Shortly after, Gerbner was hired to teach journalism at John Muir College (now Pasadena City College), where he remained from 1948 to 1951. He would then go on to conduct research at the University of Southern California's (USC) Department of Cinema (1951–52), while earning a master's (1951) and doctorate (1955) in communication & education at USC. His dissertation, "Toward a General Theory of Communication" won USC's award for "best dissertation." He then became a professor and researcher at USC's School of Education (1954–56).
