PhD Programme

At the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences of the University of Fribourg, the DCM offers the possibility to pursue a doctoral degree of Social Sciences (Dr. rer. soc.). The official title for a PhD in communication studies is "Doctor of Philosophy in Communication". Communication Studies at the University of Fribourg is firmly rooted in the tradition of the social sciences and is devoted to the analysis of public communication in modern societies, looking at both legacy and new media. Central topics are the general framework, systems, processes, contents and effects of communication. Research at the DCM focuses on different actors of communication, media content, media use, exposure and effects, media and news organisations as well as on media systems, including economic, political and cultural influences.

• Possible Research Fields for a PhD Thesis

  Doctoral theses can be written in the following research fields, among others:

  • Journalism studies (e.g., current developments of journalism, quality in journalism)
  • Theory and history of communication and journalism
  • Political communication (e.g., analysis of political debates, mediatisation of politics)
  • Media use, exposure, and effects (e.g., persuasion, parasocial relationships, health communication, media exposure)
  • Organisational communication (e.g., reputation and issues management, corporate social responsibility, communication strategies)
  • Comparative communication research
  • Media systems and media organisations
  • Media policy and media regulation (e.g., public service media, policy-making processes and power, governance)
  • Analysis of new media and new forms of communication
• Structure of the PhD Programme

  The core part of the doctoral programme (30 ECTS) is the DCM Colloquium. It is held at least once each semester and offers doctoral students the possibility to present and discuss the current state of their projects. ECTS credits can also be acquired by participating in academic courses at the University of Fribourg or elsewhere (e.g. summer or winter schools) in areas such as theory, methodology, didactics or academic writing and presentation skills, by giving presentations at scientific conferences, by publishing articles in scientific journals or books (first author or co-author), by writing reviews or helping with the organisation of conferences, or by undertaking other academic tasks at the department. For detailed information about the doctoral programme, see the Department's Guidelines for the Doctoral Programme (document in German and French).

Professors who are eligible to supervise theses

• Prof. Dr. Sina Blassnig

  Areas of specialization: 

  • Journalism 
  • Political communication 
  • Communication in digital contexts: communicators, contents and uses
  • Media innovation

   

  Supervision of theses in German and English.

  Link

• Prof. Dr. Andreas Fahr

  Areas of specialization: 

  • Media selection, media use, media effects 
  • Emotional & cognitive processing of media exposure 
  • Mediated social communication 
  • Parasocial relationships, health communication, entertainment

   

  Supervision of theses in German and English.

  Link

• Prof. Dr. Alexandra Feddersen

  Areas of specialization: 

  • Political communication 
  • Media and public opinion 
  • Media and democracy 

   

  Supervision of theses in English, French and German.

  Link

• Prof. Dr. Regula Hänggli

  Areas of specialization: 

  • Political communication 
  • Public debates 
  • Challenges to democracy based on commercialisation and digitalisation 
  • Relation between media and democracy

   

  Supervision of theses in German and English.

  Link

• Prof. Dr. Laura Illia

  Areas of specialization:

  • Emerging forms of organisation, audiences and social media
  • E-audiences and their influence on business and society
  • Legitimacy, reputation, identity, stigma and new media
  • Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and communication
  • Communication in social impact and business in the circular economy
  • Crisis, communication, stakeholder management
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) text agents and their implications for business and society

   

  Supervision of theses in French and English.

  Link

• Prof. Dr. Diana Ingenhoff

  Areas of specialization:

  • Strategic communication, organisational communication, communication management 
  • International public relations research, public diplomacy and country images 
  • Corporate social responsibility (CSR), social advocacy, and media quality 
  • Reputation management and crisis communication in the digital age

   

  Supervision of theses in German and English.

  Link

• Prof. Dr. Manuel Puppis

  Areas of specialization:

  • International comparison of media systems & Swiss media system 
  • Media policy, media regulation, and media governance 
  • Media organisations and journalism
  • Critical communication research

   

  Supervision of theses in German and English.

  Link

• Prof. Dr. Thilo von Pape

  Areas of specialization:

  • Communication in digital contexts: uses and effects
  • Social construction and appropriation of media innovations
  • Mobile media and communication
  • Privacy, sustainability, accessibility in digital communication

   

  Supervision of theses in German, French and English.

  Link