The PhD program in Media, Culture, and Communication is committed to interdisciplinary, theoretically sophisticated, multi-methodological, historical, and comparative approaches to the study of media and culture. Five research areas operate as guiding frameworks for intellectual inquiry across the department: Global Communication and Media, Technology and Society, Visual Culture and Sound Studies, Media Industries and Politics, Interaction and Experience. Students attend special events throughout the year and can apply to present their original research at the department’s annual Neil Postman Graduate Conference.
Doctoral student work is shaped by the program's commitment to:
Engaging with theoretical concepts from a range of disciplines—media and cultural studies, visual culture, history, science and technology studies, anthropology, sociology, disability studies, sound studies, political science.
A multi-methodological approach to research—from semiotics, global ethnography, gender and queer theory, critical race theory, qualitative and quantitative discourse analysis, to political/cultural economy, among other critical frameworks.
A global perspective—conceiving of the global mediascape as transnational and transcultural.
Recognizing media and technology’s long history and antecedents.
Career Opportunities
The majority of graduates from the PhD program join academic departments of media and communication, with placement in the social sciences and interdisciplinary humanities becoming increasingly common. Our alumni often complete prestigious post-doctoral fellowships in advance of a tenure track position. Our placement website provides detailed information on our recent PhD alumni and their post-graduation positions.
Admissions
Admission to graduate programs in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development requires the following minimum components:
See How to Apply for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.
Program Requirements
The PhD program requires 48 credits of coursework for students with a master’s degree; 54 credits are required for those admitted only with a bachelor’s degree. Core courses must be taken in sequence. Students move quickly toward pursuing their dissertation research in the third year of study, accompanied by teaching and research opportunities that will help prepare them for academic positions in the fields of media studies, cultural studies, communication, and related disciplines.
MCC-GE 3400 Doctoral Professional Development Workshop is taken in the first semester of the third year for 1 credit. Thereafter, students may re-enroll for 0 or 1 credit.
Additional Program Requirements
Second Year Specialization Exam
The second year specialization exam consists of two take-home exams; each at 10 – 15 pages in length, to be completed within a week (per exam), ideally by the end of May, with June 15 as an exception, with permission of the exam readers. If a student fails an exam, s/he will have one opportunity to re-take it.
The exam covers two separate areas of specialization and is a gateway and pre-requisite to the dissertation proposal. The purpose of the exam is for students to read with some depth in several fields of study and to identify the fields of study important to their research interests. The aim of the written exam is to synthesize readings on a reading list in order to provide a foundation for the dissertation literature review. The exam questions will be formulated out of these reading lists and questions are written to encourage students to engage with readings and fields of study. Students should choose fields of study that will be important to their dissertation projects and often the two lists are each hybrids of two areas of study. Students will develop the lists in consultation with the two faculty readers.
Dissertation Proposal
Students will develop their dissertation proposal in MCC-GE 3201 Dissertation Proposal Seminar and finish the proposal during the third year of study. The dissertation proposal lays out a clear, concrete research plan for your dissertation.
The proposal review process involves close work with your primary advisor and other dissertation committee members to move the proposal to its final state. Once the chair and committee have agreed that the proposal is ready for defense, students distribute the final version to the committee and two external readers. At the completion of a successful defense, students will have advanced to candidacy.
Students may be eligible for the MPhil upon completion of all coursework and an approved dissertation proposal.
Final Dissertation Defense, Submission and Approval
Following completion of the required coursework for the PhD, students are expected to maintain active status at New York University by enrolling in a research/writing course or a Maintain Matriculation (MAINT-GE 4747) course. All non-course requirements must be fulfilled prior to degree conferral, although the specific timing of completion may vary from student-to-student.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:
Display fluency in core texts and scholarly literature, contemporary theory, and key debates in media, culture, and communication.
Display fluency in and in depth knowledge of the areas of specialization in student's field of study.
Analyze and synthesize scholarship in a range of disciplines related to media, culture, and communication and understand the ways in which these disciplinary perspectives are integrated and transformed through interdisciplinary study.
Policies
Program Policies
STEM OPT Benefits for International Students
If you’re an international student, you may be able to work in the United States after graduation for an extended period of time. Most students studying on F-1 visas will be eligible to apply for 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) off-campus work authorization. F-1 students in this program may also be eligible to apply for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) OPT extension, allowing you to extend your time in the United States to pursue degree-related work experience for a total of 36 months or 3 years. For more information on who can apply for this extension visit NYU’s Office of Global Services: STEM OPT.