Institute of Graduate Studies and Research

Communication and Media Studies (PhD)

Duration 5 Years

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About
Curriculum
Entry Requirements
Fees & Scholarships

About the Program

The Communication and Media Studies Doctoral Program at CIU has been designed to enable students to make in depth explorations of the major social, cultural and political issues which arise from mass communication. After completing a range of specialist preparatory courses, students will produce a thesis that is intended to make substantial and original contribution to their field of study. The main objective of the program is to educate students capable of producing original ideas and communicating these ideas effectively to students and their academic peers. Graduates of the program will be able to analyse and discuss contemporary developments and theories within various fields related to mass communication, including film and television, journalism, public relations, advertising, and social media.

Education Opportunities

Courses in this Doctoral program include Political Communication and Propaganda, Critical Theory, Internet Cultures, Documentary Film and Television Social Gender and Media, Strategic Communication, and Integrated Communication. These courses have been selected to allow students to develop specialist knowledge on the aspect of communication closest to their research interests. Students must successfully complete seven courses and a research seminar in order to proceed to the qualifying examination stage. The qualifying examinations consist of two stages: written and oral. Juries are established for these examinations comprising of internal and external professors. Upon passing the qualifying examination, students start working on their theses under the guidance of their supervisor.

Career Areas

The Communication and Media Studies Doctoral Program is designed to raise Ph.D. graduates who wish to reach the highest level in their field, having produced an original thesis related to the area of communication and media. The program also aims to instill knowledge and skills to the high standard necessary for the field of professional communication.
Graduates of the program have the opportunity to pursue careers in the following fields:

Academics in public or private educational institutions;
Supervisors in the professional communication sector, editor, editor-in-chief, media planning specialist, correspondent/agent coordinator, senior media analyst, sales supervisor, advertising/commercial director, advertising/commercial agent, budget analyst, a representative for field sales, and video editor;
High-ranking manager in public relations and advertising agencies;
Manager in film and video production companies.

Contact

Institute of Graduate Studies and Research
Graduate Sciences and Education Center, GE106
Tel: +90 392 671 1111 Extension: 2776
Institute E-mail: ciu-institute@ciu.edu.tr

Compulsory Courses

First Semester

SEMINER

Course code

COMM690

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

Seminar presentation and group discussions on selected topics related subjects on communication and media, the course is non credit but students will be evaluated as satisfactory or unsatisfactory about the course and if a student gets unsatisfactory remark he/she must repeat the course.

ELECTIVE

Course code

COMM6X1

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

ELECTIVE

Course code

COMM6X2

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

ELECTIVE

Course code

COMM6X3

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

ELECTIVE

Course code

COMM6X4

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

ELECTIVE

Course code

COMM6X5

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

ELECTIVE

Course code

COMM6X6

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

Second Semester

THESIS

Course code

COMM600

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

160

The student prepares a topic related with Communication Science field after completing PhD courses under supervision of Institute member in order to Education – Training Regulation. The student defends thesis in front of a jury which is determined by Institute.

PH.D QUALIFYING EXAMINATION

Course code

COMM650

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

Students who successfully pass the necessary courses in the program have to take and pass this examination. It consists of two stages: Written Qualifying Examination, and Oral Qualifying Examination. Students who pass written Qualifying Examination take Oral Qualifying Examination. These examinations are held with jury members consisting internal and external professors.

Philosophy of Science

Course code

PHIL601

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

This course will follow three main paths: Firstly it will introduce philosophy to doctoral students. The meaning of philosophy, its scope, its sub-branches and its different schools will be the subject topic of the first weeks. Then the course will focus on the relation of philosophy with the sources of knowledge and different sciences. Here, Rationalism, Empiricism and Intuitionism will be covered during the following weeks. In the remaining weeks the course will concentrate on philosophy of science and scientific ethics. Logical positivism, paradigm changes, falsificationism, the questions of “what is science”, “what is pseudo-science?”, “what is the relation between theory and reality?” are amongst topics that will be covered. Finally, the course will concentrate on ethical theories and will particularly cover scientific ethics.

Elective Courses

POLITICAL COMMUNICATION AND PROPAGANDA

Course code

COMM614

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

The main subjects of this course are political communication activities, elections campaigns and positions of women, young, old people, workers and lobours in campaigns different social institutions such as political parties, lobby groups, trade unions, trade associations, federations and confederations, non – governmental organizations. In addition to that the course will focus on effective propaganda techniques to be able to affect choice of voter by analyzing previous election campaign strategies of parties.

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION

Course code

COMM615

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

In this course, students are introduced to communication controlling as a key concept in Strategic Public Relations and strategic communication. After the course, the Ph.D. Students shall be acquainted with the theoretical framework for communication controlling as well as its practical implementation. Special attention is paid to the alignment of strategy and controlling. Students will be equipped with an in-depth understanding of applied social research as a means of evaluating strategic communication programs, knowledge on how social research contributes to strategic communication planning as well as strategic communication evaluation, an in-depth understanding of established methods and tools of communication controlling, i.e. systematic, integrated, both formative continuous and summative evaluation against the backdrop of communication strategy and the ability to systematically derive a communication strategy from an organizational strategy or business strategy.

THE POLITICS OF MEDIA REPRESENTATION

Course code

COMM623

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

This course will investigate a range of media texts and discourses in order to understand the ways in which systems of representation are produced, circulated and interpreted by audiences. Focusing largely on visual media, the course will examine questions of knowledge, truth, power and pleasure in relation to representations of masculinity, femininity, sexuality, whiteness and racial ‘otherness’. The course will be organized around writings by major theorists including Stuart Hall, Edward Said, Homi Bhabha, Marcel Foucault, Laura Mulvey and Richard Dyer.

INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS

Course code

COMM617

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

As communication has developed in terms of both theory and practice, separate specialties and departments within organizations were created: employee communication, public relations and public affairs, advertising and marketing, audiovisual media, training and development, event and meeting planning, and information systems. These separate “islands of communication” have grown and moved further apart, often resulting in fragmented, redundant, or even contradictory communication programs and messages. This can lead to information overload, a loss of credibility, and wasted resources. As organizations are attempting to “re-engineer” and strive to become “learning organizations”, communication professionals employ new integrated communication approaches. All communication to the audience can be integrated and aligned. This course attempts to investigate the current situation in the new corporate communications and societal changes.

CRITICAL THEORY

Course code

COMM610

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

This course is designed to study, in the context of ground texts; what is critical theory and how it is being analyzed in today’s world by different approaches. In that respect, the texts those philosophers will be examined especially Marx, Kant and Hedel, Lukacs, Nietzsche, Fromm, Marcuse, Freud, Adorno and Habermas.

DOCUMENTARY FILM AND TELEVISION

Course code

COMM622

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

This course will consider the history, theory and aesthetics of the documentary, both on film and on television. We will examine the tools and techniques available to documentary filmmakers, and consider the different ways in which they have been used to represent reality. The course will also address the political dimensions of documentary production, including propaganda, and will ask whether objectivity is possible within the form. Key productions for discussion will include: Nanook of the North (1922), The War Game (1965), High School (1968), Hearts and Minds (1974), The Thin Blue Line (1988) and The Death of Yugoslavia (1995).

SOCIAL GENDER AND MEDIA

Course code

COMM606

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

INTERNET CULTURES

Course code

COMM624

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

This course addresses the emergence of internet technology from a cultural perspective, placing this new medium in a historical context and examining its relationships to older media forms. Students will also consider some of the political, social and economic debates which relate to the production and consumption of internet culture, including surveillance and privacy, the ‘digital divide’, the ‘disruption’ of traditional industries, questions of the psychological impact of internet use, and the capacity of the internet to effect political change. Finally, the course will consider whether the existing theoretical models which scholars use to analyse media and culture are suited to internet technology, or whether new approaches are required.

MEDIA HISTORY:TEXTS AND CONTEXTS

Course code

COMM532

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

This course will examine the history of media and mass communication since the emergence of the printing press. The course will be organised as a survey of key moments in the international development of the media, but students will also examine key theoretical writings related to media history. Major topics to be addressed will include: the role played by technology in communication, the convergence between different forms of media, the connection between media and national culture, and the role of the media in the process of globalization.

MESSAGE DESIGN AND MEDIA MANAGEMENT

Course code

COMM503

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

This course aimed to analyse the forming and designing the planned message and its communication techniques and media within the framework of practices in strategic communication management. Relating to this, the case studies on how the effective media management should be are examined.

NEW COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

Course code

COMM510

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

Focusing primarily on the internet and digital cultures, this course will explore the theoretical and practical debates that have developed around the concept of ‘new media’. Topics to be studied include interactivity, social networking, media convergence, cyberculture and the emergence of ‘web 2.0’. Are these developments anticipated by pre-existing studies of communication practice, or are new theoretical models required to understand them?

RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION

Course code

COMM501

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

Kitle İletişiminde Araştırma Teknikleri dersi, genel olarak sosyal bilimlerde, özel olarak kitle iletişiminde kullanılan araştırma tekniklerine odaklanmaktadır. Bu çerçevede, araştırma süreci, hipotez aşaması ve geliştirimi, araştırmanın planı, örneklem grubu, ölçme ve değerlendirme, güvenilirlik ve geçerlilik, açıklayıcı ve doğrulayıcı faktörler gibi araştırma teknikleri incelenmektedir. Ders araştırma kavramlarının ve yöntemlerinin yanı sıra, iletişim alanında yapılan bilimsel bir çalışmaya giden yollar ve aşamaları tartışmakta, öğrencilerin bu aşamaları kendi araştırma projelerinde uygulamaları sağlanmaktadır.

COMMUNICATION RESEARCH METHODS

Course code

COMM611

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

COMMUNICATION RESEARCH METHODS

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION

Course code

COMM508

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

This course is designed to examine the internal and external communication systems of business organizations. It is also examined that the uses of communication media such as internet and intranet in organizations.

RHETORIC

Course code

COMM612

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

Philosophy of Science

Course code

PHIL601

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS AND COMMUNICATION

Course code

COMM628

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

This course aims to help students expand beyond the proven communication theories, methods and models of the past by recognizing their shortcomings and limitations, and broaden their conceptual frameworks regarding the diffusion of innovations. For this purpose, the theory and related model of diffusion of innovations will be reevaluated through new concepts and theoretical frameworks. Within the context of this course, topics such as elements of diffusion including the concepts of innovation, innovativeness and adopter categories, history of diffusion research, contributions and criticisms of diffusion research, the innovation-decision process, diffusion networks, innovation in organizations will be discussed and the theory and model of diffusion of innovations will be repositioned in a more contemporary framework.

SCIENCE FICTION FILM AND LITERATURE

Course code

COMM531

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

This course aims to teach students to develop an advanced understanding of critical perspectives in science fiction film and literature. In this context this course focuses on critical skills in thinking about the role of science fiction within contemporary societies. From this point of view, the course examines European and American science fiction literature and film traditions with a special emphasis on cyberpunk literature and films

THEORIES OF COMMUNICATION

Course code

COMM505

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

This course is designed to introduce students the individual and social functions of communication along different theoretical approaches with political, social and economic process. The course is also focused historical development of communication researches and fundamental approaches, main communication theories, linguistic and semiological approaches, political, economical and cultural approaches and reformist theories.

GLOBAL MEDIA AND CONFLICT

Course code

INRE626

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

Having based on the scholarly studies on media and international conflict, this course intends to provide the participants with the ability to develop an internal coherent scientific perspective supported by appropriate theories and methodologies in order to comprehend and explain media representation of global, regional, national and local conflicts. Within this context, topics of this course include theories of media representation, theories of international conflict, methods of analyzing mediated conflicts, the role and position of media institutions and professionals in representation, construction, deconstruction, reconstruction, and resolution of various types of conflicts as well as post-conflict situations.

FILM AESTHETICS

Course code

COMM513

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

This course aims to develop the skills and knowledge necessary for analyzing film as an art and an aesthetic category. The course focuses on film theories and film criticism and gives special attention to detailed film analyses. Within this context it examines and analyzes the film styles of “auteur” filmmakers and compares their cinematographic styles with those of mainstream filmmakers.

STRATEGY AND MANAGEMENT IN MARKETING SCIENCE

Course code

BUSN604

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

This course examines the classic and current topics and debates in marketing strategy field. The fundamental objective of this course is trying to expose each student to some of the thinking in marketing and in related disciplines like production and operational management, management and organization, finance and accounting from the business perspective. The course aims to enable students to understand the development of marketing thinking as well as discussing the basic theories used to explain marketing phenomena and their application areas. One of the most important contribution of this course to the students is to integrate strategic management theories with marketing theories. The course also address the development of students' ability and skills to critically discuss and evaluate recent published research.

USES OF MEDIA IN POLITICAL COMMUNICATION

Course code

COMM504

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

This course is designed to study, the political communication, the political parties as an institutional brand and institutional communication management, the political candidate as an individual brand, political campaign planning, media planning in political campaign, news media and public relations.

COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

Course code

COMM507

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

This course aims to explain and analyze the components and functions of communication systems in different societies. Starting with the authoritarian theories, the course progresses to the social responsibility theory of communication ın order to examine how theories emerge and spread within political systems.

IMAGE MANAGEMENT

Course code

COMM618

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

SEMIOTICS OF IMAGE

Course code

GRDE503

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

This course explores the relationship between image and meaning. Students learn and use visual semiotic analysis approach. Advertisements, signs, symbols, films and everyday objects may be the subject of research. Art exhibitions and artwork are also suitable for research environments. The connection between image and meaning is examined in the context of Barthes, Panofsky and Fiske's theories. The relationship between signifier, signifier, sign, semantic definitions, semantic, syntactic and functional analysis methods are investigated and evaluated. Students write observations and semiotic analyzes and report on related topics. Visual materials such as exhibitions, works of art and films can be considered as a subject for examinations.

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Course code

EMNT502

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a comprehensive and fundamental quality policy that aims continuous improvement. This course focuses on total quality concepts and total quality approach for decision making. In addition to presenting various Total Quality Management concepts and quality improvement tools, importance of customer focus, team formation and problem solving are also underlined. The key actions that highlights importance of quality through planning, design and control are discussed. Up-to-date quality standards and award models are discussed and criticized using real life cases. Aim of the course is to give total quality concept to the students. Also the course explains total quality management decision methods.

FOREIGN POLICY ANALYSIS

Course code

INRE602

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

This course provides the students of International Relations a research facility that enhances their analytical and reasoning skills in understanding the key concepts and ideas about foreign policy-making in a systematic and theoretical way. By emphasizing all the perspectives and approaches on Foreign Policy Analysis, the course aims to provide the conceptual debates on different foreign policies of selected countries as a field of study. In this respect, the course on foreign policy analysis is primarily centered on the processes, effects, causes, and outputs of foreign policy decision-making both in a comparative and case-specific manner.

ETHNIC CONFLICT

Course code

INRE624

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

The course is designed in five different parts to examine and explore ethnic conflicts. The first part explores different theories that explain ethnic conflict while the second part presents different case studies to inform students on the variety of issues, identities as well as differences and similarities of each unique case. Part three examines the gender dimension of ethnic division in various places. Part four and five discuss managing ethnic conflicts and examine questions for post-conflict construction of ethnically divided societies. Case studies will be examined and analyzed in light of theories that are discussed earlier in the semester. This practice will help us to apply theories and critically examine how efficiently they provide explanations for actual conflicts.

INFORMATION SYSTEMS DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT

Course code

MISY606

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS

Course code

COMM515

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

ARCHITECTURE AND THE CITY IN SCIENCE FICTION MOVIES

Course code

ARCH619

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

The course scrutinizes the meaning and significance of architecture and urban space in science fiction movies and how architecture is displayed in dystopian visions of the future in movies of the modern and post-modern eras. The dystopian visions repeatedly suggest an anti-democratic future world of surveillance controlled by the international corporations and authoritarian administrations. The architecture of these worlds is variously rendered in Art Déco, Classicism, the International Style, Brutalism, High Tech / Slick Tech, an eclectic Historicism, in vernacular and “eco-” forms, and situated in (decayed) skyscraper mega-cities or within an idyllic natural environment. The course is based on the analysis of selected movies and the reading of scholarly literature on the subject.

CASES IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Course code

BUSN624

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

The aim of the course is to provide a comprehensive representation regarding managing core issues of business creation in new ventures and established firms by means of case studies. The case studies will be focused on the entrepreneurial business development and management. Through case studies, the students will analyze various typologies of entrepreneurship, financial sources for startups, modes of business networking, attitudes. Students will be able to develop an understanding of successes, opportunities and risks of entrepreneurship and encouraged to think in innovative ways about various business challenges. Guest lectures from successful entrepreneurs or visits to various companies will be offered. Students will also develop skills in written business communication and oral presentations in order to integrate entrepreneurship concepts.

NEW COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

Course code

COMM510

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

THEORIES OF COMMUNICATION

Course code

COMM505

Credit

Theoretical

Practical

Ects

TRNC
International

Students who are interested in pursuing advanced graduate studies leading to a master’s, doctoral degree or professional doctorate degree for the Fall and Spring semesters every year. Applicants can directly apply online to our graduate programs using the application portal.

TRNC Applicants- Required documents:

Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Diploma
Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree transcripts for each completed academic term/year.
Documents to prove English proficiency for English language departments,
Scanned copy of passport or identity card.

Click for detailed admission requirements information.

International Applicants- Required documents:

A valid Bachelor’s Degree and transcripts for each completed academic term/year.
A valid Master’s Degree and transcripts for each completed academic term/year.
Evidence of English Language competence: TOEFL (65 IBT) or IELTS (5.5). Students without these documents will take the CIU English proficiency exam on campus following arrival.
Scanned copy of international passport/birth certificate
CV
PhD research proposal
Fully completed and signed CIU Rules and Regulations document (which can be downloaded during the online application)

Click for detailed admission requirements information.

Scholarships
Fees

Cyprus International University provides academic scholarships for its students as an incentive for success, with most students benefiting from 50%, 75% or 100% scholarships or discounted tuition fees. Click for more information.

Tuition Fees are determined at the beginning of each academic year. Candidate students who are entitled to enroll in CIU can learn their fees in line with the Tuition Fee Calculation system.