Dissertation Excellence Award

The MCS Division of AEJMC awards excellence in graduate research with the Dissertation Excellence Award. The dissertation should address topic(s) that 1) advance mass communication research, especially at the societal or macrosocial level, and 2) emphasize the interaction with society and fit with the Division's mission. Award winners are given a cash prize of $3,000 and an opportunity to publish in the Division's journal, Mass Communication and Society.

Submissions are evaluated by the MCS Division Head, Immediate Past Head, and Division Journal Editor(s). Areas of evaluation include but are not limited to the potential for theory building in the field of mass communication, the degree to which the dissertation study will fill a gap in the mass communication literature, the potential for making an overall intellectual contribution to the study of mass communication, potential for publication in a top-tier academic journal, degree of understanding of the literature upon which the proposed study is undergirded, appropriateness of research questions and/or hypotheses, appropriateness of research methods(s) for data gathering and analysis, and quality of writing. 

An eligible dissertation must have been completed between January 1st and December 31st in the year prior to the award cycle. For the purposes of this award, a "completed'' work is defined as one that has not only been submitted and defended but also revised and filed in final form at the applicable doctoral-degree-granting university by December 31st. No part of the dissertation can be "under review'' at a journal or in a "revise and resubmit" status at a journal. If an article based on the student's dissertation has already been submitted to another journal, that dissertation is no longer eligible for the award. 

Winners of the award must submit an article based on the dissertation to Mass Communication and Society within two years of receiving notification of winning the award. Winning the award grants the right of first refusal to the journal, but does not necessarily guarantee acceptance into the journal. 

Submission Details: 

Submit the following information electronically as ONE PDF and include the applicant’s name in the title of the file. Submissions should be made in English. Include the following information in your submission packet in the order listed below:

• Cover letter officially applying for the award, noting the date the dissertation was completed, and stating that no other work based on the dissertation has been submitted for publication
• Letter of support from the dissertation chair (noting the date the dissertation was completed) 
• 10-page summary of the dissertation (double-spaced; not including references)

Submission Deadline: April 30th at 11:59 p.m. (EDT). The nomination PDF should be emailed to the MCSD Awards Chair. 

Award: $3,000

The award winner will be recognized at the MCSD Awards Luncheon at the national conference with a plaque. The winner will also be listed on the Division’s website.