NCA's Doctoral Program Guide

The doctoral program in communication at North Dakota State University is unique. Students are encouraged to engage in applied research that seeks to solve real-world problems. While some programs produce dissertations and research that are read by few and used by no one, our program seeks to make a difference in the world. Our doctoral students, who come from a variety of academic backgrounds, strive to understand issues, solve problems, and create programs that can improve organizational, educational, interpersonal, and intercultural settings and situations.

Admission Requirements 

• Graduate application.
• Statement of reasons for graduate study.
• Transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate degree(s) earned.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• A CV or resume which clearly identifies your current position, including your responsibilities; your professional publications and papers; your service and professional activity; and your teaching and training experiences.
• A professional writing sample, such as a master's thesis, a final paper for a course, a conference paper, a briefing paper or a news article.
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores.
• TOEFL test results (required for international students).

Graduate Faculty 

• Professor Stephenson J. Beck, Ph.D., University of Kansas
• Professor Ross F. Collins, Ph.D., University of Cambridge
• Professor Elizabeth Crisp Crawford, Ph.D., University of Tennessee
• Associate Professor Catherine Y. Kingsley Westerman, Ph.D., Michigan State University
• Assistant Professor Shuning Lu, Ph.D., University of Texas
• Professor Zoltan P. Majdik, Ph.D., University of Southern California
• Professor Carrie Anne Platt, Ph.D., University of Southern California
• Associate Professor Melissa Vosen Callens, Ph.D., North Dakota State University
• Associate Professor Justin Walden, Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University
• Assistant Professor Wan Wang, Ph.D., University of Texas
• Associate Professor David Westerman, Ph.D., Michigan State University
• Assistant Professor Cheng Zeng, Ph.D. University of Jyvaskyla