In our doctoral program, you’re more than just a student. You’ll work as a co-author, scholar, and teacher and become part of a welcoming and inclusive community influenced by perspectives from across many disciplines and cultures around the world. You’ll also conduct impactful research that contributes to the field and your research portfolio under the guidance of SOJC faculty advisors.
Our faculty are internationally recognized experts in many mass communication and media research topics, including:
- Science, health, and environmental communication
- Technology and society
- Game studies
- Global media
- Critical/cultural approaches to communication
- Persuasion and media psychology
- Media and public life
What You Can Do with a Communication and Media Studies Doctoral Degree
Students in our media studies graduate program develop the knowledge, skill, and research portfolios to claim teaching and research posts at top universities and think tanks around the world. But their analytic and research skills set them apart in any field. A communication and media studies degree offers a solid foundation that can springboard you into academia or a career in media, government, law, or nonprofit work. See what three of our graduates are up to:
Nearly 30 Years of Academic Excellence
For more than a quarter century, doctoral candidates at the SOJC have worked alongside our internationally recognized faculty to produce groundbreaking media research. And with our enviable job placement rate, they’ve launched trailblazing careers as professors, filmmakers, government and nonprofit researchers, data scientists, and more. Watch the video below to learn more about the past, present, and future of the SOJC’s communication and media studies doctoral program.
I’d like to highlight the uniqueness of the Palestinian cinema in the field of research and expose my future students to different points of views about identity and representations. As Palestinians, the media usually depicts us in a negative way. I want to change that.
Fully Funded PhD
You bring the intellectual curiosity, we’ll take care of the tuition: Our doctoral candidates are fully funded for four consecutive years*, including health benefits and a stipend. We also offer resources for conducting research that contributes to the field while preparing you for a career in higher education or meaningful work in the public and private sectors.
*Eligibility for continued funding requires maintaining satisfactory academic progress.
Named for renowned journalist Eric W. Allen, who founded the SOJC over 100 years ago, Allen Hall sits at the heart of the tree-filled University of Oregon campus in Eugene. In our state-of-the-art classrooms, studios, and collaboration spaces, you’ll get expert guidance from leading researchers and teachers in the field.
Raul Reis ’98 has always been curious. That quality led him to become a science journalist in his native Brazil, and it drew him to the United States to further his education. A member of the SOJC's inaugural PhD cohort, Reis's connections with supportive faculty such as Leslie Steeves and Janet Wasko confirmed his decision to start a new career as an academic. Since then, he has risen to the top of his field as dean of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina.
How does Disney weave the fantasies that enthrall entire generations? Professor Janet Wasko critically examines the interplay of power and communication within the film industry and some of the world’s most influential media companies. The president of the International Association for Media and Communication Research, Wasko has written or edited 20 books and founded the annual What Is? conference, which explores media and communication through a variety of lenses.