The media have been recognized as powerful tools for social engineering and political manipulation. In the bid to employ the power of the media for political ends, the players in the socio-political milieu have misused the media to promote cultures that are detrimental to social progress. The PhD programme in Mass Communication aims to produce graduates who would employ the power of the media to promote Godly virtues by prudently applying biblical ethics to Mass Media practice.
With the inclusion of courses from the Religious Studies Department and an integration of faith through the entire curriculum, the Mass Communication programme is expected to produce individuals who would live their private, professional and family lives in the light of the Word of God as taught by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This includes but is not limited to the sanctity and sacredness of the family, the pursuit of good health and healthy living, the care of the environment, and the practice of integrity and compassion, as delineated in the Word of God.
The PhD programme is research-based. To this end, it aims to produce individuals who are capable of applying the fundamental principles of research in solving everyday social, economic and political problems, as these relate to the area of Mass Communication. They shall be expected to develop basic research problems and formulate designs to solve them with appropriate research tools and apply the findings to solving problems within the society.
"Whoever controls the media, controls the mind."
~ Jim Morrison
Prospective candidates for admission into the Ph.D programme in Mass Communication are required to have a Master’s degree in Mass Communication with at least 60% pass (4.00 on a 5-point scale). Candidates are required to submit official transcripts for verification.
a. Candidates with a CGPA of between 3.50 and 3.99 on a 5-point scale or between 55 -59% in the Master’s degree in Mass Communication, may be admitted into the PhD programme on the condition that they successfully complete a minimum of 16 credit units of remedial courses at Master’s level coursework in Mass Communication at Babcock University with a CGPA of not less than 4.00 on a 5-point scale before commencing any coursework in the PhD in Mass Communication programme.
b. Candidates with a CGPA of between 3.00 and 3.49 on a 5-point scale or 50 -54% at the Master’s level shall be admitted into the MPhil Programme which shall run for 2 years (4 semesters). In the first year, the MPhil candidate will be expected to complete the first year (2 semesters) of PhD coursework. In the second year, the MPhil candidate will complete the MPhil program, with a supervised MPhil thesis. The MPhil must be completed with a minimum of 60% for the candidate to be eligible for regular admission into the PhD in Mass Communication. After the successful completion of all requirements for the MPhil, the candidate may directly proceed to the second year of the PhD programme. However, credits in the MPhil years will not count for the last two years of the PhD.
An MPhil in Mass Communication from Babcock University, with a minimum proficiency level of 60%, will count for the first year of the PhD programme, with the student commencing with the activities of the 2nd year of the PhD programme of studies. If the student has an MPhil in Mass Communication from any other institution, with a minimum proficiency level of 60%, the student will commence with the first year of the PhD programme of studies.
c. The candidates must have satisfied:
- The Department in a selection process, and
- All other admission requirements of the College of Postgraduate Studies.
Note: Much as professional experience could be an added advantage in the admission selection process based on the departmental postgraduate Board’s assessment, no amount of professional experience may be counted to waive a deficiency in the program requirement.
