The Ph.D. in mass communications prepares students for teaching and research careers in higher education and for research and management positions with mass communications organizations. The doctoral program in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications is small and selective, permitting students a considerable degree of flexibility in tailoring courses and areas of study to fit their special needs and career goals. The doctoral core requirements, listed below, are designed to equip the student with a strong background in quantitave and qualitative social science research methods and design, communications theory, ethical perspectives, historical and legal research methods, and teaching methods. Required courses include the basic doctoral core, a minimum of 18 graduate hours of directed electives, and a minimum of 12 hours of dissertation credit.

# Students will demonstrate effective writing skills. Students will be able to write clear and correct English. Beyond mechanical competence, their writings should reflect intelligent application of such concepts as diction, economy, syntax, sentence and paragraph structure, transition, organization and tempo. The writing should also capture color, lend credibility and create interest. The student should be able to present complex ideas in understandable terms. # Students will demonstrate a thorough knowledge of advanced statistics and quantitative research methods. Students will demonstrate a familiarity with research designs, data collection methods (e.g., surveys and polls) and sampling techniques and will be able to organize and conduct complex market research and audience measurement studies. The students also will be familiar with and understand current journalism and mass communications research studies reported in Journalism and Mass Communications Quarterly, Public Opinion Quarterly and other scholarly publications serving the discipline.