Comm PhD: Iowa v. CU Boulder

[gfeller]

Trying to decide on a PhD in Communication at either University of Iowa or University of Colorado-Boulder. 

I'm most interested in studying media and religion, media theory and media history. 

Iowa certainly has a stronger tradition and richer history within the field. Iowa has better placement (very high rate for those seeking tenure-track). But Iowa only has one professor with media and religion experience (and he's an all star: John Peters). 

CU Boulder is a newer, less-established program. It can't compete with Iowa's placement, reputation or legacy. BUT, it has a Center for Media, Religion and Culture and a professor there (Stewart Hoover) running the Center with another professor co-directing. The Center also has additional, outside funding and is well connected with other schools through conferences on the subject of media and religion. 

My decision, then, is in part between a better, more established program with one brilliant professor and a less-known school with a one-of-a-kind research center on the topic I'm most interested in. 

In some ways I'm asking an old question about working with one intellectual soul mate or with a handful of good academic friends.

*Also, Iowa is Comm Studies and CU boulder is in Journalism and Mass Comm (not sure how this will affect my job outlook (hoping to teach at a university))

** I've also been accepted to U of Illinois-Chicago and wait-listed at Pittsburgh and UNC. (but Iowa and CU are my top picks)

 

Thoughts about the comparison? What is more important in the long run (job wise)?

 

Thanks in advance

[cali_monkey]

If it were me, I'd pick Iowa.  Its a great program and is well established and has great name recognition.  The reality is, the better program you come from, the easier it is to get to the top of lists when applying to jobs. (This may not always be the case, but I've been told numerous times by faculty at my school that when they hire its hard to ignore applicants that come from well-known programs.)  

 

Even if the faculty at Iowa don't do exactly what you study, there are a lot of great faculty there that can work with you.  If you were accepted, it means they have an idea of where your research fits into their program.  

 

I know its a rough choice, I've been making a lot of rough choices lately - its so hard to choose! - but in the end, (whether it should or not) the rank and reputation of a program really do matter.  And plus, how many times have you thought you'd found your soul mate and ended up being mistaken? You might just find your true (intellectual) love where u least expect it

 

Also, I would tend to think that coming from a comm program would look a bit better than a combined journalism program considering the cultural leaning to your research interests. But I'm not positive about that - just a guess - it may not matter at all.