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Regent University offers a PhD in Communications online.

Ph.D. in Communication

Advance Your Communications Career with a Ph.D.

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Communication is offered online with a one-week summer residency in Virginia Beach. You’ll receive broad interdisciplinary training in your teachings, scholarly writing and research as you explore communication studies through a Christian worldview. You can become a better communicator and scholar while making a lasting impact whether as a writer, teacher, speaker or thought leader.

Online w/ Residency
56-64
August 19, 2024
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Increase Your Earning Potential

Advance in leadership roles with higher salary opportunities.

Strengthen Your Academic Career

Practice academic writing and presentation of scholarship in conference papers, journals, and books.

Enhance Your Skills Through the Ph.D. in Communication

Gain a comprehensive knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Deepen Your Understanding

Study how people process and understand mediated, global, interpersonal and organizational communication.

Regent University ranked #2 of Top 25 Accredited Online PhD & Doctoral Degree Programs | Learn.org, 2020

On completing the online Ph.D. in Communication degree, you will be able to:

  • Demonstrate proficiency in quantitative and qualitative methods of communication research.
  • Apply your knowledge of the history of communication and various theories.
  • Apply your academic writing skills for publication, including conference papers, academic journals, book chapters, and academic books.

Career Opportunities

  • Professorship
  • Executive leadership
  • Media relations
  • Media/market analysis
  • Research
  • Writing
$79Thousand
Estimated mean annual wage for communications teachers, postsecondary U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019

Directed study, research and discussion in a given area. Topics are offered on demand and/or depending on faculty availability. Available for both master’s and doctoral students. All seminars have the 85 designation.

Provides overview of the historical roots, methodological grounding and present state of and trends in the communication field with particular attention to its specialized vocabulary, important writers and works, and significant scholarly journals. Computer literary sessions for distance learning, library resources for distance learning and graduate-level writing style form are included. Offered on campus only in the summer.

An in-depth survey, analysis and practice of current humanities and arts research approaches and methodologies used in the study of communication and the arts.

Advanced study of classic and contemporary social science research methodologies and statistics utilized in the study of communication. Students must have previously had a graduate-level social science methods course at another institution, COM 601 or another equivalent experience.

Advanced study of ethnography, focus group interview techniques, participant observation, in-depth personal interview and other methodologies currently employed in the communication field.

Advanced application of social science research methods and statistics, qualitative research methods, or historical-critical research methods to communication study. Focus on conducting original research using one of these three methodologies in preparation for dissertation work and producing scholarship. May be repeated for credit one time. Prerequisites: Two of the following courses: COM 701, COM 702, COM 703.

An interdisciplinary examination of the most current theories, scholarship, published research and trends and issues in all areas within the communication and arts fields.

Interdisciplinary analysis of communication history, with special focus on the emergence and influence of communication systems and technologies on societies and cultures observed through a biblical lens.

The ontological, epistemological and axiological dimensions of the process of communication are examined and critiqued from a theological perspective.

Seminars are special topics courses focusing on specific subdisciplines or involving broad interdisciplinary study. May be taken more than once under varying titles. May be taken by master’s students with permission of instructor. Some seminars are taught on campus only.

2020-2021 Semester Check-In Deadlines:

All new students are expected to check-in for the semester 2 weeks prior to the session start date. Students should apply, be accepted, enroll in their first courses, and confirm a plan to pay for their courses prior to this date.

Session

Semester Check-In

Session Start Date

Session A

Friday, August 14

Monday, August 24

Session M

Friday, September 11

Monday, September 21

Session B

Friday, October 16

Monday, October 26

Session C

Tuesday, January 5

Monday, January 11

Session T

Friday, January 29

Monday, February 8

Session D

Friday, March 5

Monday, March 15

Session E

Friday, April 30

Monday, May 10

Session F

Friday, June 11

Monday, June 21

Admissions Process:

Step 1: Application

Submit your application using our Regent University Online Application.

Note: If you are unable to complete our application due to a disability, please contact our Admissions Office and an admissions representative will provide reasonable accommodations to assist you in completing the application.

Step 2: Application Fee

Pay the $50 nonrefundable application fee by check or money order mailed to Regent University, Enrollment Support Services, 1000 Regent University Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23464.

Step 3: Graduate Program Academic Paper

Please submit a scholarly or published writing sample that demonstrates your research, writing, analytical and problem-solving skills. This writing sample may include either a copy of your master’s thesis (or a portion of it, plus biography) or a formal paper or report. Research skills mean both the skill to utilize a writing style manual (e.g., APA) and the skill of integrating published research into an academic paper or report. Email to apply@regent.edu using the subject line: SCA Doctoral Application Pieces or fax to 757.352.4725.

Step 4: Submit your Unofficial College Transcripts

We are able to examine and view your unofficial transcripts from U.S.-based schools, which indicate successful completion of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, in order to review you for an admissions decision. Please submit your unofficial transcript to our Admissions Office by email to apply@regent.edu using the subject line: SCA Doctoral Application Pieces.

Non-U.S. transcripts must be evaluated by an NACES-approved company. For further details, please review the International Admissions Checklist on the International Students Admissions page.

International Applicants: Please visit the International Students Admissions page for a more detailed explanation of the Regent University application information and to determine whether or not you qualify as an international student.

*Upon conditional acceptance to the program by review of unofficial transcripts, Regent University’s Admissions Office will attempt to obtain your official transcripts from your U.S. degree-granting institutions, which indicate successful completion of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. We will notify you if your previous institutions will not release transcripts directly to us.

Step 5: Complete Your Academic Background Questionnaire

In lieu of the previously required personal goal statement, please complete a brief admissions questionnaire based on your professional goals and interests. This should only take a few minutes to complete but please answer the questions completely and thoughtfully. This gives us a better opportunity to get to know you and align your objective with our programs. The admissions questionnaire can be found here. Once completed, it will be sent directly to an admissions counselor who will be in touch with you right away to help complete the rest of your application.

Step 6: Government-Issued ID

To ensure academic integrity, Regent University requires a copy of a government-issued ID. Please email a scanned copy or photograph of it to apply@regent.edu with the subject line: Government ID.


Note: All items submitted as part of the application process become the property of Regent University and cannot be returned.

Your application to the graduate School of Communication & the Arts will be complete when you have submitted all of the above items. Your completed file will be submitted to the Doctoral Faculty Secretary on February 1, after which some candidates will be contacted to schedule a faculty appointment. Interviews can be conducted on-campus or over the phone and typically take one hour.

2019-20 Tuition Rates

Degree Level / ProgramCost Per Credit Hour

Ph.D. in Communication

$925 per credit (In-state & Out-of-state)


 

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (Online Students)$550
Library Course$50 one-time fee (All students must register for this course to graduate.)
Late Payment Fee$100

2020-21 Tuition Rates

Degree Level / ProgramCost Per Credit Hour

Ph.D. in Communication

$925 per credit (In-state & Out-of-state)


 

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (Online Students)$600
Library Course$50 one-time fee (All students must register for this course to graduate.)
Late Payment Fee$100

*Rates are subject to change at any time.

Residency is a necessary component to building academic fellowship and camaraderie among a community of scholars. On-campus doctoral students meet the residency requirement by completing two consecutive semesters in which they are registered for at least six credit hours each semester and meet with faculty throughout each semester, excluding summer sessions.

All doctoral students must attend a three credit hour on-campus seminar, scheduled one week during the Summer semester. This seminar is a daily, intensive reading/lecture/writing course in the field of communication studies. The course also is designed to orient students to the doctoral program, the School’s faculty, and doctoral-level study in the communication field.

Doctoral students are expected to complete all requirements for the Ph.D. degree with seven years. Doctoral course offerings are normally on an 18-month rotation so that full-time students can complete their required coursework in a 24 to 36 month time period.

Whether you are a prospective student or a current student, your questions matter. Please take a few moments to skim our Frequently Asked Questions. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please contact us.

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Scott Berry, 2009

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Stryker Watts, 2013

“When I came to Regent, it was really out of a place of what I call vocational desperation. I had a degree in theology, but a strong sense of calling toward film. Regent helped me sort out my future and set me on a path I never dreamed of before. Now, I'm a teacher and a filmmaker. ”

Joshua Overbay, MFA, 2010 Filmmaker