media and communication phd

Search NYU Steinhardt

Doctor of Philosophy Media, Culture, and Communication

Grounded in an interdisciplinary approach to the study of media and culture, our doctorate draws from a rich array of disciplines and theoretical frameworks. Department expertise spans the globe: the Middle East, East Asia, the Global South, Africa, and Europe. Our faculty generate some of the most original scholarship in their respective fields, creating a stimulating environment in which to pursue graduate work.

Degree Details

Official degree title.

PhD in Media, Culture, and Communication

Research Focus

Alumni placements, funding for full-time phd students.

Five research areas operate as guiding frameworks for intellectual inquiry across the department: Global Communication and Media, Technology and Society, Visual Culture and Sound Studies, Media Industries and Politics, Interaction and Experience.

Your work as a doctoral student will be shaped by our commitment to:

• Engaging with theoretical concepts from a range of disciplines—media and cultural studies, visual culture, history, science and technology studies, anthropology, sociology, disability studies, sound studies, political science.
• A multi-methodological approach to research—from semiotics, global ethnography, gender and queer theory, critical race theory, qualitative and quantitative discourse analysis, to political/cultural economy, among other critical frameworks.
• A global perspective—conceiving of the global mediascape as transnational and transcultural.
• Recognizing media and technology’s long history and antecedents.

Read some sample dissertation abstracts .

After graduating, alumni join academic departments of media and communication, with placement in the social sciences and interdisciplinary humanities becoming increasingly common. MCC PhDs who graduated in the past ten years are now tenure-track or tenured professors at the University of California, Berkeley; University of Washington, Seattle; Cornell University; Stanford University; UCLA; Rutgers; Fordham; University of Michigan; George Mason University; University of North Carolina; University of Arizona; College of Charleston; Memorial University of Newfoundland; University of San Francisco; Scripps; Pratt; University of Maryland; American University of Beirut; American University of Paris, Ryerson University; Trent University; St. Joseph’s College.

Over the past decade, our PhD graduates have received numerous prestigious postdocs, including a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Humanities in the Department of Comparative Media Studies/Writing at MIT; Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship at MIT's Center for Art, Science, and Technology; Postdoctoral Fellow, Berkman Klein Center, Harvard University; Postdoctoral Researcher, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science; Postdoctoral, Center for Information Technology Policy, Princeton University; Postdoctoral Fellowship at Rice University in Technology, Culture, and Society; Research Associate, Center for Digital Humanities, Princeton University; Postdoctoral Fellow, Media, Inequality & Change Center, University of Pennsylvania.

If you are accepted as a full-time NYU Steinhardt PhD student without an alternate funding source, you are eligible for our competitive funding package, which includes a scholarship and tuition remission.  Learn more about our funding opportunities .

Graduate Leadership

Associate Professor of Media, Culture, and Communication; PhD Director

Susan Murray

Department chair and professor of media, culture, and communication.

If you have additional questions about our degree, please contact us at [email protected] .

Alumni Profiles

Jacob Gaboury (PhD 2014)

Jacob is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Film & Media at the University of California, Berkeley. His dissertation "Image Objects: An Archaeology of Computer Graphics, 1965-1979" investigated the early history of computer graphics and the role they play in the move toward new forms of simulation and object oriented design.

Xiaochang Li (PhD 2017)

Xiaochang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at Stanford University. Her teaching and research interests include the history of computing and information systems, AI and algorithmic culture, speech and language technology, and software/platform studies. Before joining Stanford, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin.

Hatim El-Hibri (PhD 2012)

Hatim is Assistant Professor of Film and Media Studies at George Mason University. His research examines media technologies and urban space in the Middle East. His dissertation traced the history of the visualization of Beirut, from the politics of aerial photography and mapping during the French Mandate, to the visual economy of postwar construction, to the materiality of Hizballah's live satellite television.

Liz Koslov (PhD 2017)

Liz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban Planning and the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA. Previously, she was a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT. Her research examines the cultural, political, and sociological dimensions of climate change adaptation. Her first book project, Retreat: Moving to Higher Ground in a Climate-Changed City , is under advance contract with the University of Chicago Press.

Devon Powers (PhD 2008)

Devon is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Advertising, Media & Communication at Temple University. Powers' research interests include popular music, 20th century history, and cultural intermediation – the people and processes that operate "in between" the production and consumption of culture. Powers completed a fellowship at the University of Leeds in 2014, and was recently elected Vice Chair of the Popular Communication Division of the International Communication Association.

Matthew Powers (PhD 2013)

Matthew is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington-Seattle. His dissertation "Humanity's Publics: NGOs, Journalism and the International Public Sphere" examined reporting roles assumed by international NGOs as legacy media outlets cut their foreign news budgets, and received the Gene Burd Outstanding Dissertation in Journalism Studies award from the International Communication Association. 

Media, Culture, and Communication

239 Greene Street, 8th floor New York, NY 10003 212-998-5191 | contact

Land Acknowledgement

Take the Next Step

Advance your personal and professional journey – apply to join our community of students.

Print Options

Bulletin 2023-2024, media and communication phd.

LEW KLEIN COLLEGE OF MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION

Learn more about the Doctor of Philosophy in Media and Communication .

About the Program

The PhD in Media and Communication offers a comprehensive curriculum in communication theory and research designed to provide advanced students with the breadth and depth of knowledge needed to make significant contributions in the academic and professional fields of mediated communication and, generally, communication.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 7 years

Campus Location: Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Media and Communication students are expected to be "in residence" during their first year of study, excluding summer sessions. Thus, they must register for at least 9 credits in each of the two consecutive terms of Fall and Spring. Although the Graduate School allows for PhD programs to be completed on a full- or part-time basis, students receiving funding are required to maintain full-time status during their tenure in the program.

Interdisciplinary Study: The Media and Communication PhD program encourages interdisciplinary coursework, research and interactions among faculty and students with interest in the humanities and social sciences.

Areas of Specialization: Faculty members specialize and offer coursework in diverse areas related to media and communication, including communication effects and psychological processes; emerging media and technology; global media, social change and activism; journalism studies; media, identity and representation; the media industry, law and policies; political communication; and popular communication.

Job Prospects: The Media and Communication PhD program is designed to prepare graduates for work as professors in colleges and universities around the world. Graduates also hold a variety of positions in the communication and other commercial industries as well as in nonprofit organizations.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Non-matriculated students are restricted to taking MMC 9001 Communication Theory I and MMC 9002 Researching Communication I . These courses may only be taken with the permission of the instructor. If the student is admitted to the program, these courses may be applied toward the degree.

Financing Opportunities: As part of the admissions process, all applicants are considered for funding for a small number of competitive fellowships and teaching assistantships that carry a stipend and full tuition remission of up to 9 credits per term. Starting in their third year, funded students are given the opportunity to teach their own class as the instructor of record. Funding offers are made on or before March 15. April 15 is the final date to accept or decline the offer.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: December 1

Admission is open for the Fall term only. All applications are evaluated together after the deadline date. Admitted students may defer entrance to the program for one year, but students may not begin the program in the Spring term unless there are truly extenuating circumstances, as evaluated by the program director. Admission is based on several criteria, including:

• a match between the applicant’s abilities and faculty's expectations;
• a match between the applicant’s goals and the training and other attributes offered by the program;
• the applicant’s academic and personal references;
• their demonstrated academic ability and research potential; and
• their standardized test scores.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program .

Letters of Reference: Number Required: 3

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from evaluators, particularly college/university faculty, who can provide insight into your academic abilities and talents, as well as comment on your aptitude for graduate study.

Master's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A master’s degree in Communication, Media Studies, or in the humanities or social sciences is required. A minimum graduate GPA of 3.25 is expected. Those with scores near this minimum typically have their references scrutinized rigorously.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: All applicants must present credentials that are the equivalent of the baccalaureate degree at Temple University. A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 is expected. Those with scores near this minimum typically have their references scrutinized rigorously.

Statement of Goals: In approximately 1,000 to 1,500 words, describe your specific interest in Temple's program, research goals, future career goals, and academic and research achievements. Your statement should name faculty with whom you are interested in working.

Standardized Test Scores: GRE: Optional for Fall 2024 admission. Typically, only applicants who have a minimum total verbal and quantitative GRE score of 300, with a minimum verbal score of 150, are considered for admission. Candidates with scores near these minima typically have their references scrutinized rigorously.

Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores within two years of the test date for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

• TOEFL iBT: 96
• IELTS Academic: 7.0
• Duolingo: 110

Resume: Current resume or curriculum vitae is required.

Interview: In some cases, faculty may request an interview with applicants as part of evaluating their fit with the program and potential funding merit.

Writing Sample: Applicants should submit a formal academic paper that represents their best academic writing.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements: Number of Credits Required Beyond the Master's: 48

Required Courses:

All students are required to take at least one advanced research methods course in Media and Communication. Beyond the first course, these advanced courses can be taken as electives. Students are encouraged to take additional advanced courses under the guidance of their program advisor.

Electives may be taken in the Lew Klein College of Media and Communication, with up to 6 graduate credits taken in other schools and colleges at Temple University.

The six credits must include at least two credits of MMC 9999 , which requires an approved dissertation proposal.

Culminating Events: Preliminary Examinations: Under the direction of an approved faculty committee, the PhD student must satisfactorily complete written and oral examinations prior to achieving formal PhD candidacy. Areas of examination and the constituency of the committee are tailored to the individual student. The subject areas are determined, in advance, by the student and their Doctoral Advisory Committee (DAC). The examinations consist of essay questions in three areas written by the members of the student's DAC. The exams are designed to demonstrate the student's critical and interpretive knowledge of specialized areas of media and communication. The exams evaluate the student's ability to apply specific research foci to related issues in the discipline.

The preliminary examinations should be taken no more than one term after the student completes the coursework component of the program. Students who are preparing to write their preliminary examinations should confirm a date and time with the chair of their DAC and register this information with Klein's Office of Research and Graduate Studies. The student and chair receive confirmation of the date, time and, where applicable, room and proctor for the examinations.

The DAC evaluates the examinations. The student must answer every question in order to be evaluated. The evaluators look for breadth and depth of understanding of specific research areas; a critical application of that knowledge to specific media and communication issues; and an ability to write technical prose in a manner consistent with media and communication research. Each committee member votes to pass or fail the student. In order to pass, a majority of the committee members must agree that the exams have been satisfactorily completed.

If a student’s answers are deemed suitable and complete, they may be passed without an oral defense. Otherwise, examinations may be defended orally approximately three weeks after they are written. Examinations must be completed and passed before the student defends their dissertation proposal.

Proposal: With the guidance of their academic advisor, who is a member of the Media and Communication faculty, and at least two other committee members, the student proposes, conducts and creates a written report of an original, theoretically motivated research project. The proposal should consist of the context and background surrounding a particular research problem; identification of the theoretical and, if relevant, practical importance of the problem; an exhaustive survey and review of literature related to the problem; and a detailed methodological plan for investigating the problem. The proposal should be completed and approved no more than one term after the student completes coursework. It cannot be defended before the preliminary examinations are taken. Upon approval, a timeline for completing the investigation and writing process is established.

Dissertation: The doctoral dissertation is an original empirical study that makes a significant contribution to the field of media and communication. It should expand the existing knowledge and demonstrate the student's knowledge of both research methods and their primary area of interest. Dissertations should be rigorously investigated; uphold the ethics and standards of the communication field; demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the primary area of interest and the broader field of media and communication; and be prepared for publication in a professional journal.

The DAC oversees the student's dissertation research and is comprised of at least three graduate faculty members. Two members, including the chair, must be from the Media and Communication program. Committee compositions must be approved by the Media and Communication faculty. The chair is responsible for overseeing and guiding the student's progress, coordinating the responses of the DAC members, and informing the student of their academic progress.

The Dissertation Examining Committee (DEC) evaluates the student's dissertation and oral defense. This committee is composed of the DAC and at least one additional graduate faculty member from outside the Media and Communication program. The outside examiner should be identified no later than the beginning of the term in which the student will defend the dissertation. The DEC evaluates the student's ability to express verbally their research question, methodological approach, primary findings and implications. DEC members vote to pass or fail the dissertation and the defense at the conclusion of the public presentation.

If a student needs to change a member of a committee, the new member must be approved by the program's faculty and registered with Klein's Office of Research and Graduate Studies and the Graduate School.

Students who are preparing to defend their dissertation should confirm a date and time with their DEC members and register with Klein's Office of Research and Graduate Studies at least 15 days before the defense. The date, time and room are arranged within two working days, and the student is forwarded the appropriate forms. After the defense has been set, the student must send a completed "Announcement of Dissertation Defense" form, found in TUportal under the Tools tab within "University Forms," to the Graduate School at least 10 days before the defense. The Media and Communication program announces the defense via e-mail.

Program Web Address:

https://www.temple.edu/academics/degree-programs/media-and-communication-phd-co-mdcm-phd

Department Information:

Lew Klein College of Media and Communication

Office of Research and Graduate Studies

2020 N. 13th Street, 344 Annenberg Hall

Philadelphia, PA 19122-6015

[email protected]

215-204-1497

Submission Address for Application Materials:

https://apply.temple.edu/Klein/

Department Contacts:

Director of Graduate Admissions:

Kaitlin Pierce, EdD

[email protected]

215-204-8560

Program Director:

Geoffrey Baym, PhD

[email protected]

215-204-4607

Send Page to Printer

Print this page.

Download Page (PDF)

The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

Download PDF of entire Undergraduate Bulletin

All pages in Undergraduate Bulletin

Download PDF of entire Graduate and Professional Bulletin

All pages in Graduate and Professional Bulletin

Temple University

• Undergraduate
• Graduate & Professional
• International Admissions
• Degrees and Programs
• Schools & Colleges
• Honors Program
• Continuing Education & Summer Sessions
• International Study
• Courses & Schedules
• Dual Degrees
• Arts & Culture
• Sustainability
• Clubs & Organizations
• Diversity & Inclusivity
• Housing & Dining
• Health and Well-being Division
• Visiting Temple
• Temple Food Trucks
• Student Resources
• Tobacco Free Temple
• Centers & Institutes
• Research Divisions
• Faculty & Research News
• Grants & Funding
• Clinical Trials
• Technology Development
• History & Traditions
• Temple Health
• News & Media
• University Offices
• University Events
• Public Information
• Faculty & Staff Resources
• Campus Development
• Internal Audits
• Ethics & Compliance

Media and Communication PhD

Doctor of philosophy in media and communication.

Immerse yourself in a rigorous curriculum that has strong ties to the humanities and social sciences, with the Doctor of Philosophy in Media and Communication from the Lew Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple. Explore the relationship between media and people through a variety of lenses, including cultural, economic, historical and social-psychological. Receive the academic support of an R1-classified research university as you successfully propose, create and defend your dissertation.

The advanced, multidisciplinary Media and Communication PhD provides access to individualized courses of study, faculty guidance and other opportunities that enable you to

work with active scholars who boast international reputations;

present at conferences and publish work in respected academic journals; and

obtain experience in undergraduate teaching.

Comprehensive coursework in communication theory and research characterizes the Media and Communication PhD program, endowing students with the breadth and depth of knowledge needed to make significant contributions in the academic and professional field of mediated communication. You will collaborate with mentors, develop your own research agenda, and graduate with a strong foundation in theory and methodologies that covers several areas of interest, including the following.

Communication effects and psychological processes

Emerging media and technology

Global media, social change and activism

Journalism studies

Media, identity and representation

The media industry, laws and policies

Political communication

Popular communication

Graduates of this PhD program pursue administrative, research and teaching careers in universities and colleges. They also pursue research jobs in media industries, as well as senior-level policy and communications roles in government and nonprofit sectors. If you are hired to teach or conduct research, you will have access to the Temple University Graduate Student Association , the first recognized graduate employee union in Pennsylvania. You will also have the opportunity to request a travel award that provides funds to help cover the cost of presenting your research at scholarly symposiums.

Program Format & Curriculum

The 48-credit Doctor of Philosophy in Media and Communication is held on Temple’s Main Campus, and can be completed over four years of continuous, full-time study. 

The following courses are required.

Communication Theory I and II

Doctoral Colloquium I and II

Researching Communication I and II

Teaching in Higher Education: Communications

The program also requires the completion of preliminary examinations and a doctoral dissertation. Learn more about requirements for the Media and Communication PhD .

Related Graduate Degrees

Communication for Development and Social Change MS

Media Studies and Production MA

Related Graduate Certificates

Cultural Analytics

Disability Studies

Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies

Teaching in Higher Education

Tuition & Fees

In keeping with Temple’s commitment to access and affordability, this Doctor of Philosophy offers a competitive level of tuition with multiple opportunities for financial support.

Tuition rates are set annually by the university and are affected by multiple factors, including program degree level (undergraduate or graduate), course load (full- or part-time), in-state or out-of-state residency, and more. These tuition costs apply to the 2023–2024 academic year.

Pennsylvania resident : $1,169.00 per credit Out-of-state : $1,565.00 per credit

You can view the full Cost of Attendance breakdown on the Student Financial Services website .

Faculty advisors can help you navigate your program and discuss research opportunities, teaching assistantships and more.  Learn more about Klein College of Media and Communication faculty .

Contact the following faculty or staff members with questions about the Media and Communication PhD.

Geoff Baym is the program director. Phone : 215-204-4607 Email :  [email protected]

Nicole McKenna is the graduate office director​. Phone : 215-204-1497 Email : [email protected]

Supplement your Media and Communication PhD coursework and enhance your graduate education experience through student clubs and organizations. You’ll meet and network with other like-minded students, gain invaluable knowledge and skills, and become involved with a community that helps you bring your personal and professional goals to fruition.

Students in the Media and Communication PhD program are encouraged to join the Media and Communication Graduate Student Association  (MCGSA), an organization that represents and advocates for the collective interests of students within the Media and Communication Department. The MCGSA also facilitates connections between students and faculty across disciplines, and works to optimize the personal and professional development of graduate students.

Learn more about student clubs and organizations available to Klein students . 

Temple University’s departments and programs are accredited by the  Middle States Commission on Higher Education .

Additional Program Information

Go back to academics more in media and communication phd.

• Careers & Opportunities
• Research & Facilities
• Scholarships & Financial Aid

Browser does not support script.

• Undergraduate
• Executive education
• Study Abroad
• Summer schools
• Online certificate courses
• International students
• Meet, visit and discover LSE

MPhil/PhD Media and Communications

• Graduate research
• Department of Media and Communications
• Application code P4ZM
• Starting 2024
• Home full-time: Closed
• Overseas full-time: Closed
• Location: Houghton Street, London

Media and communications research is developing rapidly, both theoretically and methodologically, in keeping with the vast expansion in the penetration, technological diversity and social significance of the media globally. Media and communications research is essentially interdisciplinary, drawing on the theories and methods of a range of social science disciplines as they apply to the media, both old and new. Our Department is committed to promoting greater diversity and transparency in its doctoral cohort and particularly encourages applications from underrepresented groups in its PhD programme.

With 91 per cent of its research output judged to be "world leading" or "internationally excellent" (REF 2014), the Department of Media and Communications provides an excellent research-based education to its doctoral researchers. Its mission is to guarantee the highest quality graduate research training in media and communications and to undertake original social science research in the field, emphasising in particular the relationship between media, technology and social change.

This programme offers the chance to undertake a substantial piece of work that is worthy of publication and which makes an original contribution in the field of media and communications in contemporary society.

Programme details

For more information about tuition fees and entry requirements, see the fees and funding and assessing your application sections.

Entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements for mphil/phd media and communications.

The minimum entry requirement for this programme is a high merit (68 per cent) in a taught master's degree (or equivalent) in social science or humanities and normally a distinction in the dissertation.

Competition for places at the School is high. This means that even if you meet our minimum entry requirement, this does not guarantee you an offer of admission. 

If you have studied or are studying outside of the UK then have a look at our  Information for International Students  to find out the entry requirements that apply to you.

Assessing your application

We welcome applications for research programmes that complement the academic interests of members of staff at the School, and we recommend that you investigate  staff research interests  before applying.

We carefully consider each application on an individual basis, taking into account all the information presented on your application form, including your:

- academic achievement (including existing and pending qualifications) - statement of academic purpose - references - CV - research proposal - sample of written work.

See further information on supporting documents

You may also have to provide evidence of your English proficiency. You do not need to provide this at the time of your application to LSE, but we recommend that you do.  See our English language requirements .

When to apply

The application and funding deadline for this programme is 15 January 2024 . See the fees and funding section for more details.

Research proposal guidelines

Applicants for doctoral study with the Department of Media and Communications are required to submit a research proposal of  no more than 2,500 words  summarising and justifying their proposed research.

The research proposal will provide selectors with an idea of topics of interest, and help in matching candidates to potential supervisors. If your application is accepted, you may be permitted to re-negotiate your topic, subject to the Department’s ability to supervise the new topic.

The final project proposal should feature the following sections:

• Title : A clearly stated title / research question at the beginning of your proposal.
• Preferred potential supervisor:  Please indicate clearly on the first page of the proposal who you wish to supervise your project. Available supervisors can be found on our list of  Academic staff  (please note LSE Fellows cannot supervise PhD projects).
• Keywords:  Please include on the first page of the proposal up to 10 keywords or phrases which accurately reflect the content of your project (eg, 'internet governance', 'data privacy', 'children's media use', 'feminism', 'representation', 'platform studies').
• Introduction to research question(s):  What question(s) will you attempt to answer? Why is the topic interesting and important? Is there a theoretical and empirical 'gap' that your research will seek to fill? What core theories and concepts will you draw on?
• Literature Review:  Summarise the relevant literature and the field(s) to be contributed to. What are the main theories in the area? What are the critical empirical phenomena in the area? Specify the key references relevant to the proposed research. How do you position yourself vis-à-vis the theories and concepts you propose to use?
• Methodology:  How will you address the empirical aspects of the research? Which methodology is appropriate and why? If the research question requires a combination of different methodologies, how will they be related? Do you foresee any practical difficulties in pursuing the research (e.g. finding suitable participants or data sources)? If so, how might they be overcome?
• Conclusion:  What is the added value of the project? How will your research take our understanding forward in your chosen (sub-)field? 
• Bibliography:  A list of texts used in preparing your proposal. (Not to be included in the word count).

Fees and funding

Every research student is charged a fee in line with the fee structure for their programme. The fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It does not cover  living costs  or travel or fieldwork.

Tuition fees 2024/25 for MPhil/PhD Media and Communications

Home students: £4,829 for the first year (provisional) Overseas students: £22,632 for the first year

The fee is likely to rise over subsequent years of the programme. The School charges home research students in line with the level of fee that the Research Councils recommend. The fees for overseas students are likely to rise in line with the assumed percentage increase in pay costs (ie, 4 per cent per annum).

The Table of Fees shows the latest tuition amounts for all programmes offered by the School.

Fee status​

The amount of tuition fees you will need to pay, and any financial support you are eligible for, will depend on whether you are classified as a home or overseas student, otherwise known as your fee status. LSE assesses your fee status based on guidelines provided by the Department of Education.

Further information about fee status classification.

Scholarships, studentships and other funding

The School recognises that the  cost of living in London  may be higher than in your home town or country, and we provide generous scholarships each year to home and overseas students.

This programme is eligible for  LSE PhD Studentships , and  Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding . Selection for the PhD Studentships and ESRC funding is based on receipt of an application for a place – including all ancillary documents, before the funding deadline.   Funding deadline for the LSE PhD Studentships and ESRC funding: 15 January 2024

In addition to our needs-based awards, LSE also makes available scholarships for students from specific regions of the world and awards for students studying specific subject areas.  Find out more about financial support.

External funding 

There may be other funding opportunities available through other organisations or governments and we recommend you investigate these options as well.

Further information

Fees and funding opportunities

Information for international students

LSE is an international community, with over 140 nationalities represented amongst its student body. We celebrate this diversity through everything we do.  

If you are applying to LSE from outside of the UK then take a look at our Information for International students . 

1) Take a note of the UK qualifications we require for your programme of interest (found in the ‘Entry requirements’ section of this page). 

2) Go to the International Students section of our website. 

3) Select your country. 

4) Select ‘Graduate entry requirements’ and scroll until you arrive at the information about your local/national qualification. Compare the stated UK entry requirements listed on this page with the local/national entry requirement listed on your country specific page.

Programme structure and courses

All First year students are MPhil students until they pass their upgrade, at which point they will become PhD students.

Theories and concepts training

Research Seminar for Media, Communications and Culture Focuses on the key conceptual issues and analytical strategies required in media and communication research, with special reference to the study of the changing environment of media production, dissemination and consumption, under conditions of globalisation and digitisation of information. Each participant must make at least one presentation annually.

One full unit or two half units of theory courses, chosen from the School’s graduate course provision. Courses are to be chosen in liaison with the primary supervisor/co-supervisors and will be approved by the Doctoral Programme Director. For MPhil students who have no background in the field, it is strongly advised that they select at least one half unit on Media and Communications.

Research methodology training

MPhil students will take Advanced Methods of Research in Media and Communications . This is a course which involves 3 discrete sections:

i. Principles of Research in Media and Communications: a series of lectures offered by Department of Media and Communications faculty in Autumn Term. The lectures will normally cover the following topics central to research design across the social sciences, with a specific emphasis on their application to media and communications contexts: the general nature of research as social inquiry, interviewing, discourse analysis, social network analysis, content analysis, visual analysis, survey design/questionnaires, case studies, ethnography and participant observation, as well as research ethics.

ii. Specialist workshops: Workshops (three hours) x 5 Winter Term (each comprised of one 3-hour session), offered by Department of Media and Communications faculty in Winter Term. Students are required to participate in all five workshops.

iii. Principles of Social Research Analysis: Students have to take at least one quantitative analysis course offered by the Department of Methodology ( Introduction to Quantitative Methods for Media and Communications is the basic option). In addition, students need to take either another quantitative or a qualitative analysis course offered by the Department of Methodology. The combination of courses must be approved by the supervisor and discussed with the Advanced Methods of Research in Media and Communications (including Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis) convenor. Students will not be permitted to select Fundamentals of Social Science Research or  Qualitative Research methods .

Upgrade process

In addition to satisfactory completion of the above training, all MPhil students will be required to submit a thesis proposal of 10,000 words to their thesis committee. This paper needs to include a substantive statement of the aims, theories and methods proposed for the thesis, a tentative chapter outline, an indicative bibliography and a timetable for completion.

Together with any examination/s for quantitative methodological courses, the thesis proposal will form part of the evaluation process, and, together with an upgrade viva, will determine whether students are permitted to upgrade from MPhil to PhD and continue into their second year

Second year 

All upgraded PhD students must submit an end-of-year reflection document.

Third year 

Full time PhD students must submit their thesis by the end of their fourth year, part-time PhD students must submit their thesis by the end of their eighth year.

All upgraded PhD students not submitting their thesis must submit an end-of-year reflection document.

For the most up-to-date list of optional courses please visit the relevant School Calendar page.

You must note, however, that while care has been taken to ensure that this information is up to date and correct, a change of circumstances since publication may cause the School to change, suspend or withdraw a course or programme of study, or change the fees that apply to it. The School will always notify the affected parties as early as practicably possible and propose any viable and relevant alternative options. Note that the School will neither be liable for information that after publication becomes inaccurate or irrelevant, nor for changing, suspending or withdrawing a course or programme of study due to events outside of its control, which includes but is not limited to a lack of demand for a course or programme of study, industrial action, fire, flood or other environmental or physical damage to premises.  

You must also note that places are limited on some courses and/or subject to specific entry requirements. The School cannot therefore guarantee you a place. Please note that changes to programmes and courses can sometimes occur after you have accepted your offer of a place. These changes are normally made in light of developments in the discipline or path-breaking research, or on the basis of student feedback. Changes can take the form of altered course content, teaching formats or assessment modes. Any such changes are intended to enhance the student learning experience. You should visit the School’s  Calendar , or contact the relevant academic department, for information on the availability and/or content of courses and programmes of study. Certain substantive changes will be listed on the  updated graduate course and programme information page.

Supervision, progression and assessment

Supervision .

Doctoral supervision in the Department takes one of two forms, with faculty offering either primary and secondary supervision; or co-supervision, ie, joint supervisors with broadly similar responsibilities. In all cases, the primary supervisor or one co-supervisor will be at professorial or associate professorial level.

New doctoral researchers are assigned to supervisors with requisite knowledge in the chosen field. The supervisory team will normally be made up of Departmental faculty, but if you are working on a topic with a particularly interdisciplinary focus, it may be appropriate for a secondary supervisor or co-supervisor to be enlisted from another LSE Department. In such cases, either the primary supervisor or one co-supervisor will be Department of Media and Communications faculty.

Each doctoral researcher will be assigned a thesis committee consisting of their two supervisors and a senior member of the Department's faculty as chair. This committee will act as the review panel at the end of the first year of registration and in the decision to upgrade a student from MPhil to PhD. The thesis committee also provides feedback on draft chapters submitted at the end of the second year and remains responsible for over-viewing the student's progress in subsequent years

Please see our list of  Academic Staff  to view potential supervisors (please note that LSE Fellows cannot act as doctoral supervisors).

Progression and upgrade requirements

You will initially register for the MPhil and follow a taught programme involving coursework which is formally assessed. Towards the end of your first year, you will submit a 10,000-word research proposal. This paper will include a substantive statement of the aims, theories and methods proposed for the thesis, a tentative chapter outline, an indicative bibliography and a timetable for its completion. Evaluation of this paper, together with an oral examination based on the thesis proposal and the submission of satisfactory coursework, will contribute to assessing whether you are permitted to upgrade from MPhil to PhD and continue into your second year.

You will be assigned a Thesis Committee consisting of your two supervisors and a senior member of the Department's faculty as Chair. This committee will act as the review panel at the end of the first year of registration and in the decision to upgrade you from MPhil to PhD. The Thesis Committee also provides feedback on draft chapters submitted at the end of the second year and remains responsible for overviewing your progress in subsequent years.

All upgraded PhD students must submit an end-of-year reflection document at the end of their second year and each subsequent year in which they are not submitting their thesis.

Student support and resources

We’re here to help and support you throughout your time at LSE, whether you need help with your academic studies, support with your welfare and wellbeing or simply to develop on a personal and professional level.

Whatever your query, big or small, there are a range of people you can speak to who will be happy to help.  

Department librarians   – they will be able to help you navigate the library and maximise its resources during your studies. 

Accommodation service  – they can offer advice on living in halls and offer guidance on private accommodation related queries.

Class teachers and seminar leaders  – they will be able to assist with queries relating to specific courses. 

Disability and Wellbeing Service  – they are experts in long-term health conditions, sensory impairments, mental health and specific learning difficulties. They offer confidential and free services such as  student counselling,  a  peer support scheme  and arranging  exam adjustments.  They run groups and workshops.  

IT help  – support is available 24 hours a day to assist with all your technology queries.   

LSE Faith Centre  – this is home to LSE's diverse religious activities and transformational interfaith leadership programmes, as well as a space for worship, prayer and quiet reflection. It includes Islamic prayer rooms and a main space for worship. It is also a space for wellbeing classes on campus and is open to all students and staff from all faiths and none.   

Language Centre  – the Centre specialises in offering language courses targeted to the needs of students and practitioners in the social sciences. We offer pre-course English for Academic Purposes programmes; English language support during your studies; modern language courses in nine languages; proofreading, translation and document authentication; and language learning community activities.

LSE Careers  ­ – with the help of LSE Careers, you can make the most of the opportunities that London has to offer. Whatever your career plans, LSE Careers will work with you, connecting you to opportunities and experiences from internships and volunteering to networking events and employer and alumni insights. 

LSE Library   –   founded in 1896, the British Library of Political and Economic Science is the major international library of the social sciences. It stays open late, has lots of excellent resources and is a great place to study. As an LSE student, you’ll have access to a number of other academic libraries in Greater London and nationwide. 

LSE LIFE  – this is where you should go to develop skills you’ll use as a student and beyond. The centre runs talks and workshops on skills you’ll find useful in the classroom; offers one-to-one sessions with study advisers who can help you with reading, making notes, writing, research and exam revision; and provides drop-in sessions for academic and personal support. (See ‘Teaching and assessment’). 

LSE Students’ Union (LSESU)  – they offer academic, personal and financial advice and funding.  

PhD Academy   – this is available for PhD students, wherever they are, to take part in interdisciplinary events and other professional development activities and access all the services related to their registration. 

Sardinia House Dental Practice   – this   offers discounted private dental services to LSE students.  

St Philips Medical Centre  – based in Pethwick-Lawrence House, the Centre provides NHS Primary Care services to registered patients.

Student Services Centre  – our staff here can answer general queries and can point you in the direction of other LSE services.  

Student advisers   – we have a  Deputy Head of Student Services (Advice and Policy)  and an  Adviser to Women Students  who can help with academic and pastoral matters.

Student life

As a student at LSE you’ll be based at our central London campus. Find out what our campus and London have to offer you on academic, social and career perspective. 

Student societies and activities

Your time at LSE is not just about studying, there are plenty of ways to get involved in  extracurricular activities . From joining one of over 200 societies, or starting your own society, to volunteering for a local charity, or attending a public lecture by a world-leading figure, there is a lot to choose from. 

The campus 

LSE is based on one  campus  in the centre of London. Despite the busy feel of the surrounding area, many of the streets around campus are pedestrianised, meaning the campus feels like a real community. 

Life in London 

London is an exciting, vibrant and colourful city. It's also an academic city, with more than 400,000 university students. Whatever your interests or appetite you will find something to suit your palate and pocket in this truly international capital. Make the most of career opportunities and social activities, theatre, museums, music and more. 

Want to find out more? Read why we think  London is a fantastic student city , find out about  key sights, places and experiences for new Londoners . Don't fear, London doesn't have to be super expensive: hear about  London on a budget . 

Student stories

Ludmila lupinacci amaral phd researcher porto alegre, brazil.

When I first decided to apply to the Department of Media and Communications, the possibility of meeting, and engaging in intellectually stimulating discussions with renowned international scholars of the field was one of my crucial incentives. As someone who comes from a developing country, the idea of having contact with those who constitute the cornerstone of my academic background – and most of my bibliography! – had been, until then, nothing more than a distant daydream.

I evidently had a personal interest in enjoying the structure of a world-class institution such as LSE, and in the benefits that this experience could potentially bring to my curriculum and prospective career. Nevertheless, the central motivation for my application was my understanding that the Department of Media and Communications maintains a strong focus on the development of a broad set of research skills, both theoretical and methodological. After one year in the doctoral programme, I can confirm my impressions were spot-on. What is distinctive about the Department, I would add, is the interdisciplinary, but always critical, approach it provides and fosters.

Being a PhD student is, at the same time, a challenging, rewarding, stressful, inspiring, and emotionally demanding experience. However, in the Department of Media and Communications, the faculty, the staff, and the colleagues provide a welcoming and encouraging environment for early-stage researchers. I have always heard how doing a PhD can be a lonely and socially isolating process. My experience in this first year of registration, however, shows me that this is, thankfully, not always the case.

View Ludmila's profile .

Richard Stupart PhD Researcher Johannesburg, South Africa

I chose the Department of Media and Communications for my PhD primarily because it contained so many of the world’s leading researchers working on projects connected to the mediation of distant suffering, public action, and humanitarianism. It was an area that had interested me for a while, and LSE turned out to be the perfect home for my project.

The first day at school, as it were, was terrifying – a chance to meet academic heroes and accomplished first-year PhD colleagues from a range of backgrounds. It surprised me how approachable my supervisors, colleagues, and the Department in general was, and the intense reading and discussions of the first year made it one of the most intellectually fulfilling of my life. PhD study has meant developing a new relationship with reading, writing, and argumentation which can be equal parts intense and rewarding, but in moments where I’ve paused from worrying about how much I still don’t know and haven’t read, it’s incredible to see just how far I’ve developed already.

My own research has developed into a project looking at the work of journalists covering conflict and its effects in South Sudan – something perhaps unconventional to most media and communications departments. LSE has been probably the most supportive environment in which to be doing this work, though. The presence of so many colleagues interested in questions of the representation of suffering, journalism in difficult contexts, and postcolonial critiques of many ‘foreign correspondent’ studies has been a constantly valuable resource. Being granted the freedom – and support – to do practical fieldwork in Juba and Malakal in South Sudan really drove home that this was a space in which I really did have the freedom to do the practical work involved in pursuing my project where I needed to.

At the time of writing I am heading into my third year, and there is a great deal of writing and thinking still on the horizon, but I’ve no doubt at all that I’ve found the right academic home in which to be doing it.

  View Richard's profile .

SSu-Han Yu PhD Resaercher Taoyuan, Taiwan

The reason I chose the Department of Media and Communications for my PhD may seem obvious, considering it has been ranked within the top 3 in the QS World University Rankings for Communication and Media Studies for the past three years. Nevertheless, the rankings indicators do not tell the whole story, as faculty in the Department not only excel in conducting research, but are always ready to listen, giving advice and feedback. In particular, I am very impressed by how much care and respect my supervisors have shown not only to my studies, but also to my professional development.

During my studies, I have had access to a large pool of research and teaching opportunities within and beyond the Department, which have allowed me to coordinate with external research institutions, organise international conferences, exhibit research findings, and write for publications. Additionally, I have gained knowledge and experience of engaging graduate students in seminar discussions through my role as classroom assistant.

Most importantly, however, my PhD journey would not have been the same without my peers. Although I expected LSE to attract talented individuals from around the world, I did not foresee that my cohort’s support and their enthusiasm for research and social change would help sustain me during the moments of self-doubt inevitable within the PhD process. The commitment to advancing knowledge and improving the state of the world demonstrated by my peers, faculty, and visiting fellows is as stimulating as the diverse events one can enjoy whilst studying in London.

View Ssu-Han's profile.

Preliminary reading

• Baym N. K. (2010) Personal Connections in the Digital Age, Polity
• Boltanski l. and Chiapello E. (2001) The New Spirit of Capitalism London: Verso
• Carey J. W. (1989) Communication as Culture New York, NY: Routledge
• Chadwick A. (2017) The Hybrid Media System: Politics and Power – 2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press
• Chesher C. Crawford K. and Dunne A. (2014) Understanding the Internet. Language, technology, Media, Power London: MacMillan. Palgrave
• Chouliaraki L. (2013) The Ironic Spectator. Solidarity in the Age of Post-humanitarianism Cambridge: Polity
• Couldry N. (2012) Media, Society, World Cambridge: Polity
• Lievrow A. L. and Livingstone S. (eds.) (2006) The Handbook of New Media (updated edition) London: Sage
• Mansell R. (2012) Imagining the Internet Oxford: OUP
• Papacharissi Z. (2014) Affective Publics. Oxford: OUP
• Rogers R. (2013) Digital Methods Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press
• Wacquant L. and Bourdieu P. (1992) Introduction to Reflexive Sociology Chicago: University of Chicago Press
• Silverstone R. (20060 Media and Morality. On the Rise of Mediapolis Cambridge: Polity

Quick Careers Facts for the Department of Media & Communications

Median salary of our PG students 15 months after graduating: £30,000

Top 5 sectors our students work in:

• Advertising, Marketing, PR, Media, Entertainment, Publishing and Journalism           
• Government, Public Sector and Policy   
• Education, Teaching and Research            
• Consultancy      
• International Organisations

The data was collected as part of the Graduate Outcomes survey, which is administered by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Graduates from 2020-21 were the fourth group to be asked to respond to Graduate Outcomes. Median salaries are calculated for respondents who are paid in UK pounds sterling and who were working in full-time employment.

Students who successfully complete the programme often embark on an academic career. 

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

Support for your career

Many leading organisations give careers presentations at the School during the year, and LSE Careers has a wide range of resources available to assist students in their job search. Find out more about the  support available to students through LSE Careers .

Find out more about LSE

Discover more about being an LSE student - meet us in a city near you, visit our campus or experience LSE from home. 

Experience LSE from home

Webinars, videos, student blogs and student video diaries will help you gain an insight into what it's like to study at LSE for those that aren't able to make it to our campus.  Experience LSE from home . 

Come on a guided campus tour, attend an undergraduate open day, drop into our office or go on a self-guided tour.  Find out about opportunities to visit LSE . 

LSE visits you

Student Marketing, Recruitment and Study Abroad travels throughout the UK and around the world to meet with prospective students. We visit schools, attend education fairs and also hold Destination LSE events: pre-departure events for offer holders.  Find details on LSE's upcoming visits . 

How to apply

Virtual Graduate Open Day

Register your interest

Related programmes, mphil/phd data, networks and society.

Code(s) P3ZN

MPhil/PhD Gender

Code(s) Y2ZG

MSc Media and Communications (Research)

Code(s) P4U6

Request a prospectus

• Name First name Last name
• Address Address Line 1 Address Line 2 City County Postcode Country

Speak to Admissions

Content to be supplied

Search this site

Journalism and communication menu, journalism and communication, communication and media studies phd program, doctoral degree in communication and media studies.

Communication and media are among the most powerful forces shaping the world today. In our Communication and Media Studies PhD program, you’ll work with some of the world’s top media and communication experts to research and contribute to this crucial field. Our school is one of the nation’s oldest accredited schools of journalism and communication, housed within an Association of American Universities R1 research institution.

Request Info

How to Apply

Doctoral Degree in    Communication and Media Studies

Launch a trailblazing career in media research.

In our doctoral program, you’re more than just a student. You’ll work as a co-author, scholar, and teacher and become part of a welcoming and inclusive community influenced by perspectives from across many disciplines and cultures around the world. You’ll also conduct impactful research that contributes to the field and your research portfolio under the guidance of SOJC faculty advisors.

Our faculty are internationally recognized experts in many mass communication and media research topics, including science, health, and environmental communication; technology and society; game studies; global media; critical/cultural approaches to communication; persuasion and media psychology; media and public life; and more.

Apply   » Degree Requirements   » Sample Schedules   » Courses   » Faculty and Staff  » Visit Us   »

Take flight with a Communication and Media Studies Doctoral Degree

Students in our media studies graduate program develop the knowledge, skill, and research portfolios to claim teaching and research posts at top universities and think tanks around the world. But their analytic and research skills set them apart in any field. 

Meet More PhD Alums

Bryce Macher ’13   is a data scientist for Hilton Innovation Lab. →

Sonia De La Cruz ’14   is a professor and documentary filmmaker. →

Erica Ciszek ’14   studies how communication affects understandings of gender. →

Take flight   with a Communication and Media Studies Doctoral Degree

Students in our media studies graduate program develop the knowledge, skill, and research portfolios to claim teaching and research posts at top universities and think tanks around the world. But their analytic and research skills set them apart in any field. A communication and media studies degree offers a solid foundation that can springboard you into academia or a career in media, government, law, or nonprofit work.

Communication and Media Studies PhD Program News

More News   »

Named for renowned journalist Eric W. Allen , who founded the SOJC over 100 years ago, Allen Hall sits at the heart of the verdant University of Oregon campus. During your studies in Eugene, you’ll enjoy expert guidance, hands-on experience with the latest technology, and opportunities for collaboration.

You'll also have access to our state-of-the-art  Experience Hub —part production studio, part research center, part hands-on learning lab—a place where students and faculty collaborate to develop innovative content and examine the media from every angle.

See a Sample PhD Schedule

Study in the Beautiful Pacific Northwest

Fully funded phd.

You bring the intellectual curiosity, we’ll take care of the tuition: Our doctoral candidates are fully funded for four consecutive years*, including health benefits and a stipend. We also offer resources for conducting research that contributes to the field while preparing you for a career in higher education or meaningful work in the public and private sectors.

*Eligibility for continued funding requires maintaining satisfactory academic progress.

Learn More about Funding

Student research

Our doctoral candidates work with internationally renowned SOJC faculty experts to do groundbreaking research on today’s most pressing communication and media realities.

See More Student Work

Meet Our Faculty View All Communication and Media Studies PhD Faculty →

Whitney Phillips     Assistant Professor of Digital Platforms and Ethics

Whitney Phillips uses her research and teaching to help students and consumers of media navigate the potentially treacherous terrain of what she’s coined the “information hellscape.” The modern media landscape is fraught with political biases, implicit messages, and harmful communication, but it is also a powerful tool. So Phillips challenges and inspires her students to incorporate self-care and mindfulness into their media-consumption regimens.

Learn about Whitney’s Research

Seth Lewis     is an expert on the digital transformation of journalism. →

Gabriela Martínez     is a gender studies researcher and award-winning documentary filmmaker. →

Maxwell Foxman     researches how play manifests in nongame contexts. →

Janet Wasko     is an expert in the political economy of media and all things Disney. →

Meet Our Faculty

Whitney Phillips    Assistant Professor of Digital Platforms and Ethics

Seth Lewis    is an expert on the digital transformation of journalism. →

Gabriela Martínez    is a gender studies researcher and award-winning documentary filmmaker. →

Maxwell Foxman    researches how play manifests in nongame contexts. →

Janet Wasko    is an expert in the political economy of media and all things Disney. →

View All Communication and Media Studies PhD Faculty →

Next Steps:

Request more information   Fill out a quick form and our graduate recruiter will be in touch soon!  →

Check out campus   Schedule an in-person tour of Allen Hall or watch our virtual tour video.  →

Start your application   Ready to join us and become a Duck? Get started now.  →

Communication (PhD)

You will acquire the leading-edge theory and research methodologies you need to shape a more ethical and just world. 

Whether you seek a career in academia, the industry, or governmental and non-governmental organizations, you will become a critical educator and researcher of communication through rigorous coursework, independent and collaborative research projects, and teaching opportunities.

You will work side by side with your peers and our distinguished faculty to advance knowledge in the field while creating interdisciplinary solutions to complex societal and organizational problems. At the same time, you will build a professional network of worldwide and lifelong connections with fellow scholars and practitioners.

USC Annenberg’s location at the heart of a top-tier research university and in the dynamic city of Los Angeles provides you with the ideal setting to explore ways to inventively fuse your scholarship and expertise in communication studies with disciplines such as political science, international relations, sociology and information sciences as well as gender, media and popular culture studies.

Program Information

• Learning Objectives
• Research and Teaching
• Areas of Study
• Current Doctoral Students
• Tuition and Financial Aid
• Class Profile

By the numbers

Student and faculty work.

Changing the world through better communication

Former U.S. Navy Blue Angels team member Amber Lynn Scott became interested in studying high-reliability organizations for her dissertation to make a positive impact for military and first responders.

Requiem for a meme

Alexandria Arrieta researches how the intersection of memes and music are having a profound impact on people’s communication and connection across social media.

Making social media a better tool for political activism

With his lifelong interest in politics, Alfonso Hedge realized Annenberg’s doctoral program would be the perfect place to study how grassroots political organizations use social media.

From music to AI

Event promoter and DJ Stephen Yang examines the on-the-ground practices of technologists and media professionals as they reshape the culture of production.

Jermaine Anthony Richards named 2023 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow

The merit-based program provides funding for Richards to explore his research on how transmedia storytelling animates human security politics, security cultures, and political movements.

Exploring identity through social media

Samah Sadig shares her passion for identity, expression and education — and how it all brought her to USC Annenberg.

Work on groundbreaking research with expert faculty

As innovations in information and communication technologies continue at a rapid pace, USC Annenberg remains at the forefront of efforts to explore these social, cultural, rhetorical and organizational processes. You will work and collaborate with fellow doctoral students, our world-class faculty, and industry and public/private sector professionals to advance research and insights across a wide range of interdisciplinary areas of study. You will also have the opportunity to lead research endeavors that impact scholarship and practice across the contemporary communications landscape.

Explore the research of USC Annenberg faculty and students. View the areas of study available to our PhD students.

Get to know your fellow students

The communication doctorate program enrolls students from diverse backgrounds, nationalities and educational experiences. Connect with fellow students by viewing their profiles and get to know USC Annenberg through their eyes.

Communication (PhD) faculty

• SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION

PhD in Communication Studies - Northwestern University School of Communication

The Doctor of Philosophy in Rhetoric, Media, and Publics is replacing the PhD in Communication Studies (Rhetoric and Public Culture). Rhetoric, Media, and Publics is an interschool program between the School of Communication, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, and the Medill School of Journalism, Media & Integrated Marketing Communications; and it is based in the School of Communication.

The Rhetoric, Media, and Publics PhD program, grounded in the humanistic tradition of rhetoric, asks the fundamental question of how people influence, reflect, and transform society through mediated practices. Students learn to analyze the production and circulation of meaning in a range of rhetorical and journalistic texts, practices, and institutions through varied modes of qualitative inquiry, and to engage audiences and communities directly in the production of knowledge. The stakes of this inquiry are profoundly social and political as well as formal and aesthetic. The program teaches students to approach public media as sites for political contestation, for the representation and interrogation of ethics and power, and for imagining personhood and collective life.

Graduate Programs

Modern culture and media.

The Ph.D. program prepares students to engage in rigorous and innovative scholarship and teaching in the theory, history and critical analysis of one or more media in ways that encompass diverse cultural contexts and historical periods.

The Department of Modern Culture and Media is committed to the study of media in the context of a broader examination of cultural, social, and political formations. Modernity is understood as intimately interwoven with technical modes of production and reproduction. Those in the department study: print, insofar as it is connected to mass dissemination; photography; sound recording; cinema; video; television; and digital media. We examine media not in the narrow sense, but as immanent to the phenomena they produce and record.

Plans of study are individualized according to students' interests. Students may emphasize the scholarship of one medium or of several media and their interrelationships, but coursework and exams will also include a component in textual, cultural, and/or social theory. This combination enhances both disciplinary depth and interdisciplinary flexibility.

Additional Resources

The Malcolm S. Forbes Center for Research in Culture and Media Studies supports a range of activities, including public events (e.g., film festivals on contemporary French and Francophone cinemas, Turkish diaspora cinema in Germany, and African–Africana cinemas, and digital performance events) and scholarly conferences (e.g., on television and nationality, modernism and modernity, the archaeology of digital multimedia, and Walter Benjamin's Arcades Project). The Brown Film Archives is a pedagogical and research collection of film and video material in a variety of formats, including approximately 800 16mm film prints. The Department has a history of collaboration with other University units, such as the departments of Africana Studies, American Civilization, Comparative Literature, English, and History of Art and Architecture; the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women; etc.

Application Information

Application requirements, gre subject:.

Not required

GRE General:

Writing sample:, dates/deadlines, application deadline, completion requirements.

A minimum of 13 courses, including at least one seminar offered by the department in each of the following three areas: theory (of textuality, subjectivity, culture, the social, and/or a specific medium in relation to any of these), textual analysis (addressing a single medium or genre conceived as a textual object, a mode of cultural production, or a form), and historical/cultural locations (how the production, circulation, and reception of media forms operate in specific social contexts, periods, geocultural sites, and/or communities). Additional requirements include one foreign language, at least two years of teaching experience while in the program, a qualifying review after eight courses, an oral preliminary exam after completion of coursework, and a dissertation. The preliminary exam will be in three areas: the history and theory of a medium, an area of modern cultural theory, and an elective field.

Alumni Careers

Contact and Location

Department of modern culture and media, mailing address.

• Program Faculty
• Program Handbook
• Graduate School Handbook

• Graduate Studies

Ph.D. in Media and Communication

Our doctoral program in Chapel Hill prepares students to lead in the academy and industry.

• Cost & Funding

We offer a close-knit community where students learn, develop as scholars and collaborate with faculty advisers and mentors.

You’ll learn cutting-edge research methods and acquire a deep understanding of communication theory to help you develop a research program that fits your interests. Our graduates are training the next generation of scholars, improving public health, strengthening democracy and helping leading organizations across the world innovate in a changing media environment.

Numbers of Distinction

AEJMC Nafziger-White-Salwen Dissertation Awards since 1984: No other program comes close.

New graduates in the last five years who have become assistant professors or postdoctoral fellows, with 61% of those assistant professors at Carnegie R1 institutions

Value, over three years, of a Park Fellowship

One-year expenditures for externally sponsored research

Online info session: Ph.D. in Media and Communication

November 6, 2023.

Sign up to attend an online info session about our doctoral program. Hear from program director Shannon McGregor and ask questions about the admissions process.

A network of support, at Carolina and beyond

As she completed her master's at the Hussman School, Kyla Garrett Wagner wasn't sure whether she'd stay in Chapel Hill for her doctorate. She applied to eight other programs but decided to stay where she felt her ideas were most supported. "While it is a competitive school and one of the best schools, we're not competitive with one another on the inside," she says. "We all can work together, and that's an incredible feeling."

Why Carolina?

• Get access to world-class resources on campus and a worldwide network of more than 16,000 UNC Hussman alumni.
• Chapel Hill and the Research Triangle region are home to college-town charm, abundant culture and high-tech industry.

Learn about the Hussman School

Our vibrant and collaborative interdisciplinary research culture creates new knowledge, advances scholarship and helps reinvent media.

Explore our research

The Roy H. Park Fellowships are among the most generous among media and journalism programs nationwide, providing top UNC Hussman doctoral applicants the financial support necessary for the students to focus on their academic and professional development.

Complete this form, and we’ll send you more information and program updates.

Or contact the Graduate Studies team at [email protected] or (919) 843-8307.

Student and Faculty Research

PhD in Emerging Media Studies

New media poses challenges for society and complexities for researchers. Are you ready to tackle both?

Academic Bulletin

• Degree Requirements
• Request Info

The Boston University PhD program in Emerging Media Studies is the nation’s first doctorate program in emerging media and its critical, daily role in modern life.

COM’s unique program prepares its doctoral students to become sophisticated researchers and critical thinkers who are ready to advance the fields of communication, sociological, and media leadership. Designed for students with a master’s degree, this program helps candidates gain a comprehensive understanding of the role of emerging media in society and organizations and hone their research skills through independent, innovative, and mentored research.

Recent and upcoming dissertation topics address a wide array of topics, such as social perceptions of robots, the effects of television binge-watching, and media framing of direct-to-consumer genetic testing.

Meet COM’s First Doctoral Recipient, Sarah Krongard

It seems there’s always something to celebrate at COM, and the 2019 fall semester marked one particularly noteworthy achievement — PhD…

Learning and Teaching

EMS graduate students are taught and mentored by some of the leading researchers and thinkers in the field.  The faculty make full use of the most advanced theories and methods to examine communication phenomena — from social media, streaming content, and AR/VR to Big Data and AI. Under their guidance, students learn how to conduct and analyze social science research concerning all types of emerging media. 

 As a doctoral student, you’ll serve as a teaching fellow while enrolled in the program. On average, you should expect to serve as a teaching fellow a minimum of two times during the program.

Resources for Research 

COM graduate students get ready for careers by rolling up their sleeves for hands-on research.

All Emerging Media Studies students contribute to COM’s annual #ScreentimeBU conference, an opportunity to present their research in the field of digital communication and society as well as exchange their views with peers and field leaders concerning important contemporary issues. By showcasing the fruits of your research, you’ll share their ideas with the general public and industry leaders. Additionally, the conference provides an opportunity for you to develop your public communication capabilities and receive input from industry experts in a professional setting.

CENTER FOR MOBILE Communication Studies

Laptops, smart phones, and tablets have been transformed from novelties to necessities. But we’re only beginning to understand how they have transformed us.

EMS students also take advantage of research opportunities at COM’s Communication Research Center , COM’s primary research hub, and the state of-the-art technology offered at the Zimmerman Family Social Activation Center, that puts in-depth social media analytics at your fingertips.

Funding Support

Because the doctoral program is immersive and requires full-time participation for a number of years, all PhD students in Emerging Media Studies are funded for the duration of their study, up to a maximum of five years. Funding includes a full tuition scholarship, health insurance credit, and stipend in return for teaching and research obligations. Students with their own funding for the program (through the Fulbright Commission, government funding or other source) will still be required to serve as a teaching fellow for at least one semester. Compensation will be provided.

Benefit from Boston

One of BU’s greatest resources is its location. Consistently ranked among the most livable cities in the world, Boston is “America’s college town,” a city rich in history while remaining on the forefront of culture and innovation. Boston is a Top 10 U.S. media market, and home to some of the world’s best creative agencies, media companies and leading employers — offering boundless opportunities for internships and careers.

More than 80%

of our graduate students receive scholarships.

Purpose Driven

COM stands out from our peers. Our faculty offers a mix of researchers and practitioners who endorse a cross-discipline, hands-on approach to learning. Our location lies at the heart of an electric, media-savvy city.

But it may be COM’s shared values that matter most. We believe that communication requires diversity, critical thinking, and creative expression. We believe that communication must be grounded in truth, authenticity, effectiveness, and purpose. We believe that communication builds understanding among people and across society.

Emerging Media Research

The social contagion potential of pro-vaccine messages on black twitter.

Black Americans in the US not only suffered from disproportionately high hospitalization and death rates throughout the pandemic but also…

Excitation Transfer Across Displays of Different Immersive Quality

Full Title: Excitation Transfer Across Displays of Different Immersive Quality: Investigating the Temporal Dynamics of Intra-Stimulus Arousal Escalation and Decay.…

The Power of Personal Ontologies: Individual Traits Prevail Over Robot Traits…

This study examines facets of robot humanization, defined as how people think of robots as social and human-like entities through…

Effects of Congruity on the State of User Presence in Virtual…

The present study investigates how the user state of presence is affected by contingencies in the design of virtual environments.…

Meet the Emerging Media Faculty

Chris Chao Su

Assistant professor, emerging media studies.

Chris Wells

Associate professor, emerging media studies.

Daniel Park

Visiting assistant professor, emerging media studies.

Feld Professor of Emerging Media

James Cummings

Kelsey Prena

Emerging media news, com’s new dalton professor knows disinformation from personal experience.

When Robots Deliver the News

Joan Donovan, Nationally Recognized Expert in Misinformation and Disinformation, Joins COM Faculty

Emerging Media Studies

• SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION

The PhD in Media, Technology, and Society (MTS) program is an innovative, interdisciplinary, and flexible curriculum focusing on the dynamic media and technology environment and its impact. The program encourages students to pursue their passion by designing individualized programs of study that incorporate relevant classes from across Northwestern University. The program faculty are internationally renowned for their research in areas such as:

• Children’s development
• Digital media use and effects
• Health and well-being
• Human-computer interaction
• Innovation and change
• Media institutions
• Networks and organizing
• Social media

The MTS faculty undertake research in these areas using a wide array of traditional and innovative research methods. In addition, they actively pursue opportunities to make positive economic, cultural, and social impact through their research in businesses, nonprofit, and government agencies.

Cookies on our website

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use our site. And we'd like to serve you some cookies set by other services to show you relevant content.

Media and Communications PhD

Key information.

• 8th  in the UK for our   research outputs in Communications, Cultural and Media Studies in  REF 2021   (Times Higher Education)
• =16th  in the UK for Communications and Media Studies   (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023)
• 17th  in the UK for Communications and Media Studies   (Complete University Guide 2024)

Explore how media figures in everyday life, politics and culture. You’ll work with expert faculty guiding and supervising you throughout your research project. You’ll join an active research culture engaged in rigorous critical and historical studies of a wide range of media cultures.

Areas of study

We particularly welcome research proposals in areas such as:

• social and cultural analysis of media forms, institutions and practices
• media representation and media audiences
• advertising and consumption
• feminist, queer and activist media studies
• media histories and theories
• visual, audiovisual and sound cultures.

Projects can be co-supervised with faculty in other subject areas as appropriate.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities described in this prospectus. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to government or regulatory requirements, or unanticipated staff changes, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.

Masters and P h D events

Meet us on campus or online

Book your place

Entry requirements

• UK requirements
• International requirements

Please select your country from the list.

Philippines

Saudi arabia, south africa, south korea, switzerland, united arab emirates, my country is not listed.

If your country is not listed, you need to contact us and find out the qualification level you should have for this course. Contact us

English language requirements

Ielts (academic).

High level (6.5 overall, including at least 6.0 in each component).

IELTS scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course.  Find out more about IELTS

We accept IELTS One Skills Retake.

We do not accept IELTS Online.

Check full details of our English Language requirements and find out more about some of the alternative English language qualifications listed below

Alternative English language qualifications

Proficiency tests, cambridge advanced certificate in english (cae).

169 overall, including at least 162 in each skill.

We would normally expect the CAE test to have been taken within two years before the start of your course.

You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Find out more about Cambridge English: Advanced

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)

We would normally expect the CPE test to have been taken within two years before the start of your course.

You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Find out more about Cambridge English: Proficiency

LanguageCert International ESOL SELT

High level (International ESOL SELT B2 with a minimum of 39 in each component)

LanguageCert International ESOL scores are valid for two years from the test date. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course. Find out more about LanguageCert SELT

We only accept LanguageCert when taken at SELT Test Centres. We do not accept the online version.

Pearson PTE Academic

High level (62 overall, including at least 59 in all four skills)

PTE (Academic) scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course. Find out more about Pearson (PTE Academic)

We do not accept the PTE Academic Online test.

TOEFL (iBT)

High level 88 overall, including at least 20 Listening, 19 in Reading, 21 in Speaking, 23 in Writing.

TOEFL (iBT) scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course. Find out more about TOEFL (iBT)

We do not accept TOEFL (iBT) Home Edition.

The TOEFL Institution Code for the University of Sussex is 9166.

English language qualifications

As/a-level (gce).

Grade C or above in English Language.

Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE)/ AS or A Level: grade C or above in Use of English.

GCE O-level

Grade C or above in English.

Brunei/Cambridge GCE O-level in English: grades 1-6.

Singapore/Cambridge GCE O-level in English: grades 1-6.

GCSE or IGCSE

Grade C or above in English as a First Language (Grade 4 or above in GCSE from 2017).

Grade B or above in English as a Second Language.

Ghana Senior Secondary School Certificate

If awarded before 1993: grades 1-6 in English language.

If awarded between 1993 and 2005: grades A-D in English language.

Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE)

 Level 4, including at least 3 in each component in English Language.

Indian School Certificate (Standard XII)

The Indian School Certificate is accepted at the grades below when awarded by the following examination boards:

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) – English Core only: 70%

Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) - English: 70% 

International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)

English A or English B at grade 5 or above.

Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education

Grades A - C in English language

Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) 1119/GCE O-level

If taken before the end of 2008: grades 1-6 in English Language.

If taken from 2009 onwards: grade C or above in English Language.

The qualification must be jointly awarded by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES).

West African Senior School Certificate

Grades A1-C6 (1-6) in English language when awarded by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) or the National Examinations Council (NECO).

Country exceptions

Select to see the list of exempt english-speaking countries.

If you are a national of one of the countries below, or if you have recently completed a qualification equivalent to a UK Bachelors degree or higher in one of these countries, you will normally meet our English requirement. Note that qualifications obtained by distance learning or awarded by studying outside these countries cannot be accepted for English language purposes.

You will normally be expected to have completed the qualification within two years before starting your course at Sussex. If the qualification was obtained earlier than this, we would expect you to be able to demonstrate that you have maintained a good level of English, for example by living in an English-speaking country or working in an occupation that required you to use English regularly and to a high level.

Please note that this list is determined by the UK’s Home Office, not by the University of Sussex.

List of exempt countries: 

• Antigua and Barbuda
• New Zealand
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• The British Overseas Territories
• Trinidad and Tobago
• United Kingdom

** Canada: you must be a national of Canada; other nationals not on this list who have a degree from a Canadian institution will not normally be exempt from needing to provide evidence of English.

English language support

If you don’t meet the English language requirements for your degree, you may be able to take a pre-sessional course

• Visas and immigration

Admissions information for applicants

If your qualifications aren’t listed or you have a question about entry requirements, contact us

• How to apply

If you’d like to join us as a research student, there are two main routes:

• browse funded projects in this subject area
• browse our potential supervisors and propose your own research project.

Find out how to apply for a PhD at Sussex

Full-time and part-time study

Choose to work on your research full time or part time, to fit around your work and personal life. For details  about part-time study,  contact us at  [email protected]

PhD or MPhil?

You can choose to study for a PhD or an MPhil. PhD and MPhil degrees differ in duration and in the extent of your research work.

• For a PhD, your research work makes a substantial original contribution to knowledge or understanding in your chosen field.
• For an MPhil, your work is an independent piece of research but in less depth than for a PhD. You’ll graduate with the degree title Master of Philosophy. You might be able to change to a PhD while you study for an MPhil.

Our supervisors

Explore our research interests and find potential supervisors.

Prof David Berry

Professor of Digital Humanities

[email protected]

View profile of David Berry

Prof Michael Bull

Professor Of Sound Studies

[email protected]

View profile of Michael Bull

Dr Sally Xiaojin Chen

Senior Lecturer

[email protected]

View profile of Sally Xiaojin Chen

Prof Ivor Gaber

Professor of Political Journalism

[email protected]

View profile of Ivor Gaber

Prof Ben Highmore

Professor of Cultural Studies

[email protected]

View profile of Ben Highmore

Dr Malcolm James

Senior Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies

[email protected]

View profile of Malcolm James

Prof Kate Lacey

Professor of Media History & Theory

[email protected]

View profile of Kate Lacey

Dr Eleftheria Lekakis

Senior Lecturer In Media & Communication

[email protected]

View profile of Eleftheria Lekakis

Prof Sarah Maltby

Professor of Media & Communication

[email protected]

View profile of Sarah Maltby

Dr Monika Metykova

Senior Lecturer in Media Communications/Journalism Studies

[email protected]

View profile of Monika Metykova

Prof Kate O'Riordan

Pro Vice Chancellor for Education and Students

[email protected]

View profile of Kate O'Riordan

Prof Pollyanna Ruiz

Professor of Media and Cultural Studies Studies

[email protected]

View profile of Pollyanna Ruiz

Dr Alban Webb

Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies

[email protected]

View profile of Alban Webb

Dr Cecile CHEVALIER

Senior Lecturer in Media Practice

[email protected]

View profile of Cecile CHEVALIER

Dr Katherine Farrimond

[email protected]

View profile of Katherine Farrimond

Dr Beatrice Fazi

Reader in Digital Humanities

[email protected]

View profile of Beatrice Fazi

Prof Margaretta Jolly

[email protected]

View profile of Margaretta Jolly

Dr Niall Richardson

[email protected]

View profile of Niall Richardson

Funding and fees

How can i fund my course, funded projects and scholarships.

Our aim is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to despite financial barriers, so that we continue to attract talented and unique individuals. Don’t miss out on scholarships – check the specific application deadlines for funding opportunities. Note that funded projects aren’t available for all our PhDs.

Arts and Humanities PhD studentships available from the CHASE Doctoral Training Partnership

Find out more

£3,000 scholarships available to environmental influencers bringing about real-world behaviour change

£800 scholarship available to reward talented organ player studying on any course at Sussex.

5 scholarships of £800 are available to reward talented musicians studying on any course at Sussex

Cash scholarships available for students who have demonstrated sporting excellence

University of Sussex Stuart Hall Doctoral Scholarship

Up to 10 scholarships for outstanding PhD students holding China Scholarship Council awards

Applying for USA Federal Student Aid?

If any part of your funding, at any time, is through USA federal Direct Loan funds, you will be registered on a separate version of this degree which does not include the possibility of distance learning which is prohibited under USA federal regulations. Find out more about American Student Loans and Federal Student Aid .

Part-time work

We advertise around 2,500 part-time jobs a year so you can make money and gain work experience. We have a special scheme to employ students on campus, wherever possible.

Find out more about careers and employability

How much does it cost?

Fees for self-funding students.

Home students: £4,786 per year for full-time students

Channel Islands and Isle of Man students: £4,786 per year for full-time students

International students: £21,500 per year for full-time students

Home PhD student fees are set at the level recommended by United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) annually, rising in line with inflation. Overseas fees are subject to an annual increase - see details on our tuition fees page

Additional costs

Note about additional costs.

Please note that all costs are best estimates based on current market values. Activities may be subject to unavoidable change in response to Government advice. We’ll let you know at the earliest opportunity. We review estimates every year and they may vary with inflation. Find out how to budget for student life .

Empirical research costs

On top of your PhD fees and living costs, you may also need to cover some research and training costs, relevant to your research project. These costs will depend on your research topic and training needs, but may include: - travel (to archives, collections or scientific facilities) - a laptop - overseas fieldwork costs (travel and accommodation, and language training) - conference costs (travel, registration fees and accommodation) - laboratory consumables and workshop materials - participant costs - transcription or translation costs - open-access publication costs. If you have a scholarship from one of the UK Research Councils, your scholarship should cover these types of costs. You'll receive details of how to claim this additional funding. If you're self funded, or if your scholarship doesn’t cover these costs, check with the Research and Enterprise Co-ordinator in your School for details of School or Doctoral School funding that may be available.

• Living costs

Find out typical living costs for studying at Sussex

Find out about our terms and conditions

Explore our campus

Experience Sussex life in our virtual tour.

Start your virtual tour

PhD Information Sessions

Visit campus and chat to staff and students. Book your place

Online PhD Sessions

Join a live webchat. Book your place

International

Meet us in your country

Course enquiries

+44 (0)1273 876787

Send us a message

Admissions enquiries

If you haven’t applied yet:

+44 (0)1273 678001 mah-pgr@​sussex.ac.uk

Find out about the School of Media, Arts and Humanities

After you’ve applied:

+44 (0)1273 877773 [email protected]

Find out how to apply

Quick links

• Guide to PhD study
• PhD support
• Academic facilities
• Open Days and events
• Accommodation
• International students
• Student life
• Order a printed prospectus

What do you want to do next?

• Courses Browse our courses by subject area
• Sussex Life Find out about life at Sussex
• Visit Come to a PhD Open Evening
• Apply Find out how to apply

Culture, Communication and Media MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

The MPhil/PhD programme provides a route for you carry out a piece of research that will make a distinctive contribution to knowledge in the fields of education, culture and communication. You will work closely with your supervisor(s) to develop your project, supported by a flexible programme of methodology courses and a strong research community of staff and doctoral students. This programme is available to study both face-to-face and online.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, applications accepted.

• Entry requirements

The normal minimum requirement is a Master’s degree from a UK university in a subject appropriate to the programme to be followed, or a qualification of equivalent standard appropriate to the programme to be followed awarded by a university (or educational institution of university rank) outside the UK. The majority of our successful applicants hold a Merit at Master’s level, and may have additional relevant experience.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The Department of Culture, Communication and Media has innovative, research-active staff able to supervise postgraduate research in the following areas: applied linguistics; TESOL; art, design and museology; music education; English education, social semiotics and multimodality; media education; learning with digital technologies; teacher professional development; and psychosocial studies. We have seven research centres: The Centre for Applied Linguistics, The Academic Writing Centre, The Confucius Institute for Schools, The International Centre for Intercultural Studies, Digital Arts Research in Education, The Centre for Multimodal Research and the UCL Knowledge Lab.

Who this course is for

The MPhil/PhD is for applicants with a strong interest in an aspect of educational and social research, which may be understood broadly across the life course, in relation to other subject areas and wider social, economic, political and cultural changes. You should normally have completed an MA to merit level and want to develop a specific area of research. You may have a background in education or a cognate area of study. It is suitable for both recent graduates and those progressed in a career.

What this course will give you

IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society is a world-leading centre for research in education and related social science. We host the UK's largest doctoral cohort in these areas. In the QS World University Rankings by Subject (2023), the Institute was ranked first for education for the tenth year running, ahead of Harvard, Stanford, Oxford and Cambridge. In the UK's recent Research Excellence Framework (2021), we were ranked first for research strength and research power in Education, according to the Elsevier REF 2021 Results Analysis Tool. We attract extensive research funding each year and host many prestigious research centres and projects.

Doctoral students at IOE have access to the wider UCL community as well as the education cluster constituting the ESRC  UBEL Doctoral Training Partnership . The Institute's programme has been designed to provide comprehensive and broadly based research training and to meet the requirements of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the UK Researcher Development Framework.

Students work closely with their supervisor(s) to develop each stage of research; supervisors also help put together a programme of additional courses and activities to support progress towards completion of the final thesis.

The foundation of your career

Students will develop general and specialist skills in research methodology, academic writing and presentation, as well as gaining experience of engaging with a wide range of practitioners across different sectors of education.

UCL’s commitment clearly supports research like mine through bespoke, untested and uncommon approaches. This luxury is something not lost on me - it motivates me each and every day. David Ruttenberg Culture, Communication and Media MPhil/PhD Q&A with David Ruttenberg

Employability

IOE doctoral graduates in the Department of Culture, Communication and Media progress to careers in university teaching, educational research, policy and curriculum development, as well as creative arts education.

The Department of Culture, Communication and Media has a wide range of research seminars, where students can join discussion of our ongoing projects, as well as being the base for national and international conferences. There are also opportunities to work with education practitioners and organisations beyond IOE. The Centre for Doctoral Education holds two annual conferences for IOE doctoral students; and there are opportunities for students to offer specialist reading groups and workshops and to act as facilitators on courses within the research training programme.

Teaching and learning

In addition to UCL's Doctoral Skills Development Programme, IOE's Centre for Doctoral Education provides a comprehensive Research Training Programme.

The Core Courses aim to meets the needs of early stage doctoral students.

There is also a wide range of introductory, advanced methods, advanced theoretical, and generic academic skills courses, as well as student-led workshops and reading groups.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) consists of a piece of supervised research, normally undertaken over a period of three years full-time or five years part-time. Assessment is by means of a thesis, which should demonstrate your capacity to pursue original research based upon a good understanding of the research techniques and concepts appropriate to the discipline. It must also represent a distinct and significant contribution to the subject, whether through the discovery of new knowledge, the connection of previously unrelated facts, the development of new theory, or the revision of older views. It should reflect the exercise of critical judgement with regard to both your own work and that of other scholars in the field.

For those who decide not to pursue the full PhD, or are unable to do so, the degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) consists of a piece of supervised research, normally undertaken over a period of three years full-time or five years part-time. Assessment is by means of a thesis, which should represent a contribution to the subject, either through a record of your original work or a critical and ordered exposition of existing knowledge.

You must ensure you have adequate time to devote to this research, at least six hours a day (2-3 days a week part time).

Research areas and structure

• Applied linguistics: bilingualism and multilingualism; neoliberal ideology and language teaching; materials analysis; English as a global language; language learning and identity; language teacher identity; language education, gender and sexuality; critical discourse analysis; second language acquisition; language testing; translanguaging; ethnography
• Art, design and museology: artists in sites of learning, curatorial practices and the shaping of knowledge in galleries and museums, artists interventions in educational contexts; visual culture
• Music education: musical development, the psychology of music, singing and voice science, music in special education, music ideology, gender and music, the sociology and philosophy of music, informal and popular music education, the wider benefits of music
• English education, social semiotics and multimodality: teacher identities; literature in urban classroom; social and digital literacy practices; identity, subject knowledge and communication; visual methodologies; subject knowledge and policy
• Media education: the moving image and video games; young people’s production of digital animation, film and computer games; online communities, virtual worlds, play and film
• Learning with digital technologies: software interventions to support learners with disabilities; the development of adaptive technologies; learner modelling; virtual learning environments; methods for analysing the effectiveness of interactive learning environments; technology mediated knowledge in the curriculum
• Psychosocial studies: reflexivity; psychoanalytically informed approaches to educational research; knowledge practices in the humanities and social sciences; unconscious aspects of learning, professional practice and research; post-structural theories of gender and subjectivity

Further details of staff research and publications are available on the department website.

Research environment

As a research student in the Department of Culture, Communication and Media, you can participate in the seminars organised by department research centres or according to interest groups.

Since October 2014, we have also – in addition to the campus-based mode - offered the option to study online in a distance-learning mode. Choosing the distance-learning mode means that there are no residency requirements and it is not necessary to attend during doctoral study, the viva examination take place in-person at UCL or online. However, you are welcome to visit and use campus facilities including the library, attend seminars etc. In the first year of full-time study (and first two years of part-time study), distance learners take a series of compulsory research methods modules that are studied online. This typically involves provision of materials (articles, eBooks, videos etc.), forums to facilitate discussion of various tasks, and synchronous sessions to discuss the activities. Alongside these you will work with your supervisors on your research (e.g., using Teams/Zoom and email). In addition, there are other resources and training opportunities to support distance-learning students, e.g., sessions to develop generic skills.

The length of registration for the research degree programmes is 3 years for full-time.

You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transfer to PhD after successful completion of an upgrade viva 9-18 months after initial registration.

IOE Centre for Doctoral Education provides an extensive Research Training Programme. A mandatory core course is provided that aims to meet the needs of early-stage doctoral students. There is also a wide range of introductory, advanced methods, advanced theoretical, and generic non-credit bearing academic skills courses, as well as student led workshops and reading groups which you can attend.

Full-time MPhil/PhD students are required to fulfil minimum 20 ‘points’ of training activity in their first year, and are encouraged to fulfil the same in their subsequent years of study. This training can be selected from the UCL Doctoral Skills Development Programme, IOE faculty’s Research Training Programme, the multi-institutional Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network, and from other sources. Each point is worth approximately a half-day of face-to-face training, or an online equivalent. Other activities such as attending and presenting at conferences also count towards research training. Students may undertake additional training beyond these minima, as relevant to their research and/or as agreed with their supervisors.

You are expected to upgrade from MPhil to PhD status towards the end of your first year of study if full-time. Students whose performance is satisfactory will transfer from MPhil to PhD status.

Processes aimed at assisting you during your course of study include the Research Student Log (an online project management tool), and periodic reviews of students’ progress.

Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration you may, if necessary, register as a register as a completing research status (CRS) student while you finish writing your thesis.

The length of registration for the research degree programmes is 5 years for part-time.

Part-time students are required to fulfil minimum 12 ‘points’ of training activity in each year of study. This training can be selected from the UCL Doctoral Skills Development Programme, IOE faculty’s Research Training Programme, the multi-institutional Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network, and from other sources. Each point is worth approximately a half-day of face-to-face training, or an online equivalent.  Other activities such as attending and presenting at conferences also count towards research training. Students may undertake additional training beyond these minima, as relevant to their research and/or as agreed with their supervisors.

You are expected to upgrade from MPhil to PhD status at around 18 months if part-time. Students whose performance is satisfactory will transfer from MPhil to PhD status.

Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration you may, if necessary, register as a completing research status (CRS) student while you finish writing your thesis.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team .

Where you'll study

The Department of Culture, Communication and Media is committed to excellence in research and teaching in the areas of Art, Design and Museology, Academic writing, English education, Applied Linguistics, Music Education, Learning with Digital Technologies and teacher professional development.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees .

Additional costs

Students should take into account any travel, accommodation and expenses involved in their thesis.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs .

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding webpage: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships/funding-students-postgraduate-research-courses

UCL's Research Excellence Scholarships (RES) are available annually to prospective and existing UCL research students from any country: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships/research-excellence-scholarship . The UCL, Bloomsbury and East London Doctoral Training Partnership offers studentships annually. More information is found here: https://ubel-dtp.ac.uk/

UBEL, RES and other funding programmes are not available to online and non-resident students.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website .

After choosing a programme to apply for, you should develop a research proposal and identify a potential supervisor. For more information, visit our website to find a supervisor and get in touch with departmental graduate tutors.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2024-2025

Year of entry: 2023-2024, got questions get in touch.

Culture, Communication and Media

[email protected]

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students .

Prospective Students Graduate

• Graduate degrees
• Taught degrees
• Taught Degrees
• Applying for Graduate Taught Study at UCL
• Research degrees
• Research Degrees
• Funded Research Opportunities
• Doctoral School
• Funded Doctoral Training Programmes
• Applying for Graduate Research Study at UCL
• Teacher training
• Teacher Training
• Early Years PGCE programmes
• Primary PGCE programmes
• Secondary PGCE programmes
• Further Education PGCE programme
• How to apply
• The IOE approach
• Teacher training in the heart of London
• Why choose UCL?
• Entrepreneurship
• Inspiring facilities and resources
• Careers and employability
• Your global alumni community
• Your wellbeing
• Postgraduate Students' Association
• Your life in London
• Accommodation

Graduate School

• Make a Gift

Home » Media Communication (Ph.D.)

Media Communication (Ph.D.)

The ever-changing world of new communication technologies has a profound impact on individual behavior, organizations, and society. As these technologies evolve, it is important to understand their influence on the different levels of society.

Colorado State University’s Department of Journalism and Media Communication is committed to developing communication professionals and communication scholars who can address such communication-related societal issues across a variety of situations.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Media Communication

Areas of study.

• Communication management
• Computer-mediated communication
• Health, environmental, science, or technical communication
• Human behavior and communication technology
• New communication technologies
• Organizations and communication technology
• Print and broadcast journalism
• Public relations and strategic communication
• Social policy and communication technology
• Contact your department representative or request more program information .
• Check out department requirements and resources from your department’s website.
• When you’re ready to take the leap, start your application .

Western Regional Graduate Program

As an eligible resident of a Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) member state or territory, you may be admitted to the on-campus format of this program, yet pay resident tuition rates. Only on-campus formats are WRGP eligible.  Visit our WRGP webpage to learn about eligibility and the application process.

Requirements

Coursework, credit requirements, and more information is available in the Colorado State University general catalog . Please contact your department representative with program-related questions.

Student Employment

Graduate students interested in employment positions (GTA, GRA, GSA appointments and hourly positions) should contact their advisor and their departmental graduate coordinator for the process to apply.

Financial Aid

• Financial aid resources available through the Office of Financial Aid website.
• Your department may have financial aid options available and please check our financial resource section for additional opportunities.

• Resources    
• Prospective Students
• Current Students
• Faculty & Staff
• Alumni & Friends
• News & Media

Media and Communication Studies, PhD

Advance Your Career with a Doctorate in Media and Communication Studies

If you want to be a difference-maker in the world of media and communication, the PhD in Media and Communication Studies program at IUP can help you get there.

With a unique dual emphasis on theory and practice, this is not your average doctorate. At IUP, you’ll gain both theoretical knowledge and practical, hands-on experience.

What You’ll Learn

Unlike other PhD programs, IUP will put you right in the middle of advanced research and technology, and production. You’ll study communication theory, quantitative and qualitative research, and content creation.

You'll graduate with the strategy and implementation skills you need to advance your career.

• Conduct original research in the communication field.
• Develop emerging technologies.
• Develop online media productions.
• Evaluate media ethics and how ethics apply to communications campaigns.
• Master production hardware and editing platforms to create video, audio, and digital imagery.
• Optimize media for education.
• Plan budgets and scripted media productions.
• Refine your abilities as a strategist and apply media to instructional and persuasive goals.

Imagine Your Future

With a mastery of media research, theory, and production, you’ll be well-prepared for a range of careers in an ever-evolving media landscape, including:

• Corporate communications and training
• Full professorship at the university level
• Health and political communications
• Higher education administration
• Media production and management

Classes and Requirements

The PhD in Media and Communication Studies program requires a minimum of 60 credit hours beyond a master’s degree: 48 credits of coursework and 12 credits of dissertation work. You’ll develop a planned program of study with support from your advisor and the doctoral coordinator.

Take required and elective courses in three areas.

• Media Processes and Production : Broaden your media development skills while working on exploring new media formats and applications.
• Media Research and Teaching : Gain the tools for designing data-gathering activities, analyzing data, interpreting existing research, and synthesizing information into useful answers and productive new questions.
• Media Uses and Effects : Engage theoretical literature and critically analyze the interrelationship between media and culture.

Full Academic Catalog Listing

The course catalog is the official reference for all our degree and course offerings. Check it out for a full listing of the classes available and requirements for this degree.

Flexibility: Choose a Full- or Part-time Format

IUP's PhD in Media and Communication Studies program is, in a word, supportive. With a mix of options designed to accommodate both full- and part-time students, the program's flexibility allows you to pursue the degree without putting your career on hold. The program is offered in a weekend-based format, with class meetings six times per semester.

Students take approximately three courses per semester (including summers), completing coursework in about two years.

Students typically take two courses per semester (including summers) and complete the coursework in three years.

Students may make arrangements, in special circumstances, to adjust their course load or take an alternative load that does not match the full- or part-time cohort model.

Immersive Hands-on Learning

What makes this doctoral program different from others in the field? An emphasis on practical, hands-on production experience in a variety of media.

You’ll work closely with the production hardware and editing platforms in digital imaging, video production, audio production, multimedia, documentary production, and more.

Department facilities include an audio recording lab, a digital television studio, an FM radio station, a graphics lab, and a digital photography lab.

As the program includes production requirements that immerse students in media development, the PhD program utilizes these resources to develop and enhance students' production skills.

Financial Support

At IUP, you’ll find funding opportunities to support your coursework, research, and professional development. Options include:

• Graduate assistantships
• Grants for research support and conference travel
• Scholarship funding
• Teaching associate positions

students enrolled in our program

average starting salary of graduates

Application Process

To apply for the PhD in Media and Communication Studies, begin by submitting your application with the School of Graduate Studies and Research .

The link will take you to "IUP Admissions Login." Click on the link on the bottom that reads First-time user account creation  and request a Banner ID and PIN. The application will be available after you log in.

All applicants must submit the following materials for review to: Office of Admissions, Sutton Hall, Suite 120, 1011 South Drive, Indiana, PA 15705, or via email to [email protected] .

Materials to Submit

Students seeking admission to the PhD in Media and Communication Studies must satisfy the minimum School of Graduate Studies and Research requirements and have a master's degree. International students are required to comply with the admission criteria as outlined in the graduate catalog .

Applicants to the MCOM PhD program must submit the following for review by the doctoral program committee:

• Official higher education transcripts (undergraduate and graduate)
• Current curriculum vitae or résumé. 
• Writing sample: a sample that reflects your ability to do academic work and research such as a published work, a paper presented at a professional conference, a major paper for a graduate-level course, or other academic writing
• Two letters of recommendation assessing your ability to work at the doctoral level
• Professional goal statement addressing why you are interested in pursuing doctoral studies in this area, your long-term professional goals, and preparations you are undertaking in anticipation of acceptance into the program
• Upon review of completed applications, the MCOM faculty admissions committee may invite the applicant to campus for an interview. The committee determines whether to accept, waitlist, or deny each applicant.

For information regarding graduate tuition and fees, please consult the Office of Student Billing listing of Graduate Tuition and Fees .

Recent Media and Communication Studies Graduates

You can learn about some of our recently graduated Media and Communication Studies students .

If you choose to enter the world of academia after graduation, you’ll be in good company.

Graduates of the PhD in Media and Communication program hold faculty positions at institutions around the world, including:

• Florida State University
• Pennsylvania State University
• Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
• University of Akron
• University of Nebraska-Omaha
• University of Wollongong (Australia)
• Webster Vienna Private University (Austria)

Skip to Content

PhD: Communication

You are here.

• Share via Twitter
• Share via Facebook
• Share via LinkedIn
• Share via E-mail

Students are admitted to the PhD program after having completed an MA degree. Depending on the extent of students’ prior academic work in communication and their rate of progress, the degree can be achieved in three to four years.

According to Graduate School requirements, PhD students must enroll in residence (i.e., as a full-time student) for at least six semesters beyond the BA degree. Two semesters of residence credit may be allowed for an MA degree from another institution; however, at least four semesters of residence credit, two of which must be consecutive in one academic year, must be earned for work taken at CU-Boulder. One semester’s residency is earned by registering as a full-time student during the fall or spring semesters, or during two summer semesters.

Full-time PhD students must carry one of the following semester course loads: a minimum of 5 credit hours of graduate-level course work before passing the comprehensive examination, or a minimum of 5 dissertation hours after passing the comprehensive examination. PhD students are expected to complete all degree requirements within six years from the semester in which they are admitted and begin coursework in the doctoral program.

View program requirements and courses »

View all COMM courses » Graduate classes begin at COMM 5000.

• Other Course Requirements Information
• Formal Advising and PhD Committee Composition
• Identity Statement and PhD Plan of Study Document
• Research Expectations
• Admission to PhD Degree Candidacy
• Comprehensive Examination
• Registering for Dissertation Hours
• Graduate Contact Information

A maximum of 12 transfer credits  from prior graduate course work at another institution can be applied to the PhD program if those courses are included in the student’s approved PhD Plan of Study document. Any graduate courses completed at CU-Boulder (including courses completed for the master’s in communication) can be applied to the PhD program if they are included in the student’s approved PhD Plan of Study document. When evaluating prior coursework for transfer and substitution credit, committees typically consider the following criteria: recency (generally, coursework older than five years is not eligible), course content (substance and extent of duplication of courses offered at CU-Boulder) and quality of the institution and instructor (e.g., graduate faculty status). Depending on the focus and relevance of prior coursework to students’ primary or secondary areas of PhD specialization, committees may determine that the PhD Plan of Study document should include more than 54 hours of coursework.

A maximum of 9 independent study and/or internship credit hours combined  can be counted toward the PhD degree; however, based on justification, committees may approve a maximum of 18 credit hours.

To achieve and remain in good academic standing, students must satisfy Graduate School residence requirements, make appropriate progress toward completing what is indicated on their PhD Plan of Study document, maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 and resolve any outstanding incompletes in a timely fashion. Courses in which a grade of C+ or lower is received are not counted toward the PhD degree.  Funded students who are taking coursework must complete at least 18 credit hours of courses per year (typically, 9 credit hours per semester) to remain in good academic standing. No more than 15 credit hours of courses can be taken during any semester  (with students financially responsible for 3 of those credit hours).

All new PhD students are assigned by the DGS to a temporary advisor. Students should meet regularly with that temporary advisor during their first semester to discuss matters such as selecting a permanent advisor, committee members and courses for the next semester.

Students should select a permanent advisor (co-advisors are permitted) on the basis of shared professional interests and compatibility and, in consultation with the permanent advisor, construct a comprehensive examination committee early in their second semester in residence.

Students work with their advisor to create an identity statement and PhD Plan of Study document (see below), which is approved by their comprehensive examination committee, with a signed copy of that document (by the student, advisor and DGS; see guidelines for constructing that document) submitted to the graduate program assistant.

PhD comprehensive examination committees contain  a minimum of five members . Prior to and during the examination period, typically, the five members consist of four department graduate faculty (including the advisor), with an additional department graduate faculty member serving as a “reader” (who typically does not write questions but reads all answers). Students may include an “outside” member (someone from another CU-Boulder department or from a communication department or another department at another institution) as part of their examination committee (including serving as the reader). To successfully complete the comprehensive examination, students must receive affirmative votes from a majority of committee members. Following a successful oral defense, the reader (if from the communication department) usually is replaced by a faculty member from another academic department ( there must be at least one member from another academic department ). At that point, the comprehensive examination committee is renamed as the “dissertation committee.”

A student’s advisor and comprehensive examination and/or dissertation committee composition may change over time (e.g., if the student’s interests change).

The  Identity Statement  is a short description (usually 2–3 pages; see below) of students’ academic and professional background, and their goals for the PhD program and beyond. The  PhD Plan of Study  document (usually 3–5 pages; see below and guidelines for constructing that form) shows how the PhD program is designed to achieve goals articulated in the  Identity Statement , describing in detail areas to be pursued in the program, how all degree requirements will be satisfied, courses to be taken at CU-Boulder or transferred from an MA program, independent studies, internships, research projects, teaching experiences and other relevant activities completed or planned.

The  Identity Statement  and  PhD Plan of Study  are expected to evolve over the course of the PhD program. An initial version of the statement and plan is prepared for PhD students’ first committee meeting (typically, in the second semester of the program). That initial version undoubtedly will be tentative in some respects. For example, it may list alternative courses or types of courses to be taken, depending on known availability in future semesters.The committee approves the proposed  PhD Plan of Study  document (or any revised plan that results from that meeting) and a signed copy of that document (without the  Identity Statement ; see guidelines for constructing that document), signed by the student and by the advisor (with the date of the committee meeting at which the document was approved) and signed by the DGS, is given to the graduate program assistant. Updated versions of the  Identity Statement  and the  PhD Plan of Study  document are prepared as needed, with major changes (e.g., a shift to a different specialization area) presented to the committee for approval and the revised document signed (by the student, advisor and the DGS) and submitted to the graduate program assistant.

When the committee meets to plan the comprehensive examination, students’  Identity Statement  and  PhD Plan of Study  document (updated to reflect courses and research projects actually completed, etc.) are the bases for designing and evaluating examination questions.

Students should address the following things in the order noted in their  Identity Statement  and  PhD Plan of Study  document:

Identity Statement : Academic and professional background, professional goals, academic and research interests, methodological expertise and teaching philosophy

PhD Plan of Study Document :

Identification Information: Names of student, advisor and committee members

Transfer Credits Requested (a maximum of 12 credit hours)

Course work by Area (course work must equal at least 54 credit hours, with at least 30 of those credit hours being communication courses)

Broad-Based Communication Background (must include COMM 6010 and COMM 5210, or equivalents)

Primary Area of Specialization

Secondary Area of Specialization

Methodological Expertise (must include two of the following courses or their equivalent: COMM 5310, COMM 6020 and COMM 6030

Course work by Chronological Order

Teaching Experiences

Research Projects (at least two must be completed; see research expectations below)

Signatures and Dates: The PhD Plan of Study document is signed by the student and the advisor, using the date of the committee meeting at which that document was approved; it then is signed and dated by the DGS.

PhD students are expected to be involved regularly in research projects (which often transcend, but also can be based on, course work assignments), conducted independently or with faculty members and/or other graduate students. Students should take the initiative to bring about this involvement by meeting with faculty members to discuss common research interests.

Prior to taking the comprehensive examination, PhD students are expected to have completed  two research projects  of sufficient scholarly quality that they have been selected for conference presentation or publication. Those projects, ideally, are supervised by different faculty members.

To achieve the status of PhD candidate, students must:

Fulfill their  Plan of Study  document.

Receive final grades for all course work, with no outstanding incompletes.

Meet the research expectations.

Demonstrate other appropriate professional competencies (e.g., teaching, training and development).

Successfully complete the comprehensive examination.

The PhD comprehensive examination assesses students’ areas of scholarly expertise. Students usually take a reduced load of courses (3–6 credit hours) and sign up for 3–10 hours of dissertation credit the semester that they take the examination. Students are expected to complete the comprehensive examination  during  the semester for which they initially register for those dissertation credit hours. Students must be registered (pass–fail or for credit) on the CU-Boulder campus as regular degree-seeking students when they pass the comprehensive examination. Students must resolve any outstanding incompletes prior to taking the comprehensive examination.

Comprehensive Examination Procedure:

Committee members, in consultation with the PhD student, design written examination questions, totaling 15–16 hours, to assess the student’s knowledge and competence. In the case of previous demonstrations of competence over and above the research expectations, such as numerous publications, the committee may decrease the examination to a minimum of 12 hours. Students may write their examination answers entirely in-house (using no books or notes) or, with the committee’s approval, they may complete up to 50% of those answers at home (using books and notes). Take-home portions of the comprehensive examination must be completed within a two-week period. The entire graduate faculty must approve exceptions to these rules.

Under normal circumstances, students taking the PhD comprehensive examination in-house are expected to compose their answers on a dedicated computer provided by the department that is formatted in a manner consistent with the department’s policy that graduate students not use outside material when writing in-house examination answers. Students should reserve, through the graduate program assistant, a laptop for the dates that they are scheduled to write; that reservation should be made as soon as the comprehensive examination writing dates have been established. In cases where students have documented need for special accommodation relevant to this policy, such as writing their examination answers by hand or using their own laptop (e.g., a Mac), they must present their specific need in a timely fashion to their committee, which makes the final determination of whether and how that need will be accommodated.

The committee orally examines students within two weeks of completing the written PhD comprehensive examination. Students are permitted to have notes for the oral portion of the examination.

Committees determine if and when students have passed the PhD comprehensive examination and can move onto the dissertation proposal. Should the comprehensive examination performance be judged as unsatisfactory (either in whole or in part by more than one committee member), students may retake relevant portions of it; prior to retaking the examination, students may be asked to complete additional coursework or projects. Students retaking the comprehensive examination must repeat the oral defense.

The comprehensive examination can be retaken only once; students who fail it a second time (as judged by more than one committee member) are dismissed from the PhD program.

The Graduate School permits PhD students to begin registering for dissertation hours during the semester that they take the PhD comprehensive examination, but no more than 10 dissertation hours may be taken before completion of that examination. Students must continue to register for dissertation hours, taking no more than 10 hours per semester, for a total of 30 hours. A student who fails to register continuously (as a full-time student, meaning five dissertation hours in the fall and spring semesters of each year, unless the person is offsite, which then means three hours per semester) after passing the comprehensive examination must retake and pass the examination, to regain status as a student in good standing in the Graduate School. The department may require that the student validate coursework more than five years old. At its discretion, the department may petition the Dean of the Graduate School for a time limit for completion of all degree requirements of up to one year after the retaking of the comprehensive examination. The department must petition to Dean of the Graduate School to waive the requirement to retake the comprehensive examination.

PhD Students Taking Only Dissertation Hours PhD students who are taking only dissertation hours must complete each semester (before the semester’s drop/add deadline) with their advisor a  contract  that specifies what will be completed that semester with regard to the dissertation (see PhD Dissertation Hours Contract). That contract is signed by the student (advisee), advisor and the DGS and is submitted to the graduate program assistant.

At the end of each semester, advisors evaluate advisees’ completion of the contract as being “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory.” Two unsatisfactory evaluations result in an automatic formal review of students to decide their continuance in the PhD program.

Dissertation

Students first prepare and present a written proposal of their research project for approval by their dissertation committee,  comprised of at least five persons, three of whom must be CU-Boulder graduate faculty, plus another member from another academic discipline . Although the dissertation proposal varies based on the goals of the project and research methods employed, typically, the document ranges from 30 to 70 pages and it includes an introduction to the topic and its significance; a review of literature; research problem(s), issue(s) or question(s) being addressed; methods of gathering and analyzing data; and sequence and content of chapters. Committees meet with students to review the proposal, provide advice and approve the research project. The project should be designed realistically such that it can be completed after admission to candidacy and during students’ final planned year in residence. Some students, in consultation with their advisor and committee, may commence dissertation work (e.g., data collection) prior to that period.

PhD students are expected to make a presentation on their proposed dissertation project in a department colloquium or research occasion. Presentations are to be given as soon as possible following a successful proposal committee meeting.

The faculty does  not  encourage PhD students to leave the program “ABD” (“all-but-dissertation”).

After the dissertation has been read by committee members, an oral defense of it is conducted in conformity with CU-Boulder’s Graduate School’s rules (e.g., students must notify the Graduate School of their oral defense at least two weeks before their scheduled defense date, and the defense must be scheduled no later than the posted deadline for the semester in which the degree is to be conferred).

More than one dissenting voice disqualifies students in the oral defense of the dissertation. Students who fail the defense may attempt it once more after a period of time that is determined by the committee. Students who fail the defense a second time are dismissed from the PhD program.

The final approved dissertation that is submitted must conform to the Graduate School’s formatting rules.

See the  Graduate Program Handbook  for more information.

For additional information on the Graduate Program, contact:

Professor Leah Sprain  Associate Chair of Graduate Studies Department of Communication University of Colorado Boulder [email protected] 303-492-3757

Contact the Department of Communication

Communication C.A.S.E. University of Colorado Boulder UCB 200  Boulder, CO 80309-0200 

 303-492-7306   303-492-8411 (fax)

Request Graduate Information

Graduate Admissions

Graduate Program FAQs

Graduate Program Handbook (PDF)

In this section: Communication

• Department Home
• Our Promise
• COMM Faculty and Staff
• Publications
• Josephine Jones Lecture Series
• Undergraduate Programs
• Graduate Programs
• COMM Graduate Students
• Explore CMCI Academics

Apply   Visit   Donate

Thanks for your interest in CU Boulder’s College of Media, Communication and Information.  We welcome your questions or comments and will respond as quickly as possible.

For students

• Current Students website
• Email web access
• Make a payment
• iExeter (students)
• Programme and module information
• Current staff website
• Room Bookings
• iExeter (staff)
• Finance Helpdesk
• IT Service Desk

Popular links

• Accommodation
• Job vacancies
• Temporary workers
• Future Leaders & Innovators Graduate Scheme

New and returning students

• New students website
• Returning Students Guide

Wellbeing, Inclusion and Culture

• Wellbeing services for students
• Wellbeing services for staff
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Israel, Palestine, and the Middle East

Postgraduate Study - PhD and Research Degrees

Media and Communications

• Postgraduate Research home

Research topics and degrees

• Media and communications
• Become an expert in a particular area whilst studying in a rich, multidisciplinary environment.
• Benefit from excellent facilities, including access to UoE’s Digital Humanities Lab, the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, computer labs and podcast studios.
• Take part in research seminar series, and lectures by visiting speakers.
• Explore issues and develop skills that are central to everyday life in the 21st century including how to communicate clearly and effectively to specific audiences using specific technologies.
• Our experts can offer supervision in a wide variety of topics (see research overview below)

View 2024 Entry

How to apply

• Apply online

Ask a question

Web: Enquire online

Phone: +44 (0)1392 72 72 72

Web:  Enquire online Phone: 0300 555 6060 (UK) +44 (0)1392 723044 (non-UK)

Top 15 in the UK for Communication and Media Studies

14th in the times and the sunday times good university guide 2024.

Unique on site resources: Exeter’s Special Collections archive and the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum

Develop transferable skills, specialist knowledge and research skills through interdisciplinary teaching

Varied graduate careers

Research overview.

Digital communications technologies and social media platforms are central to our everyday reality in the 21st century, and we live in a world saturated by media content. Studying for a Media and Communications PhD at Exeter will allow you to develop deep specialist knowledge in an area of your choice. You will develop skills in key research methodologies and gain theoretical knowledge in your quest to be a productive scholar and critical citizen. 

The research expertise of the academic staff not only spans a wide variety of subjects and methodological traditions across the broad field of Media and Communications but are based within the vibrant interdisciplinary environment of the Department of Communications, Drama and Film which shares expertise, research events, and resources across disciplines.

Our experts can offer supervision in a wide variety of topics, including but not limited to:

• Advertising and branding
• Algorithmic cultures
• Celebrity studies
• Communications and the climate crisis
• Communications and the environment
• Communications infrastructure
• Community and grassroots media
• Digital activism
• Gender and the media
• Global communications
• Media and creative industries
• Media and cultural theory
• Media and democracy
• Media and migration
• Media and nations
• Media and politics
• Media and social class
• Media and social movements
• Media and sport
• Media archeology
• Media audiences
• Media ethics
• Media history
• Media industries
• Media policy
• Nostalgia and cultural memory
• Popular culture
• Slow computing
• Social media
• The internet
• Video games

Students applying to enter directly into the MPhil/PhD programme would normally be expected to have a Masters degree with Merit or equivalent in a related subject, or other relevant qualifications such as a doctorate in another subject.

Requirements for international students

If you are an international student, please visit our  international equivalency pages  to enable you to see if your existing academic qualifications meet our entry requirements.

English language requirements

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile E : view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country .

PhD and Research Programme application process

The information below applies to self-funded PhD, MPhil and Masters by Research applicants, but if you are applying for a funded PhD studentship, please follow the specific instructions related to that application.

• Pinpoint your PhD research area
• Investigate whether this area is available at Exeter
• Ensure that you meet our English language entry requirements (international students only)
• Construct and refine your PhD research proposal
• Approach your potential supervisor(s)

PhD studentships pages can be accessed in our Funding lists on Finance tabs under each research topic page, and are also available from the Postgraduate Research search results pages on this site, on the PhD projects tab.

Full details of the application process can be found on our  Apply now webpage .

Fees and funding

Fees 2024/25

Tuition fees per year 2024/25

• Home : £4,786 full-time;   £pro-rata part-time
• International : £22,600 full-time

For those studying for more than one year, our fees are expected to increase modestly in line with Consumer Price Inflation measured in December each year. More information can be found on our   Student Finance webpages .

Fees 2023/24

Tuition fees per year 2023/24

• Home : £4,712 full-time;   £pro-rata part-time
• International : £20,500 full-time

Current funding opportunities

Our Postgraduate Funding webpage  provides links to further information. If you are considering a PhD in the future, in addition to University of Exeter funding, we have been successful at securing postgraduate funding for PhD research through our  Funded centres.

Current available funding

Supervision.

Supervisors - all research students have a primary and a secondary supervisor who provide regular, high-quality advice, support and direction in their academic endeavours. They will work closely with their supervisors to develop, investigate and write-up a project at the cutting edge of Media and Communications research. 

Mentor  - each student will also be assigned a mentor who will take on a pastoral role and mediate on any problems that arise during the period of study. Your mentor will keep in regular contact and will provide background stability and support.

Find a supervisor

The College of Humanities has undergone a £3.2 million HEFCE-funded refurbishment in recent years, providing new state-of-the-art facilities for all subjects.

The   Digital Humanities Lab   is a state of the art facility offering unique spaces, equipment and training for staff and students in Media and Communications studies. A specialist team conducts and supports innovative Digital Humanities research and offers training and teaching. The Lab undertakes the digital preservation and display of historic material and artefacts using advanced technologies.

The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum for the History of Cinema and Popular Culture holds a wide-ranging collection of more than 70,000 film related artefacts. The collection is accessible for all postgraduates to use as a research and study resource. Housed in the University’s state-of-the-art study facility, the Research Commons, the diverse collection includes objects relating to the history of the moving image. These include optical toys, magic lantern slides, a Lumière cinematograph; film publicity such as posters from the Hollywood era to contemporary film; material on film stars such as Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn; and material on animation, particularly Disney films.

The university library also has significant holdings in the area of Media and Communications including books, journals and more than 10,000 hard copies of films and television programmes.

All postgraduates enjoy access to excellent computing facilities and common spaces where postgraduate students can meet and work together in reading and discussion groups.

Graduates from Media and Communications PhD programmes enter myriad careers, including but not limited to: 

• University teaching and research
• University administration
• Communications management,
• Advertising and branding,
• Social media management
• Culture industries
• Third sector
• Public relations
• Reputation management
• International relations

Why Exeter?

Our campuses

Student life

International students

Connect with us

Information for:

• Current students
• New students
• Alumni and supporters

Quick links

Streatham Campus

St Luke's Campus

Penryn Campus

Truro Campus

• Using our site
• Accessibility
• Freedom of Information
• Modern Slavery Act Statement
• Data Protection
• Copyright & disclaimer
• Privacy & cookies

Streatham Campus in Exeter

The majority of students are based at our Streatham Campus in Exeter. The campus is one of the most beautiful in the country and offers a unique environment in which to study, with lakes, parkland, woodland and gardens as well as modern and historical buildings.

Find out more about Streatham Campus.

St Luke's Campus in Exeter

Located on the eastern edge of the city centre, St Luke's is home to Sport and Health Sciences, the Medical School, the Academy of Nursing, the Department of Allied Health Professions, and PGCE students.

Find out more about St Luke's Campus.

Penryn Campus near Falmouth, Cornwall

Our Penryn Campus is located near Falmouth in Cornwall. It is consistently ranked highly for satisfaction: students report having a highly personal experience that is intellectually stretching but great fun, providing plenty of opportunities to quickly get to know everyone.

Find out more about Penryn Campus.

Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies

Ashley Archiopoli , PhD, Coordinator S1009, 713-221-5092 Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies gain a thorough grounding in the theories, skills, and aesthetics of communication. Students learn how to be effective communicators in a variety of contexts and are equipped to become inquisitive, probing, and reflective professionals and citizens. The degree offers students a broad foundation in theory and practice, with technological application in support of its courses. Besides the core curriculum and the major requirements, the degree includes coursework in adjacent academic disciplines, such as writing and the social sciences.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates who earn a BA in Communication Studies will be able to:

• Use theories, principles, and concepts to analyze communication interactions.
• Explain the elements common to all communication contexts.
• Discuss the impact of communication in the real-world context.
• Access, interpret, and conduct research in communication studies.
• Evaluate, prepare and deliver effective oral messages using technology.

NOTE: Students must select one of the following four concentrations in order to complete a BA in Communication Studies: corporate communications, health communications, interpersonal communications, and rhetorical/public communications.

Degree Requirements

To complete a BA in Communication Studies with a concentration in Media and Public Communication Studies, students must satisfy the “ Requirements for CHSS Majors   ” and fulfill the coursework listed below. Note that COMM 3317   , COMM 4302   , and COMM 4390    may be repeated once for credit if course titles and descriptions are different and are relevant to the concentration.

Common Core Requirements

See listing under Common Core Requirements    in this catalog.

Preparatory Requirements

(Courses in this area can be reused from the common core)

• COMM 1304 - Introduction to Communication (or a lower-level COMM elective if 1304 is taken in the core)
• COMM 1306 - Beginning Public Speaking (or a lower-level COMM elective if 1306 is taken in the core)

6-8 Hours of Foreign Language (must be sequence in a single language)

Major Requirements

• COMM 1302 - Mass Media
• COMM 3311 - Advanced Media Studies
• COMM 3314 - Research in Communication Studies
• COMM 3318 - Facilitating Public Deliberation
• COMM 3320 - Communication Theory
• COMM 3325 - Rhetoric and Public Address
• TCOM 3302 - Business and Technical Writing

Complete 12 semester credit hours from:

• COMM 3301 - Advanced Public Relations
• COMM 3303 - Advertising as Communication
• COMM 3304 - Advanced Public Speaking
• COMM 3305 - Fundamentals of Communication Technology
• COMM 3310 - Women, Men, and Communication
• COMM 3312 - Advanced Presentation Concepts
• COMM 3313 - Race, Ethnicity and Communication
• COMM 3315 - Small Group Communication
• COMM 3319 - Communication in Conflict
• COMM 3323 - Communication in Healthcare Organizations
• COMM 3330 - Nonverbal Communication
• COMM 3340 - Communication and Leadership
• COMM 3348 - Government Communication
• COMM 3399 - Directed Study in Communication
• COMM 4301 - Persuasive Communication
• COMM 4302 - Communication Campaigns
• COMM 4324 - Advanced Public Deliberation
• COMM 4325 - Communication Law and Ethics
• COMM 4335 - Religious Communication
• COMM 4380 - Field Experience in Communication
• COMM 4390 - Special Topics in Communication

Capstone Requirement

• COMM 4098 - Capstone Portfolio

Free Electives

Upper or lower division courses may be applied to this area, with the exceptions described under the “ Requirements for CHSS Majors   ,” so that the student’s entire coursework, including the above required courses, totals 120 semester credit hours

College of Media & Communication

• Morris Professorship

Excellence in International Journalism and Human Rights Awards & Graduate Student Research Symposium

“profiles in journalistic courage” .

Hall of the Nations | Texas Tech International Cultural Center 

Tuesday March 19, 2024 | 17:00 GMT/UTC | 10:30 PM, Kabul, Afghanistan | 11:00 AM, Lubbock, Texas | 8:00 PM, Moscow, Russia

[ Submit your RSVP ]

This year we will host 11 Afghan female journalists and an interpreter/translator from around the country as our special guests. They were all airlifted from Afghanistan by the US military in 2021 as the Taliban was taking over the country and erasing women, especially those who had said critical things about the Taliban. 

Our two awardees for the Excellence in International Journalism Award will be Saleha Soadat of Afghanistan and Marina Ovsyannikova , a Russian anti-war journalist who interrupted the national news in Moscow to protest the war in Ukraine. 

[ View the detailed schedule of events. ]

Overview of Agenda & Schedule:

Awards Ceremony at 11 a.m.

• Welcome & Introductions: 11 a.m.
• Award Presentations & Addresses: 12 p.m.
• Discussion Q&A: 1 p.m.
• Photos & Book Signing by Marina Ovsyannikova 1:20 p.m.
• Lunch Buffet 1:20 p.m.
• Presentation Sessions by Afghan Journalists: 1:50 p.m.
• Closing Comments 3 p.m.

Reception at 6 p.m.

• Dinner Buffet: 6 p.m.
• Welcome & Introductions: 6 p.m.
• Presentations & Performances: 7 p.m.
• Book Signing by Prof. Amy Koerber: 8 p.m.
• Closing Remarks: 8:10 p.m.

End of Symposium

Co-sponsors: The College of Media and Communication, the TTU Office of International Affairs, the Harris Institute for Hispanic and International Communication, the Department of Journalism and Creative Media Industries, the CoMC Graduate Program, the CoMC Center for Communication Research, and the William S. Morris Endowed Professorship.

Read about past events: 2023 | 2022 | 2021  

• Like College of Media & Communication on Facebook Like College of Media & Communication on Facebook
• Follow College of Media & Communication on X (twitter) Follow College of Media & Communication on X (twitter)
• Subscribe to College of Media & Communication on YouTube Subscribe to College of Media & Communication on YouTube
• Follow College of Media & Communication on Instagram Follow College of Media & Communication on Instagram
• Connect with College of Media & Communication on LinkedIn Connect with College of Media & Communication on LinkedIn

Audible Founder Don Katz Shares Insights at MBA Executive Speaker Series

Posted in: Feliciano School of Business , MBA

On April 3rd, the MBA and Graduate Programs Office, in partnership with the School of Communication and Media and College of Humanities and Social Sciences, hosted the first Executive Speaker Series event of the 2024 semester.

The guest speaker was Don Katz, the founder of Audible, the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling. Don led the company from its founding in 1995 until 2022. He is also the founder of Newark Venture Partners, a social impact early-stage investment fund and ultra-bandwidth accelerator that seeks to connect Newark to the early-stage technology start-up innovation economy. Don was previously a journalist and author for 20 years, writing five books and serving as contributing editor at Rolling Stone, Outside, Esquire, and other publications. He is a graduate of New York University and also holds an MSc Econ from the London School of Economics and Political Science. The title of the presentation was “A Conversation with Don Katz, Founder of Audible”

Driven by the single goal of transforming today’s students into tomorrow’s business leaders, the Feliciano School of Business has achieved a prominent place in the state and the larger region. Fully accredited by the AACSB, the School has over 4,200 students, and its six academic departments offer an array of degrees from a BS in Business Administration with 11 concentrations, to an MS in Accounting , to an MBA . Home to the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, the Ellyn A. McColgan Center for Student Services, and the 3D printing MIX Lab, the School offers state-of-the-art facilities and transformative learning opportunities for students.