Communication (PhD)
You will acquire the leading-edge theory and research methodologies you need to shape a more ethical and just world.
Whether you seek a career in academia, the industry, or governmental and non-governmental organizations, you will become a critical educator and researcher of communication through rigorous coursework, independent and collaborative research projects, and teaching opportunities.
You will work side by side with your peers and our distinguished faculty to advance knowledge in the field while creating interdisciplinary solutions to complex societal and organizational problems. At the same time, you will build a professional network of worldwide and lifelong connections with fellow scholars and practitioners.
USC Annenberg’s location at the heart of a top-tier research university and in the dynamic city of Los Angeles provides you with the ideal setting to explore ways to inventively fuse your scholarship and expertise in communication studies with disciplines such as political science, international relations, sociology and information sciences as well as gender, media and popular culture studies.
Student and faculty work
Storytelling from stage to screen
Building on her acting career and theater background, Lauren Alexandra Sowa focuses her doctoral studies on media, production culture and fandom.
Exploring the intersection of popular music and meme culture
Driven by her passion for music, Alexandria Arrieta studies how internet meme culture alters distributional and creative strategies within the music industry, especially on TikTok.
Media and culture in Black social movements
Director of Doctoral Studies Taj Frazier explores the arts, political and expressive cultures of the people of the African Diaspora in the United States and elsewhere.
Using narratives to convey health information
Sheila Murphy, professor of communication, created a study to test ways to motivate women to get screening for cervical cancer.
The harmony (and dissonance) of sports and music
During their time as PhD students, Courtney M. Cox and Perry B. Johnson created Sounding Off, a podcast that explores the historic relationship between music, sound, and sport.
Delving into China’s Silicon Valley
It was USC Annenberg’s interdisciplinary faculty — with backgrounds in sociology, international relations, social psychology, and more — that helped Grace Yuehan Wang choose the Communication (PhD) as the right place to explore scholarship about Shenzhen, China’s hub of high-tech commerce.
Work on groundbreaking research with expert faculty
As innovations in information and communication technologies continue at a rapid pace, USC Annenberg remains at the forefront of efforts to explore these social, cultural, rhetorical and organizational processes. You will work and collaborate with fellow doctoral students, our world-class faculty, and industry and public/private sector professionals to advance research and insights across a wide range of interdisciplinary areas of study. You will also have the opportunity to lead research endeavors that impact scholarship and practice across the contemporary communications landscape.
Explore our research centers. View the areas of study available to our PhD students.
Get to know your fellow students
The communication doctorate program enrolls students from diverse backgrounds, nationalities and educational experiences. Connect with fellow students by viewing their profiles and get to know USC Annenberg through their eyes.
