The view from the ivory tower: evaluating doctoral programs in communication.(Survey)

The present study assesses perceptions of (1) the quality of American graduate programs in communication, (2) the qualities that communication scholars deem important in a communication PhD program, and (3) the adequacy of the number of PhD programs with specific specialties and applications in communication.

A national survey of communication faculty and chairs was conducted via the World Wide Web. Study results suggest that top evaluative criteria for doctoral programs included the quality of the university library, up-to-date computer facilities, student attendance at academic conferences, the national research reputation of the communication faculty, and faculty encouragement of students to explore diverse perspectives on communication research. The only specialty for which a majority of respondents reported there are "not enough" is Media Information Technologies. Program quality rankings confirm past work suggesting that Midwestern programs--particularly those with applied origins in agricultural journalism--continue to rank highly in the field.

Keywords: Communication Discipline; Doctoral Programs; Reputational Rankings

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The study of institutional quality represents an active area of inquiry in the communication field (e.g., Burroughs, Christophel, Ady, & McGreal, 1989; Doctoral Education Committee, 2004; Hickson, Turner, & Bodon, 2003). The present study assesses perceptions of (1) the quality of American graduate programs in communication, (2) the qualities that communication scholars deem important in a communication PhD program, and (3) the adequacy of the number of PhD programs stressing specific specialties and applications in communication.

Literature Review

Defining the Field