PhD in Professional Communication

Future scholars who want to investigate and uncover novel theories, thoughts, and ideas in the field of communication are the target audience for this research program. Students with a solid theoretical background who want to do independent research under the supervision of one or more faculty members are catered to by this program.
The PhD program's research curriculum entails a thorough examination of certain professional communication research topics with the goal of expanding on current understanding and generating novel and ground-breaking insights. They encourage students to demonstrate awareness of problems and advancements in their field of study and help them become more adept at coming up with creative answers to problems that arise during professional development and advancement.

Any of These:

• A Master’s degree (Level 7, MQF) in a related discipline accepted by the Senate; OR
• Other equivalent qualifications recognised by the Government of Malaysia; OR
• Candidates without a related qualification in the field/s or working experience in the relevant fields must undergo an appropriate prerequisite course determined by HEP.
• Candidates with excellent Bachelor’s degree (Level 6, MQF) based on the following conditions:
  • I. A bachelor’s degree in the field or related fields with first-class (CGPA of 3.67 or higher) or its equivalent; AND
  • II. Subject to rigorous internal assessment (includes submission of 3000-word research proposal).

English Language Competency Requirements for International Students:

• English language requirements can be waived if the international student EITHER comes from a country that uses English as the official language OR the entry qualification.
• IELTS 6.0
• TOEFL 60
• TOEFL Essentials (Online) 8.5
• Pearson Test of English 59
• Cambridge English Qualifications and Tests - B1 Preliminary, B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency & Linguaskill Online - 169
• ELS 109

PhD (Professional Communication) Program Structure:

Phase 1: Coursework and Colloquium

• Coursework:
  • Academic Writing
  • Research Methodologies
  • Communication Theories
• The Colloquium:
  • Allows students to gain public speaking experience.
  • Facilitates learning about student research from fields within and outside their academic discipline.
  • Provides experience with judging methods used by professional panels for national and international meetings.

Phase 2: Proposal Defence

• Submission of the first three thesis chapters for internal assessment.
• Presentation and defence of the PhD research proposal.
• Continuation to Phase 3 is contingent upon successful defence.

Phase 3: Data Collection and Thesis Preparation

• Data collection, data analysis, and thesis writing.
• The Work Completion Seminar:
  • Serves as a moderation process to assess the sufficiency of the candidate's work for the PhD degree.
  • Successful completion is required before proceeding to the Viva Voce.

Phase 4: Viva Voce

• Oral defence of the submitted thesis.

Research Proposal Requirements:

Applicants for the Doctor of Philosophy (Professional Communication) programme are required to submit a comprehensive statement of the research that they propose to carry out. The proposal should comprise the following elements:

• Field of research
• Topic of research proposal
• Background or a brief literature review on the research topic
• Objective of study – Explain the objectives that influence the research
• The Methodology of study – Explain the methods used in study
• Work schedule
• Equipment required (where applicable)
• Brief bibliography

The research proposal should contain between 1,500 – 2,000 words or about four to six (4 – 6) pages.