NCA's Doctoral Program Guide

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.

Admission Requirements  

• A completed Graduate College application and official undergraduate and graduate transcripts.
• A formal curriculum vitae.
• A statement of career goals and the relevance of this degree program to those goals.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• A sample of writing (e.g., master's thesis, course paper).
• Additional English Proficiency requirements for international applicants.

Graduate Faculty  

• Associate Professor and School Associate Director Bradley Adame, Ph.D., University of Oklahoma
• Assistant Professor Elissa Adame, Ph.D., University of Oklahoma
• Professor Benjamin J. Broome, Ph.D., University of Kansas
• Professor Pauline Cheong, Ph.D., University of Southern California
• Professor Steven R. Corman, Ph.D., University of Illinois
• Professor Olga I. Davis, Ph.D., University of Nebraska
• Associate Professor Amira de la Garza, Ph.D., University of Texas
• Associate Professor Uttaran Dutta, Ph.D., Purdue University
• Professor Laura Guerrero, Ph.D., University of Arizona
• Associate Professor Heewon Kim, Ph.D., Rutgers University
• Assistant Professor Lore/tta LeMaster, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University
• Professor Paul A. Mongeau, Ph.D., Michigan State University
• Associate Professor and Director of Doctoral Studies Jonathan Pettigrew, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University
• Professor Tony Roberto, Ph.D., Michigan State University
• Assistant Professor Liesel Sharabi, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Associate Professor YoungJu Shin, Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University
• Professor and School Director Sarah J. Tracy, Ph.D., University of Colorado
• Assistant Professor Joris Van Ouytsel, Ph.D., University of Antwerp
• Associate Professor Alaina Zanin, Ph.D., University of Oklahoma
• Assistant Professor Jenna Hanchey, Ph.D., University of Texas

Affiliated Graduate Faculty:

• Professor Adina Carlson, Ph.D., University of Southern California
• Assistant Professor Stephen Carradini, Ph.D., North Carolina State University
• Professor Frederick Corey, Ph.D., University of Arizona
• Associate Professor Marivel Danielson, Ph.D., University of Michigan
• Associate Professor Mark Hannah, Ph.D., Purdue University
• Associate Professor Aaron Hess, Ph.D., Arizona State University
• Professor Nancy Jurik, Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara
• Professor Jeffrey W. Kassing, Ph.D., Kent State University
• Assistant Professor Kyounghee Kwon, Ph.D., SUNY-Buffalo
• Associate Professor Jacqueline M. Martinez, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University
• Associate Professor Lindsey Meân, Ph.D., University of Sheffield
• Associate Professor Keith D. Miller, Ph.D., Texas Christian University
• Professor Majia Nadesan, Ph.D., Purdue University
• Associate Professor Ashley K. Randall, Ph.D., University of Arizona
• Professor Vincent Waldron, Ph.D., Ohio State University
• Professor Greg Wise, Ph.D., University of Illinois
• Professor Christine Buzinde, Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Professor Gyan Nyaupane, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University

NCA Awards to Faculty and Students, 2000-present 

• 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