NCA's Doctoral Program Guide

The Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina is an inquiry-based degree, offering students the opportunity to build unique programs of study around their respective research interests. The program requires the student to define a program of study organized by an evolving research question or research problem. The program ensures foundational study in sub-disciplines of Communication Studies as well as encouraging interdisciplinary work also relevant to the research question or problem.

Admission Requirements

• Application Form
• Application Fee
• GRE Scores; TOEFL where applicable
• Transcripts of all prior undergraduate and graduate work
• Statement of purpose
• Resume/CV
• Five key terms to describe research interests
• Scholarly writing sample with abstract
• Three letters of recommendation

Graduate Faculty

• Associate Professor Renée Alexander Craft, Ph.D., Northwestern University
• Professor V. William Balthrop, Ph.D., University of Kansas
• Professor Carole Blair, Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University
• Associate Professor Richard C. Cante, Ph.D., University of Southern California
• Professor Cori E. Dauber, Ph.D., Northwestern University
• Associate Professor Sarah Dempsey, Ph.D., University of Colorado
• Professor Lawrence Grossberg, Ph.D., University of Illinois
• Assistant Professor Julia Haslett, M.F.A., Hunter College-CUNY
• Associate Professor Christian O. Lundberg, Ph.D., Northwestern University
• Assistant Professor Alice Marwick, Ph.D., New York University
• Associate Professor Steve May, Ph.D., University of Utah
• Professor Torin Monahan, Ph.D., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Professor Dennis Mumby, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University
• Associate Professor Michael Palm, Ph.D., New York University
• Associate Professor Patricia Parker, Ph.D., University of Texas
• Associate Professor Tony Perucci, Ph.D., New York University
• Professor Della Pollock, Ph.D., Northwestern University
• Associate Professor Edward Rankus, M.F.A., Art Institute of Chicago
• Professor Joyce Rudinsky, M.F.A., University of Washington
• Assistant Professor Kumi Silva, Ph.D., University of Oregon
• Assistant Professor Katie Striley, Ph.D., Ohio University
• Assistant Professor Neal Thomas, Ph.D., McGill University
• Associate Professor Michael Waltman, Ph.D., Purdue University
• Associate Professor Eric King Watts, Ph.D., Northwestern University

NCA Awards to Faculty and Students, 2000-present

• Ecroyd Award for Outstanding Teaching in Higher Education, 2000, 2006
• Woolbert Research Award, 2004, 2006, 2010
• Phillips Award for Distinguished Applied Communication Scholarship, 2006
• Miller Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, 2004, 2005, 2009
• Golden Anniversary Monograph Award, 2001, 2006