty believe that this could be accomplished in 2 pages.

Students are encouraged to make presentations and publish articles in regional and national journals.

Approved publication and presentation categories (August 2005).

The reflective essay will detail the student’s research line and will suggest how his or her current research is consistent with developing (or developed) lines of inquiry in the discipline. Students should also indicate future research expectations. (40%)

Part III: Praxis.

• How does your praxis inform your understanding of communication theory and research? How does your teaching philosophy conform to your epistemology/ontology? This should be less than 3 pages.

• What courses are you equipped to teach? This should be a table not more than one page.

Part IV: Engagement or service.

• Engagement or service. List your engagement or service in a bulleted list. Then in no more than 3 pages, reflect on how your service informs your understanding of communication theory or research.

Upon successfully writing and orally defending the preliminary examination, the student may propose his or her dissertation.

General Procedures for the Ph. D. Degree in Communication
1. Gain admission to the graduate school and to the department.

2. Select a major advisor no later than at the conclusion of 15 completed course hours.

3. With the major advisor, select two other members of the department to serve on the advisory committee. Select a fourth member of the committee, the Graduate School appointee, who must be a full member of he NDSU graduate faculty.

4. If necessary, remove admission deficiencies to qualify for full-standing status.

5. Develop a plan of study with the major advisor.

6. Schedule a meeting of the advisory committee to gain approval of the plan of study and to discuss research progress no later than at the conclusion of 21 completed course hours.

7. Submit the plan of study to the graduate dean for approval. Complete the majority of courses on the plan of study. Maintain continuous enrollment through completion of the degree or obtain leave of absence from the Graduate Dean.

8. Seek outlets for presentation of professional papers and for publication of scholarly work. Students will be provided with suggestions and guidelines on professional presentations and publications in Communication 700 and Communication 796.

9. Engage in teaching or other applied work.

10. Engage in service at the professional, college, or community levels.

11. Prepare for the preliminary or comprehensive examination. (For details on this examination, consult Section V, above, “Preliminary or Comprehensive Examination.”)

12. Personally meet with the Graduate School to verify that all courses on the plan of study have been completed and the required GPA has been attained.

13. Complete the prospectus for the dissertation, working closely with the major advisor.

14. Schedule a prospectus meeting with the advisory committee and orally defend the proposal. Students may need to schedule more than one prospectus meeting with the committee if the committee is not satisfied with the prospectus. No more than three prospectus meetings will be allowed. After three unsuccessful meetings, the student will be terminated from the program.

15. Seek permission to schedule the final oral defense of the dissertation from the major advisor. Upon agreement, the student coordinates committee member’s schedules to find a mutually agreeable time. The request to schedule the examination is sent by the major advisor to the Graduate School at least two weeks prior to the examination.

16. Submit the dissertation in near final form to the advisory committee members no fewer than seven days prior to the oral examination. If the student does not successfully defend the dissertation, he or she may rewrite and redefend it up to two additional times. No more than three dissertation defenses will occur. After three attempts, the student is terminated from the program.

17. The examining committee immediately reports in writing the results of the examination to the graduate dean.

18. Submit one draft of the dissertation to the Graduate School for approval of format and style. The approval process may involve several submissions.

19. Submit five final and approved copies of the dissertation to the Graduate School office no later than one year after the oral defense. Failure to do so results in another oral defense.

20. Submit request to participate in commencement. (Optional.)

21. Participate in commencement. (Optional.)

Contacts
Judy C. Pearson, Ph.D.,
director of the Ph.D. program in communication
Dean's Office,
Minard Hall 221,
North Dakota State University,
Box 5075,
Fargo, ND 58105-5075 USA;
tel (701) 231-6552; FAX (701) 231-1047.

NDSU Office of Graduate Studies
201 Old Main,
North Dakota State University,
Box 5790,
Fargo, ND 58105-5790 USA;
tel (701) 231-5790.