Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Studies
A PhD in Communication Studies draws on preeminent scholarship in both the humanities and social sciences traditions. The program is designed for those intending to pursue a teaching and research career in higher education. Your coursework will fall into one of two focused areas.
Rhetoric and Public Culture. This concentration offers systematic study of how texts, images, and other media operate as a mode of action, with particular regard to those practices defining public thought, identity, and legitimacy. The interdisciplinary curriculum draws together history, political philosophy, critical theory, and interpretive methods to understand how public culture is created, sustained, modified, and challenged. We welcome scholars who are committed to developing a standpoint within the tradition of rhetoric while also being engaged with other intellectual and political practices.
Interaction and Social Influence. A concentration in Interaction and Social Influence employs empirical research methods to study the verbal and nonverbal processes associated with relationship development and maintenance, persuasion, conflict management, decision-making and community building. Working within this concentration, you may choose to specialize in areas such as relational, group, workplace, or health communication. Interaction and Social Influence employs empirical research methods to analyze communication. You will develop substantial expertise in empirical methods and statistical analysis. Within this area, teaching and research in the department includes:
- Face-to-face communication
- Persuasion, conflict management, and bargaining and negotiation.
- Interaction within the family and other intimate contexts
- Leadership, decision-making in small groups, and the study of self-help and community action groups
- Interactions that influence a person's psychological and physical well being, including encounters in healthcare environments, the workplace, and the family.
Both areas will bring you in contact with the innovative, award-winning scholars that make up the faculty of Northwestern’s Communication Studies department. Your assumptions will be challenged as you develop solid methodology; your insight will deepen as you are supported by academic excellence.
