Working as a Ph.D. Student

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Course load
Typically, students take between two and three classes in each semester. In the first year, students take four required core classes, two in communication theory and one each in quantitative methods and qualitative methods, as well as one elective each semester. The core courses offer students a firm grounding in the elements of the communication field and also offer an opportunity for students to get to know the members of their cohort. Besides the required core, students choose their courses in consultation with their advisor/mentor.

Finances
Work assignments as a Ph.D. at USC Annenberg are considered part-time employment (a total of 20 hours per week) and are accompanied by a stipend. In addition, doctoral students may receive tuition remission up to the equivalent of 12 units per semester of program-related coursework. The School of Communication will also pay individual USC healthcare costs for all students, including health insurance premiums, health center fees, and dental insurance premiums. Full details of these benefits are available in the doctoral student handbook.

Teaching and research assistantships
USC Annenberg is committed to giving Ph.D. students hands-on teaching and research experience. In the first year, all Ph.D students are Annenberg Graduate Fellows or USC Provost Fellows, and are sometimes assigned a teaching assistantship or research assistantship in the second semester (in which case, they are "banking" a semester of fellowship for a future semester). In subsequent years, students are assigned teaching and/or research assistantships, based on their interests and the needs of the program.

In addition to providing students with the opportunity to lead discussion sections for lecture courses, Annenberg offers Ph.D. students the opportunity to teach "stand-alone" courses in which the graduate student is the sole classroom instructor.

Research assistantships provide students with the opportunity to work directly on studies or research projects led by Annenberg faculty. These projects produce ground-breaking research for consumption by other academics and the general public, and, as a result, research assistantships are sought-after positions. Doctoral students should seek out faculty and projects that best align with their interests and take the initiative in pursuing these positions.