Degree Structure
College
Communication
Department
Level
Graduate Phd
Study System
Courses and Theses
Total Credit Hours
45 Cr. Hrs.
Duration
3-5 years
Intake
Fall and Spring
Language
English
Study Mode
Full Time
Begin your academic journey with our user-friendly online application platform.
Important Dates
Get access to expert guidance.
Degree Overview
The Ph.D. program in Communication is dedicated to educating the next generation of communication scholars, professors, leaders, and practitioners for the digital age. The proliferation of communication technologies has dramatically altered communications, creating extraordinary challenges and opportunities for communication scholars and professionals locally and globally. This includes the need to form a new generation of educators and scholars who are conversant with the nature of modern communication technology and its impact on media, the public relations industry, culture, and social institutions. The program is expected to attract M.A. holders currently working or studying in the UAE as well as in the Gulf Cooperation Council states.
What You Will Learn
The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Computer Science (PhD-CS) program's main goal is to provide advanced knowledge in the field of computer science with in-depth research experience. The program will offer a comprehensive list of courses based on the core of computer science, research, and optimization methodologies concentrated on advanced development in computer science.
The PhD-CS program emphasizes proficiency in understanding fundamental and advanced topics in computer science, communicating learned knowledge with excellent oral and written skills, and taking the lead in research and development in a chosen field of expertise.
University Requirements
College Requirements
Degree Requirements
Course Description
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Description |
| 0800701 | Readings in Mass Communication and Public Relations | 3 Hrs | The course surveys main books and other references, both classical and modern, in the fields of mass communication and public relations. The course examines major areas, theories, concepts, and tools in the main literature in the field. The course builds a solid base for knowledge and excellence in both theory and practice in modern media and public relations. Historical and social contexts of communication literature are also examined. |
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Description |
| 0800702 | Seminar in Contemporary Communication Theories | 3 Hrs | The course examines the most current theories, scholarship, published research, trends, and issues in the field of communication theory. The course provides a firm foundation in the breadth of communication theories. This includes philosophical assumptions, social & cultural contexts and applications. The course also evaluates and critically examines the strengths and weaknesses of theory building as this applies to real communication problems in different cultural & socio-historical contexts. |
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Description |
| 0800703 | Statistics for Communication | 3 Hrs | This course introduces students to foundational statistical concepts and provides applied experience with conducting, interpreting, and reporting results obtained from the most commonly used tests in the field of communication. |
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Description |
| 0800704 | Seminar in Applied Quantitative Methods in Communication | 3 Hrs | This course is designed to prepare students to undertake their own independent research. It aims at developing both students' critical thinking skills and their practical research skills. The course examines various stages of quantitative research, framing research questions, developing problem statements, choosing appropriate techniques for data collection and analysis, and knowing how to apply research methods in practice. It surveys a wide range of research tools and approaches commonly used in media and communication studies, such as survey, content analysis, and experimental research. |
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Description |
| 0800705 | Seminar in Applied Qualitative Methods in Communication | 3 Hrs | This course examines the goals, epistemology, and methods of qualitative inquiry in communication. It involves field observations, in-depth interviews, case studies, and critical content analyses. The course includes strengths and limitations of different qualitative research methodologies and highlights distinctive contributions of qualitative research to the theory and practice of communication. |
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Description |
| 0800799 | Dissertation | 3 Hrs | Dissertation Seminar is intended to assist doctoral students in preparing a dissertation proposal and facilitate the transition from coursework to dissertation. Completing a dissertation successfully is the last and often most challenging part of doctoral studies. The goal is to put one's theoretical knowledge and research proficiency to practical test by carrying out an independent, guided project that produces an original piece of research and makes a significant contribution to solving a problem and expanding the knowledge base in the specific discipline. |
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Description |
| 0800711 | Integrated Strategic Communication | 3 Hrs | The course examines all phases of integrated strategic communication and its role in contemporary business and society. It includes a historical and socio-cultural overview of advertising, public relations, sales promotion, and direct response marketing, exploring their interrelationships. The course covers strategic planning for integrated communication, message approaches, foundations in theories of persuasion and information processing, characteristics of message delivery systems, and ethics, regulations, and the economic and social impacts of the industries. |
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Description |
| 0800712 | Ethical Problems in Communication | 3 Hrs | The course is designed to give students an overview of one of the most important ethical issues in modern media practices. The course will explore the gamut of ethical issues and problem-solving in communications. |
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Description |
| 0800713 | Seminar in Health Communication | 3 Hrs | This course is designed to advance knowledge of health communication theory, research, and practice. It provides a solid foundation for evaluating and conducting health communication campaigns, including planning, initiation, and assessment. The course also focuses on various contexts of health communication, including interpersonal, small group, mass media, and organizational communication for message generation, persuasion, and effects. |
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Description |
| 0800714 | Communication Technology and Social Media | 3 Hrs | This seminar examines the role of communication technologies in society and culture, with a particular emphasis on the technologies of the "social networks society." The course covers the social and cultural influences that have shaped the development of various new media, information, and communication technologies, and the social and cultural impacts of those technologies. |
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Description |
| 0800715 | Special Topics in Communication | 3 Hrs | This course investigates topics related to contemporary issues in mass communication and public relations. Topics include the influence of technological evolution driving the development of communication and media, and their contribution to cultural change both locally and abroad. The course is loosely structured to allow students to investigate topics in detail. |
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Description |
| 0800716 | Rhetorical Communication | 3 Hrs | This course provides a foundation for the humanistic study of communication, starting from classical notions of rhetoric and civic life in ancient Greece and extending this analysis to our current global community. The course introduces rhetorical concepts, theorists, and vocabulary, tracing significant contributions in rhetorical theory and understandings of the public sphere. |
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Description |
| 0800717 | Communication and Political Economy | 3 Hrs | This course explores topics in the political economy of information and communication in contemporary society. It surveys economic and socio-political issues relating to the globalization of the information and communication market, focusing on power relationships between producers, owners, and consumers in the production, distribution, and sale of information. |
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Description |
| 0800718 | Women Studies in Communication | 3 Hrs | This course offers an introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, an interdisciplinary academic field that explores critical questions about the meaning of gender and images of women in language and media. It familiarizes students with key issues, questions, and debates in Women's and Gender Studies scholarship, both historical and contemporary. |
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Description |
| 0800719 | Seminar in Global Communication | 3 Hrs | This course examines globalization theory, the global media landscape, and social media from political, economic, technological, and cultural perspectives. It investigates the relationship between national, regional, and global media systems and media markets in terms of flows, contra-flows, and the digital divide. |
| Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hrs | Description |
| 0800720 | Seminar in Development Communication | 3 Hrs | This course traces the theory and research in development communication. It provides theoretical knowledge and practical competencies in communication, media, culture, development, social change, and globalization. The role of mass media in agriculture, health, education, and socio-economic development is thoroughly examined. |
Career Path
How will you make an impact?
Every student’s journey at UoS and beyond is different, which is why our Career & Professional Development team provides personalized career resources to help students make an impact for years to come.
