Ph.D. | UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media

Preparing Students to lead in the Academy and Industry

You’ll learn cutting-edge research methods and acquire a deep understanding of communication theory to help you develop a research program that fits your interests. Our graduates are training the next generation of scholars, improving public health, strengthening democracy and helping leading organizations across the world innovate in a changing media environment.

Numbers of Distinction

Coming up: Online info session

Sept. 25, 2024

Join us on Zoom for a live, informal opportunity to learn how our program can help you achieve your academic and career goals. Our team will tell you about the program and application process, saving time for your questions.

Register for the Zoom link

A NETWORK OF SUPPORT, AT CAROLINA AND BEYOND

As she completed her master’s at UNC Hussman, Kyla Garrett Wagner wasn’t sure whether she’d stay in Chapel Hill for her doctorate. She applied to eight other programs but decided to stay where she felt her ideas were most supported. “While it is a competitive school and one of the best schools, we’re not competitive with one another on the inside,” she says. “We all can work together, and that’s an incredible feeling.”

Fall 2025 Application Deadline

Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024

Our application opens in August, with a submission deadline in December. We’ll interview finalists and make admissions and funding offers early next year. And we’ll then host admitted students for a visit on our beautiful Chapel Hill campus, where they’ll get to know our faculty, students and program in person.

Admissions details

What Our Alumni Say

“The Ph.D. program in mass communication at UNC is recognized around the globe. For me it was an incredibly helpful foot-in-the-door for getting job interviews because other schools already knew I would be well-trained having gone through UNC’s program. There were also lots of former Tar Heels on many of the search committees I encountered during my time on the job market. The UNC connection and reputation really does span far and wide.”

– Jessica Gall Myrick '13, | Donald P. Bellisario Professor of Health Communication, Pennsylvania State University

Graduate Study at UNC-Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, is among the world’s leading research universities. Its nationally recognized teaching, groundbreaking research and dedication to public service continue a legacy that began when the university was chartered in 1789 and opened to students four years later.

Why Carolina?

Our collaborative, interdisciplinary culture at the Hussman School of Journalism and Media creates new knowledge, advances scholarship and inspires storytelling. Fueled by world-class resources, field-leading interdisciplinary centers and a vast alumni network, the impact of our work helps address the big societal questions of our day.

Why UNC Hussman?