Doctorate in Communication Sciences

Aim
Students holding a Master’s in Communication Sciences or an equivalent university qualification can go on to study for a research doctorate in Communication Sciences.

The primary aim of doctoral research is to train researchers in the various branches of communication science. Research experience gained in the course of doctoral studies, however, can also have a important role to play in the training of professionals in the field of communication science who do not expect to devote their energies exclusively to scientific research.

Contents
Doctoral studies consist of three components:

• Thorough completion of groundwork studies in communication science: this involves attending courses and/or private study under the guidance of Faculty lecturers. The objectives of this extension work are set by the doctoral committee when the candidate is accepted, and the means by which they are to be achieved are agreed between the student and the director of studies. This extension work usually takes place in the first year of the doctorate.
• Preparation for research: this includes attending compulsory or optional doctoral courses, and the preparation of a detailed research plan. The research plan must be drawn up during the first year.
• Private research activities and the writing of the doctoral thesis: this is the essential part of the doctorate and follows international standards and practices of scientific research. The final year of the doctorate is normally free from obligations to attend courses or seminars and is given over to the preparation of the thesis.

Organization
The procedure for applying for admission to doctoral study is laid down in the Regulations for Doctoral Study. The application cannot be accepted unless one of the Faculty’s professors (an ordinary, extraordinary, assistant, titular or aggregated professor) agrees in an explicit declaration to direct the doctoral studies in question. The Faculty’s doctoral committee examines the application and then puts a proposal to the Faculty Council for a decision as to whether to accept the candidate.

The fee for doctoral studies is 2000 CHF per term. The postgraduate may be exempted from this tariff by serving as an assistant within the Faculty.

A doctorate generally lasts for three years. It cannot really be established beforehand exactly how long it is going to take, however, as it depends largely on the abilities and efforts of the postgraduate student him- or herself.

At the end of the period of study and research, the student defends his or her thesis to a Jury appointed by the doctoral committee. Doctoral thesis defences are open to the public and consist of a presentation of the thesis by the candidate followed by a discussion with the members of the Jury. If the Jury accepts the thesis, the University confers the title of Doctor of Communication Science on the student.

All of the details of the organization of doctoral research (the doctoral committee, the choice of a director of studies, the arrangements for courses of doctoral study, for the thesis, etc) are laid out in the aforementioned Regulations.

The Coordinator of doctoral research is Prof. Michael Gibbert.
For further information please contact Anke Dunkel (gestione-dottorato.com@usi.ch).