In some ways, life as a Ph.D. student at Annenberg is as unique as each student in the program. One common characteristic that all students would agree their lives share is that USC Annenberg is stimulating. Whatever piques your interest or suits your needs – research with faculty, specialized colloquia, teaching opportunities, professional development workshops, symposia with well known figures from the non-academic world, conversations with fellow doctoral students, and even sandwiches and wraps – Annenberg offers an overwhelming number of them. Students often remark that they could spend their entire week just engaging with one of these activities (including the sandwiches, which really are in abundance).
The trick for Ph.D. students is thus finding the right balance. The Annenberg Communicaton Graduate Student Association (ACGSA) takes the lead in assisting first-year students in adjusting to Annenberg's opportunities by offering workshops during orientation and throughout the first year. In addition, the Ph.D. student community is also committed to helping one another. It is not infrequent to find "All-but-dissertation" students tutoring first- or second-years in regression analysis or rhetorical theory or, most likely, library navigation skills. ACGSA also hosts social functions where senior students from the program can mingle with their colleagues to impart the wisdom of their experience.
In addition to the close knit community and vast array of opportunities, Annenberg's role as a combination Communication and Journalism school helps keep Ph.D. students engaged in what is going on in the world outside academia. Guests from the business and policy world, such as financier George Soros, Bush Administration apointee Karen Hughes and union head Andy Stern regularly appear in addition to the exciting coterie of distinguished researchers that present their findings at the school each semester.
All in all, the Ph.D. student life at Annnenberg is best suited to those who have a lot of energy and self-direction, but also a cooperative spirit.