Course Template for Organizational Communication

For more information please contact the faculty associated with this template:

Sandra Braman, braman@uwm.edu

Erik Timmerman, eriktimm@uwm.edu

Kathryn Fonner, fonner@uwm.edu

Jack Johnson, johnson@uwm.edu

Edward Mabry, eamabry@uwm.edu

General Ph.D. Requirements

To fulfill the credit requirement for the Ph.D. in Communication, a student must complete at least 54 credits beyond the master’s degree, with 48 credits in courses numbered 700 or above. Thirty-three credits must be taken from the Communication Department. Students may complete 6 credit hours in courses below 700 offered outside the Department of Communication. The 54 credits must be distributed as follows:

• A minimum of 15 credits reflecting the student designing a thematic program of study combining theory and praxis in the study of communication processes.
• A minimum of 6 credits of research methods in courses numbered 900 or above, 3 credits of which must be in Commun 900.
• A minimum of 21 additional elective credits.
• A maximum of 12 credits for completion of the doctoral dissertation [Commun 990] may be applied toward the 54 credit requirements.

Organizational Communication Courses (minimum of 15 credits)

The following courses are regularly offered by the department and compose a traditional organizational communication concentration. With advisor approval, students may select alternate communication courses and modify their program of study toward more specific organizational communication emphases.

Commun 710: Managerial Communication

Commun 810: Studies of Communication in Organizations

Commun 815: Communication Technology in Organizations

Commun 820: Communication in Customer Service Settings

Commun 823: Seminar in Small Group Communication

Commun 860: Communication Technology in Organizations

Commun 999: Organizational Communication in Contemporary Work Configurations

Methods Courses (minimum 6 credits, including Commun 900)

Students should work with their primary advisor to develop a research methods emphasis. In most cases, more than 6 credit hours are needed to establish expertise in a method. With advisor approval, courses from outside the department may be used to supplement methods courses taught by the Communication Department. Methods-focused courses taught within the department include:

Commun 700: Quantitative Research in Communication

Commun 701: Critical Analysis of Communication

Commun 702: Qualitative Research in Communication

Commun 770: Measurement and Evaluation in Speech Communication

Commun 971: Meta-Analysis: Practice and Application

Commun 972: Multivariate Methods in Communication Research

Organizational Communication Elective Courses (minimum of 21 credits)

Students should work with their advisor to select 21 credits for the elective requirement. The courses on this non-exhaustive list (below) that are taught outside of the department are suggested for a traditional organizational communication emphasis but are not required. Students should work with their advisor to tailor their program of study.

Commun 801: Seminar in Interpersonal Communication

Commun 813: Seminar in Mediated Communication

Commun 827: Seminar in Instructional Communication

Commun 850: Seminar in Intercultural Communication

Commun 864: Communication and Social Influence

Bus Adm 732: Transforming Organizations

Bus Adm 733: Organizational Development

Bus Adm 734: Managing Technological Innovation

Bus Adm 736: Seminar in Managing Change

Bus Adm 745: Managing Information Technology for Performance

Sociol 732: Complex Organization

Sociol 927: Seminar in the Sociology of Contemporary Institutions

Sociol 928: Seminar in Social Organization