Graduate Program
Our graduate program offers an excellent mix of a rich history, an exciting present, and a promising future. We continue to embody the Purdue tradition of excellence in the high caliber faculty we attract to our program, our highly engaged intellectual climate, the mix of diversity and richness offered in our programs of study, and our outstanding community of graduate students. The legacy of our graduate program is reflected in our extensive network of accomplished alumni who continue to make exemplary contributions to society and to the study of communication as a discipline.
When I joined Purdue in 2001, I was most touched by the stellar faculty in the department and have continually been impressed by the productivity of my colleagues. The department hosts some of the top scholars in Communication who have made major theoretical, methodological and applied contributions to the study of Communication, and continue to leave lasting impressions on the ways in which we study communication. Our award winning faculty have been recognized nationally and internationally for their productivity and for their contributions to the discipline. Also, our commitment to scholarship that makes a difference is reflected in the increasing number of funded projects secured by our faculty and the growing number of interdisciplinary projects currently housed in the department. The research atmosphere in the department fosters collaborative work that is sustained by a commitment to excellence.
Graduate students can earn either a thesis or non-thesis based Master's degree, and a dissertation-based Ph.D. degree in health, interpersonal, or organizational communication, media, technology and society, public affairs/issue management, or rhetorical studies. There is also a joint Ph.D. program in Communication and Philosophy and a Dual title PhD Degree in Communication/Gerontonlogy. In recent program ratings gathered by the National Communication Association, our health, interpersonal, and organizational communication areas all were rated among the Top 10 in the United States. In addition, our public relations area was rated as one of 16 "Premier Programs for Graduate Study in Public Relations" based on nominations from PR faculty across the country (Source: B. L. Baxter, "Graduate Study in Public Relations, Profiles of the Country's Best College Programs, " 2002).
One of our major strengths is the intellectual depth and diversity offered by our programs of study. The flexibility of our graduate program allows students to individually tailor their coursework to fit their educational and professional goals. Each degree program involves a required structure to ensure coherence, preparation in methods, and consistency in expectations of students. But all Purdue graduate students, with advice from a faculty committee they have selected personally, tailor their course work to accomplish their degree objectives. And with interdisciplinary work strongly encouraged, our students learn with scholars from multiple areas of our department as well as from other related disciplines across the university.
Finally, I continue to be impressed by the excellent quality of graduate students in the department. Our graduate students are active scholars and researchers, and they continue to demonstrate their presence at regional, national and international conferences. Several of our current graduate students have published journal articles and book chapters (both independently and collaboratively with faculty), received top paper awards at national and international conferences, and received research fellowships and teaching awards from the university. Furthermore, many of our graduate students collaborate with faculty on funded projects, and pursue funded research in collaboration with faculty. In addition, our Communication Graduate Student Association makes available updated course materials to help with teaching, helps plan study and discussion groups, helps make career preparations, puts together colloquia on relevant topics, and organizes parties, picnics, and sports teams. It is wonderful in a high-powered program such as ours to also find a tradition of mutual support and cooperation among graduate students.
This is an exciting time to be at Purdue as we continue to grow as a department and break new ground in demonstrating our commitment to excellence! It's my honor to be a member of the Purdue family and to have this opportunity to serve the department as the Director of Graduate Studies. I am confident that you will find Purdue University to be an excellent place for pursuing graduate study in Communication. Please feel free to contact me at mdutta[AT]purdue.edu if you would like more information about our graduate program.
Mohan Dutta, Graduate Director
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