JOUR 799 - Dissertation in Health and Science Communication

(1 to 24 units)

The doctoral dissertation represents the culminating scholarly contribution of the PhD in Health and Science Communication. In this course, students conduct original, independent research that advances theoretical and empirical knowledge at the intersection of communication, public health, science, and media. Guided by a faculty dissertation committee, students design and execute a sustained research project that demonstrates mastery of disciplinary methods, engagement with relevant scholarly literature, and the capacity to produce knowledge of significance to the field.
Dissertations in the program span a range of methodological approaches — including quantitative survey and experimental methods, qualitative inquiry, computational and content analytic methods, mixed methods designs, and community-based participatory research — applied to questions of health communication, science journalism, risk and crisis communication, environmental communication, health equity, media effects, strategic health communication, and related areas. Students are expected to situate their work within established theoretical traditions while making a meaningful original contribution that extends or challenges existing understanding.
The dissertation process unfolds across three broad phases. In the prospectus phase, students — in close collaboration with their committee chair — develop and defend a formal dissertation prospectus that articulates the research problem, theoretical framework, review of relevant literature, and proposed methodology. In the research and writing phase, students conduct their approved study, analyze findings, and produce a scholarly manuscript organized according to disciplinary and Graduate School formatting standards. In the defense phase, students present and defend their completed dissertation before their committee and the scholarly community in a public oral examination.
Throughout the dissertation, students are expected to work with sustained intellectual independence, maintain regular communication with their committee chair, present work-in-progress in appropriate scholarly venues, and adhere to the University’s standards for the responsible conduct of research and academic integrity. Dissertation research involving human subjects must receive Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval before data collection begins.
Students are strongly encouraged to develop dissertation work with an eye toward publication in peer-reviewed journals, presentation at national and international conferences, and — where appropriate — translation into policy, professional practice, or public communication that extends the impact of their scholarship beyond the academy.

Maximum units a student may earn: 24

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of the preliminary exam, both written and oral components

Grading Basis: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Units of Independent Study: 1
Offered: Every Fall and Spring

Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. critically evaluate and synthesize scientific literature.
2. develop original research hypotheses and research questions that will advance health and science communication knowledge.
3. evaluate, justify, and apply appropriate methodological and analytical approaches to address health and science communication research questions.
4. examine ethical principles pertaining to the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of health and science communication data.
5. articulate the implications of the research findings for research and practice.
6. derive from the research findings at least one concrete action for public policy or advocacy and implement it.

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