NCA's Doctoral Program Guide

The Ph.D. program in the School of Communication at Florida State University offers two broad coursework areas: mass communication/media studies and speech communication. The general requirements of each are identical, and students can tailor their research and coursework toward any of the more specific areas of study listed below. The primary differences between the two, broad emphasis areas are the (1) nature of the courses you take, (2) different faculty members traditionally associated with each, and (3) emphasis area distinction itself, which may be of importance based on your career plans. As a research-oriented institution, Florida State University is committed to preparing the next generation of communication scholars. They place an emphasis on preparing doctoral students to conduct significant, original research in their area of expertise and for careers at research universities or research-focused organizations.

Admission Requirements

• Doctoral applicants should have a minimum of a 3.3 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in their master's degree work. 
• GRE scores: 150 verbal and 147 quantitative. Applicants who took the previous version of the GRE must have a combined score of 1000.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• A personal statement to be evaluated for its clarity of expression, creativity and persuasiveness in arguing that the applicant has the necessary record of preparation and performance to succeed in the program; the applicant’s goals can be served by the program’s courses and experiences; the program itself can benefit significantly from the applicant’s talent and experiences; and the applicant will enrich the diversity of students in his or her program.
• A writing sample, preferably a thesis or thesis prospectus.

Graduate Faculty

• Professor Laura Arpan, Ph.D., University of Alabama
• Assistant Professor Rachel Bailey, Ph.D., Indiana University
• Assistant Professor Malia Bruker, M.F.A., Temple University
• Associate Professor Sindy Chapa, Ph.D., University of Texas-Pan American
• Assistant Professor Russell Clayton, Ph.D., University of Missouri
• Associate Professor Juliann Cortese, Ph.D., Ohio State University
• Assistant Professor Katherine Dale, Ph.D., Ohio State University
• Assistant Professor Arienne Ferchaud, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University
• Associate Professor Brian Graves, Ph.D., University of North Carolina
• Professor Davis Houck, Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University
• Associate Professor Felecia F. Jordan Jackson, Ed.D., West Virginia University
• Associate Professor Jaejin Lee, Ph.D., University of Florida
• Professor Stephen R. MacNamara, J.D., Florida State University
• Professor Stephen McDowell, Ph.D., York University
• Associate Professor Patrick Merle, Ph.D., Texas Tech University
• Professor Donna Marie Nudd, Ph.D., University of Texas
• Professor Andrew Opel, Ph.D., University of North Carolina
• Professor Jennifer Proffitt, Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University
• Professor Arthur Raney, Ph.D., University of Alabama
• Associate Professor Jay Rayburn, Ph.D., Florida State University
• Associate Professor Ulla Sypher, Ph.D., University of Kansas
• Assistant Professor Jessica Wendorf Muhamad, Ph.D., University of Miami