Graduate study in Communication at Cornell appeals to students willing to rethink how the traditional categories, such as mass and interpersonal communication, still fit in an age of chat rooms, virtual reality, cell phones, and 500-channel cable systems. We’re looking for students who, for example, see that when a community is upset over a public works project this is not just a public relations problem, but a complex system of social influences that needs to be understood.

Cornell Communication students are the kind of students who think differently and change things. They may be interested in changing how institutions collaborate to improve natural resources management, or in exploring how teenagers combine the use of TV and Instant Messenger. We don’t believe in shoving students into a mold. There are few required courses. With the guidance of a committee of faculty members, each student designs a rigorous program that fits his or her goals.

The Communication program at Cornell examines communication in a variety of domains, including:

  • culture and identity
  • groups, organizations, and networks
  • media studies
  • policy and public engagement
  • science, health, risk, and environment
  • social inequality
  • technology and social media

Our faculty approaches these domains at various levels of analysis (individual, dyadic, group, organizational, cultural, institutional, and societal) and with a variety of methods and theoretical approaches for the purpose of generating knowledge about communication as a process and set of institutions that shape the social world. We expect all our students to be familiar with the range of tools used in the program (level of analysis, theories, and methods) and prepared to draw from them as appropriate.

Our students will become communication scholars who are critical thinkers looking at socially-relevant questions, based on global knowledge and using their abilities for research, teaching, outreach, consulting, and government service.

Communication at Cornell is not for everybody. Our approach is firmly embedded in the social sciences but also draws from both the humanities and natural sciences. We are proud of our base within Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences – a connection that provides special opportunities for students interested in health, risk, and the environment, as well as the use of technology and media to address contemporary social issues.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The Field of Communication at Cornell University offers a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree. The PhD degree is a research degree. The doctoral program in the Field of Communication at Cornell is designed to be a small, high-quality program that will encourage students’ interests in proposing, testing, and refining communication theory using empirical, social science research methods. Doctoral students will become active, independent researchers. Program graduates will compete successfully for teaching and research positions at colleges and universities, work at consulting firms, or conduct research and contribute to policy in government and private organizations.

This digital manual is intended to help PhD students in the Field of Communication. The information has been compiled by the Field’s Graduate Program Committee (GPC). In general, the GPC establishes the detailed requirements and regulations for students in the Field listed in this manual.

Minor in COMM

Students from outside the Field of Communication are welcome to pursue minors within the Field. A minimum of three courses for the Master's degree and a minimum of four courses for the PhD are expected for a minor. The Field expects students minoring in Communication to include a member of the Communication Field Faculty on their Special Committee. Students should consult an appropriate Field member to develop an individual program.

Graduate Field Contacts

Katherine Sender
Katherine Sender

Professor and Director of Graduate Studies

Department of Communication

Katherine Sender
a woman in a pink sweater with sheep on it
Joanna Alario

Graduate Field Administrator

Department of Communication

Joanna Alario
  • jca36 [at] cornell.edu