III.6 Sample Programs of Study

There is no single way to progress through the program. As long as all requirements are completed in a timely fashion, the order in which courses are taken is up to the student and their advisor. The plans below are illustrative, not prescriptive. Two versions are shown: starting in the UCSB MA and transferring the usual allowable units; and entering with an MA from another institution.

Students enroll in COMM 505 every quarter they are in the program. Students are advised to enroll in 12 units most quarters; 8 units is the minimum for full-time status.

III.6.2 PhD with a UCSB MA — (Assuming MA completed)

Year	Fall	Winter	Spring
3 (PhD)	Content Elective (in-dept) Methods/tools COMM 505 Colloquium	Content Elective (in-dept) Content Elective (out-dept) COMM 505 Colloquium	Content Elective (in-dept) Methods/tools COMM 596A Directed Research COMM 505 Colloquium
4 (PhD)	Quals Writing Quarter COMM 597 Preparation for the Qualifying Examination COMM 505 Colloquium	COMM 599 Dissertation Preparation COMM 505 Colloquium	Dissertation proposal Defense COMM 599 Dissertation Preparation COMM 505 Colloquium
5 (PhD)	COMM 599 Dissertation Preparation COMM 505 Colloquium	COMM 599 Dissertation Preparation COMM 505 Colloquium	COMM 599 Dissertation Preparation COMM 505 Colloquium

Fall of year 3 is the last quarter in which units may transfer from MA to Phd
Required: nominate MA advisor by end of Winter, year 1; MA committee by end of Spring, year 1
Recommended: defend thesis proposal in Fall of year 2 (required by January 15); complete the thesis in Spring of year 2
Ideally, choose a PhD advisor and finalize the PhD committee by end of Spring, year 3; both must be selected no later than the quarter prior to the commencement of qualifying exam preparation
Begin discussing the quals reading list with committee members as soon as they agree to serve
Recommended: hold the dissertation proposal meeting by end of Spring, year 4 (required: proposal approved by Nov. 1 of year 5); complete data collection by end of Winter, year 5

III.6.3 PhD with an MA from another institution

Time-to-degree for the PhD-only track is 3 years to advance to candidacy and 4 years to complete the PhD.

Year	Fall	Winter	Spring
1 (PhD)	COMM 202 Introduction to Communication Graduate Studies COMM 204A Research Methods in Communication COMM 505 Colloquium	COMM 204B Introduction to Applied Statistics Survey course (COMM 207, 213, or 222) Content Elective (in-dept) COMM 505 Colloquium	COMM 200 Communication Theory Construction COMM 204C Advanced Topics in Research Methods and Statistical Analysis COMM 505 Colloquium
2 (PhD)	Second survey course (COMM 207, 213, or 222) Content Elective (in-dept) COMM 505 Colloquium	Content Elective (out-dept) Methods/tools COMM 505 Colloquium	Content Elective (in-dept) Methods/tools COMM 596A Directed Research COMM 505 Colloquium
3 (PhD)	Quals Writing Quarter COMM 597 Preparation for the Qualifying Examination COMM 505 Colloquium	COMM 599 Dissertation Preparation COMM 505 Colloquium	Dissertation proposal Defense COMM 599 Dissertation Preparation
4 (PhD)	COMM 599 Dissertation Preparation COMM 505 Colloquium	COMM 599 Dissertation Preparation COMM 505 Colloquium	COMM 599 Dissertation Preparation COMM 505 Colloquium

Recommended: choose a PhD advisor by end of Spring, year 1 and finalize the committee by end of Spring, year 2; both must be selected no later than the quarter prior to the commencement of qualifying exam preparation
Recommended: defend qualifying exams at the end of the Fall writing quarter, year 3 (no later than week 2 of Winter); hold the dissertation proposal meeting by end of Spring, year 3 (required: proposal approved by Nov. 1 of year 4)
Recommended: complete data collection by end of Winter, year 4; defend the dissertation by end of Spring, year 4

Revision #3
Created 2026-10-13 20:05:58 UTC by Dan Lane
Updated 2026-10-24 04:02:18 UTC by Dan Lane