Arizona State University, Hugh Downs School of Human Communication
overview of program
The Hugh Downs School of Human Communication offers a transdisciplinary graduate program leading to a Ph.D. in communication. This program provides coursework and resources in interpersonal communication, intercultural communication, organizational communication, health communication, rhetoric, and performance studies. Students receive training in communication theory, research methodology, and multiple areas of emphasis. They can also actively participate in one or more of the school’s research collaboratives. The program is designed to meet the needs of students whose interests transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries and to prepare scholars for research-oriented careers in universities and in the public or private sectors.
Carnegie Classification: D/PU
Modes Offered: In-person
Professional Development: $1,000/year for conference travel
Communication doctorates conferred between 2020-25: 40
Contact information
Dr. Heather Freireich
P.O. Box 871205
Tempe, AZ 85287-1205
- Health Communication
- Organizational Communication
- Interpersonal Communication
- Intercultural/International Communication
- Critical/Performance/Rhetoric
Library Information
Additional Resources
QS World University Rankings—Communication & Media Studies
- #101-150 of 200 World Universities
URAP University Rankings—Language, Communication & Culture
- #37 of 300 World Universities
- Specified GPA
- Letters of Recommendation
- Essay(s)/Personal Statement
- Academic Writing Sample
- Resume or CV
- Brommel Award for Outstanding Scholarship in Family Communication, 2010
- Charles H. Woolbert Research Award, 2011
- Miller Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, 2013
- Golden Anniversary Monograph Award, 2019
- Charles H. Woolbert Research Award, 2019
- Distinguished Scholar Award, 2020
- Legacy Award from the Ethnography Division of The National Communication Association, 2022