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Curriculum

PhD, Media, Culture, and Communication

How to Apply

Our 48- to 54-credit PhD in Media, Culture, and Communication (MCC) offers a uniquely interdisciplinary approach to the study of media, culture, and technology. 48 credits for students with a Master's degree and 54 credits for students without.

Degree Requirements

Upon entry into the doctoral program, you will begin exploring the literature and methodologies pertinent to your research interests and identifying specific faculty members, both in and out of the department, to serve as your dissertation committee members. 

You will pursue two years of full-time advanced coursework, contributing to your intellectual development and allowing you to move toward pursuing dissertation work more exclusively in the third year of study, accompanied by your elected teaching and research opportunities.

Our required doctoral seminars are taken sequentially during the first year of study, surveying all of the department’s Areas of Research. A required research methods course provides an overview of qualitative and quantitative methods in the interdisciplinary fields of media, culture, communication, and technology studies.

During the first semester of the third year, you will have a structured workshop setting for the development of your dissertation proposal, with a final version due during the second semester of your third year.

Your remaining coursework will include offerings on a wide range of methodological practices as well as theoretical or disciplinary foundational courses to hone your development as a scholar.

You’ll be encouraged to take courses outside of the department, and outside NYU through the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium, which can include the perspectives of anthropology, sociology, history, philosophy, computer science, social psychology, political science, law and policy studies, feminist studies, international and region-based studies, American studies, cultural studies, cinema and performance studies, critical theory, and others. 

Such exposure puts you into contact with NYU professors who can serve as second and/or third dissertation committee member(s), and who can help broaden your professional academic connections.

Doctoral Professional Development Workshop

A series of professionalization classes and writing workshops, taken in your third year, covers such topics as teaching, publishing, fellowships/grants, conferences, and going on the job market promotes excellence in doctoral teaching, and facilitates your success on the job market. Advanced doctoral students and alumni share their insights and experiences with new students, fortifying the collegial support network that sustains our doctoral community. The workshop also provides an excellent opportunity for interaction between doctoral students and department faculty. 

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:

Course Title Credits
Major Requirements
MCC-GE 3100Doctoral Core Sem I (first year)4
MCC-GE 3200Doctoral Core Sem II (first year)4
MCC-GE 3101Doctoral Methods Seminar (first or second year)3
MCC-GE 3201Dissertation Proposal (third year)1
MCC-GE 3400Doctoral Professional Development Workshop (take first semester of third year for 1 credit. After that point, students can re-enroll for 0-1 credits)2
Theoretical and Disciplinary Foundation
Select 12 credits of Theoretical and Disciplinary Foundation courses12
Research and Methods
Select 14-16 credits of Research and Methods courses (by advisement, minimum 4 within the department)14-16
Specialized Elective
Select 12 Specialized Elective credits (by advisement)12
Total Credits54

Courses are taken by advisement, including specialized elective courses inside the department (8–10 credits); research and methods electives inside or outside the department (14–16 credits); and theoretical or disciplinary foundational study outside the department (12 credits). A minimum of 12 credits from these remaining courses must be taken in the department.

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.

Sample Plan of Study

Plan of Study Grid
1st Semester/TermCredits
MCC-GE 3100 Doctoral Core Sem I 4
MCC-GE 3101 Doctoral Methods Seminar 3
Theoretical and Disciplinary Foundation Course 4
Research and Methods Coursework 4
 Credits15
2nd Semester/Term
MCC-GE 3200 Doctoral Core Sem II 4
Research and Methods Coursework 4
Theoretical and Disciplinary Foundation Course 4
 Credits12
3rd Semester/Term
MCC-GE 3201 Dissertation Proposal 1
MCC-GE 3400 Doctoral Professional Development Workshop 1
Research and Methods Coursework 4
Theoretical and Disciplinary Foundation Course 4
 Credits10
4th Semester/Term
Research and Methods Coursework 4
Specialized Elective 4
Specialized Elective 4
 Credits12
5th Semester/Term
Specialized Elective 4
 Credits4
6th Semester/Term
MCC-GE 3400 Doctoral Professional Development Workshop 1
 Credits1
 Total Credits54

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.

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