Media and communications PhD

Media and communication studies is a multi-faceted research area that examines the ways in which the media represent and influence our social, cultural and political lives. Research in media and communications critically analyses the role of media institutions, as well as the changing landscape of media industries and cultural production.

The University of Brighton’s School of Media fosters a thriving community of theorists and practitioners in the development of new knowledge around media cultures, technologies and practices. Our research examines audiences and reception, television and screen studies, digital media, gender and communication, communication and democracy, as well as media history, policy and law. We are ideally placed to offer supervisory support in this diverse and complex area, drawing on the methodologies from both the research staff at the school and related disciplines university-wide.

Research is supported through specialist centres and groups. Our researchers are involved at an organisational level in the Centre for Digital Media Cultures, the Centre for Spatial, Environmental and Cultural Politics the Centre for Transforming Sexuality and Gender; also the Cultural Informatics research group, Screen Studies Research and Enterprise Group and Photography in Practice; Photography in Theory Research and Enterprise Group.

Through these specialist centres and groups, research expertise covers a wide range of topics that engage with critical issues around media and communication. Critical investigations of media phenomena or practice-based work through digital arts and sciences, photography and film can also be aligned to cross-disciplinary work with, for example, arts practices, architecture, heritage technologies, cultural studies, human geography, politics and philosophy.

The School of Media supports PhD students to research their area of interest across a wide spectrum of media and communication research, drawing on the expertise of cutting-edge research at the School of Media.

Our PhD graduates work within and outside academia.

Apply through our portal: 'Arts and Media.'

Our registration system collects several programmes under the strand 'Arts and Media.' Please choose this option in the portal.

Key information

As a Media and Communication PhD student, you will benefit from:

a supervisory team comprising 2-3 members of academic staff. Depending on your research specialism you may also have an additional supervisor from another School, another research institution, or an external partner from government or industry.
access to desk space and computers.
access to a range of electronic resources via the university’s online library, as well as to the physical book and journal collections housed within the Aldrich Library and other campus libraries. PhD students also have access to cutting-edge facilities such as the Watts Lab, the Digital Catapult Centre Brighton and the Screen Archive South East.

Recent and current PhD students have been successful in obtaining studentships covering both fees and living costs through the University of Brighton’s involvement in the AHRC TECHNE and the ESRC SCDTP programmes.

Research themes

Media and Communication research is the primary focus of our Centre for Digital Media Cultures and informs the work of a number of other Centres of Research and Enterprise Excellence (COREs) at the university, including the Centre for Spatial, Environmental and Cultural Politics and the Centre for Transforming Sexuality and Gender.

With the support of these centres, and the School of Media, our students benefit from a productive academic network where media and communication inform diverse investigations. Our staff and postgraduate community critically engage with some of the most exciting and pressing issues of our time - they explore the effects of changes in media technologies and practices upon everyday life, the cultural and creative economy, politics, social well-being and identity.

Our researchers work at the local, national and global level. Engaging with diverse businesses, communities and policy actors including media, publishers, digital companies, community groups and NGOs is central to our approach. In addition to more traditional media and communication approaches, we encourage innovative, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. Our research priorities include the areas ‘Digital culture & practice’, ‘Screen, image & visual culture’ and ‘Sound & spatial practice’.

The postgraduate community comprises a diverse group of young scholars that engage in both theoretical and practice-based research. Our postgraduate students have the opportunity to be engaged in a range of activities, including involvements in research centres, organising research events, contributing the School of Media research culture and getting teaching experience.

PhD students could pursue research in a wide range of media and communication topics. Our current areas of research expertise include:

Digital Media
Data Culture
Environmental Communication
Game Studies
Community Media
Screen Cultures
Digital Transformations
Media Practice
Photography
Film Studies
Sound Studies and Music
Gender and Sexuality
Digital Humanities
Cultural Informatics
Creative Industries
Mobility and Transport
Activism
Popular Culture
Immersive Media/AR/VR
Creative Media
Innovation

For more detail about these research areas please check the following links and also the supervisors' profiles below:

Some of our supervisors

Dr Frauke Behrendt

My supervisory interests cover the broad areas of digital and data culture, mobility and transport, sustainability and environment, culture and heritage, sound and multi-sensory media. I have expertise in supervising theory and practice-based PhDs, and also interdicsiplinary work, including media and communication studies, social science, art and HCI, plus involvment of external partners/stakeholders. My methods expertise covers qualitative and mixed methods including interviews, focus groups, case studies, ethnographic approaches, hard- and software development for data capture, critical discourse analysis, sonic approaches, interventions and experiments, NVIVO. I am currently supervising six PhD students inlcuding SEAHA and SCDTP-funded projects, and have served as internal and external examiner on PhDs.

Prof Julie Doyle

Professor Doyle has supervised doctoral work on creative and visual climate change communication and engagement, media discourses of environment, gender and popular culture, branding and consumption. She would be happy to supervise work on any aspect of:

* climate and environmental communication

* media, popular culture and environment

* creative approaches to climate engagement and systems change

* climate activism and social movements

* visual climate and environmental communication

* veganism, popular culture/media and ethics

* feminist ecological ethics

Dr Aristea Fotopoulou

Dr Aristea Fotopoulou is interested in the social, political and cultural issues of digital and emerging technologies. She welcomes PhD supervision of research projects critically examining: gender, sexuality and technology; feminist STS; digital health and wellbeing; AI and society; robots and society; young people and digital technologies; mental health and technology; big data & society; everyday life; art and public health; art and science; innovative and interdisciplinary methodologies; digital inclusion; activism; participatory action research; citizen data.

Current PhD Students

Hannah Runham (ESRC South Coast DTP Scholarship in the Population Change, Health and Wellbeing pathway) (2017-2020). Theme: Mental health and Reality TV.Jun Haelin (2018-2021). Theme: National identity, gender and use of YouTube in South Korean.

Sijuade Olanihun Yusuf (International PhD Studentship) (2019-2022). Theme: Social media and negotiation of identity by African Women in Sub-Saharan African countries

Alex Yousif (ESRC Artificial Intelligence and Society PhD Studentship, South Coast DTP) (2020-2023). Theme: Algorithmic bias, gender and health and social care

Indicative Masters and Undergraduate projects supervised:

The role of social media influencers in the promotion of sports and wellbeingRepresentation of gender in Disney filmsAudience perceptions of privacy and data collection on Facebook Understandings of bisexuality in social media Feminist activism and Twitter: #Metoo hashtagRepresentation of queer characters in Call the Midwife. Gender in reality TV: The case of Only Way is Essex

Dr Olu Jenzen

Dr Jenzen is currently supervising PhD students working on topics such as queer visual activism in South Africa; social media and LGBT mental health support; LGBTQ kinship practices and collaborative art practices; and the representation of learning disability in visual culture in the context of non-normative gender and sexuality. She welcomes students undertaking postgraduate research projects that are interested in aspects and politics of aesthetic form, issues of gender and sexuality, dissident sexualities, or situate their project within feminist and/or queer theoretical methodologies, but also projects that, in a wider sense, relate to other aspects of ‘margins’, sub cultures and popular culture.

Dr Ewan Kirkland

Ewan is looking to supervise doctoral projects on digital games, particularly Gothic and horror genres, which represent a particular research speciality. In addition, Ewan is interested in working with students exploring children’s culture, including film, television, digital games, toys, and the intersections between different media aimed at young people. Another supervisory interest is the representation of identity, including gender, race and sexuality, with an emphasis on dominant formations such as masculinity, whiteness and heterosexuality. Ewan has also keen to supervise projects on Hollywood cinema, science fiction film and television, and fandom.

Dr Theodore Koulouris

(Digital) media theory, literary theory/history (esp. Virginia Woolf, Anglophone and European modernisms, and post-1850s receptions of Hellenism); European politics and the media (especially in the UK, USA, and Greece), ethics, ontology, feminism, mourning, narrative, nationalism(s), death, loss, and memory.

Current PhD supervision

1) Haelin Jun 'Can the North Korean Woman Speak? The Politics of Online Self-representation of North Korean Women in South Korea' (women's struggle, women's voice, online self-representation, social media theory, loss, dispossession, politics, transnational feminisms) - Lead supervisor https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Haelin_Jun

2) Shai Kassirer 'Media Analysis of Hydro-Policies for Climate-Resilience in Israel: Depoliticisation of Desalination Discourse (1990-2018)' (mediation of government policy, sustainability, resilience studies, neoliberalism, depoliticisation of public discourse) https://www.brighton.ac.uk/research-and-enterprise/postgraduate-research-degrees/research-students/shai-kassirer.aspx

Dr Douglas McNaughton

Political economy of television production. Aesthetics and narrative in television. Historical development of British television. Representations of space, place and identities in British screen cultures. Science fiction, fantasy and horror, in particular, British folk horror. Telefantasy, world cinema, screen technologies, the sociology of space. Screen acting and performance.

Dr Julia Winckler

My interdisciplinary research focuses on archival traces, memory and migration narratives, co-production of knowledge and photography and activism.

For PhD applicants:

I am interested in supervising both traditional and practice-based Phds.

Phd proposals welcome that interact with any of the following:

Working with Archives and Collections: Photographic archives, Community archives, Museums, Private Collections

Memory Studies: Postmemory, transnational memory, cultural memory, communicative memory, personal memory

Art practice as research: visual, creative and ethnographic research methods/photo voice/photo elicitation/digital media technologies, site-specific interventions

Co-production of knowledge: popular education methodology, participatory methods, oral history, histoire croisée methodology

Photography and activism: community art practice (global, historical & contemporary)

Photographers in Exile in Britain: contributions made by emigrés to the field of Applied Arts

For further supervisory staff including cross-disciplinary options, please visit research staff on our research website.

Entry requirements

The normal entry requirements for registration for the degree of MPhil and EngD are:

A first or second class honours degree, or other qualification which is regarded by the University of Brighton as being equivalent, and which is normally relevant to the programme of study.
Appropriate research or professional experience at postgraduate level. An application made by someone with this experience will be considered on its own merits and will normally require independent academic references

All EngD students require an industrial partner for the professional placement.

The normal entry requirements for registration for the degree of PhD are:

We require candidates to have a recognised Masters degree or other qualification which is regarded by the University of Brighton as being equivalent, and which is normally relevant to the programme of study proposed
Substantial appropriate research or professional experience at postgraduate level which resulted in published work, written reports or other appropriate evidence of accomplishment. An application made by someone with this experience will be considered on its merits and will normally require independent academic references
Exceptionally, a first class honours degree, or other qualification which is regarded by the University of Brighton as being equivalent, and which is normally relevant to the programme of study proposed, where there is clear evidence of work at postgraduate level. An application made by someone with this experience will be considered on its merits and will normally require independent academic references

The normal entry requirements for the EdD (Professional Doctorate) are:

A qualification, normally at Masters level in a relevant subject or appropriate research experience. An application made by someone with research experience but with no Masters level qualification will be considered on its merits and will normally require independent academic references.
Applicants will normally have at least four years of appropriate professional experiences.

English language requirements

For applicants whose first language is not English, the minimum standard of English competence accepted is normally equivalent to the following International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores:

Normally we require an overall score of 6.5 with 6.5 in reading and writing, 6.0 in listening and speaking. There are exceptions to this and they are as follows:

Research degrees in Arts and Humanities and Health Professions require 7.0 overall, 7 for writing, and none below 6.5.
Research degrees in Brighton Business School and the School of Sport and Service Management: 7.0 overall, 7 for writing, and none below 6.0.
Research degrees in Engineering, and Environment and Technology requires a minimum of 6.0 in each component

All SELT (Secure English language tests) must have been obtained within the preceding two years of the course start date.

Important information regarding changes to the approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) list:

The University of Brighton will continue to accept non-SELT tests such as ‘IELTS Academic’ and ‘Pearson Test of English Academic’, as long as your test results meet the course requirements.

If you are concerned that you might not reach the required level for the course, and therefore may need to take an English Language course, we would recommend that you take the ‘IELTS for UKVI Academic’ at an approved test centre details of which can be found on the government website.

If you have taken an English language test not listed here, please contact the Doctoral College for advice at Brighton-Doctoral-College@brighton.ac.uk.

Before you apply

We encourage potential applicants to look at the research currently taking place within the university and to find a suitable supervisor to support the proposal and assist with the application

If you are in doubt about whether we can offer the appropriate supervision, please contact the Doctoral College.

Application Deadlines

We operate a rolling intake so students can make applications at any time throughout the year. Start dates will always be on the first working day of the month and will normally be determined as follows:

UK/EU students: Normally one month after an offer is made

International students: Normally three months after an offer is made

Professional Doctorates and programmes with a taught component usually have one intake a year, which is normally at the start of October.

The university cannot guarantee that you can start at your requested date

Making an online application

All applications are made online and for most disciplines an approach to a lead supervisor is recommended, following which you will have help and support with. The RSAs can provide you with advice from your initial enquiry through to when a decision is made on your application, so help is always at hand.

The research proposal
Some areas recruit students to specific research projects, but in these instances you would still be expected to take ownership and shape it into an independent piece of work which would normally make an original contribution to knowledge. Other areas expect applicants to propose a research topic of their own prior to considering for them for admission.

We advertise PhD projects on our Funding and Opportunities page, so unless you are applying to an advertised project you would normally need to apply with a research topic of your own choosing.

Guidance for writing a research proposal – General or Arts specific.

If you are unsure if we can supervise your research topic, please get in touch with Brighton Doctoral College. In some instances we may have to tell you that we cannot supervise as it would not be in your best interests to accept you if we are unable to provide the necessary facilities and supervision.

Online applications can be made via our online portal.

Documents to include with your application
When you make your application please make sure you include the following:

Evidence of your degree(s) – you need to provide copies of your degree certificates and transcripts. Official translations should be provided where appropriate. If your degree has not yet been awarded please note this on your application form.
Evidence of English language (EU/International applicants) – this is normally an IELTS or Pearsons certificate. All language tests must have been obtained within the preceding two years of the course start date. If you cannot provide a language test, please contact us for advice.
References - you need to provide two references and one of these must be from your most recent period of study. All references must have been written within the last 12 months and need to be signed, dated and stamped with the organisation's stamp or on headed paper. Alternatively, you can provide contact details for your referees as part of the application process and we will contact them on your behalf.
Passport – please provide a copy of the photo page and where applicable a copy of your current visa. These documents can be uploaded to the ‘Education’ tab.

After you apply

Your Research Student Administrator (RSA) will assess your application to make sure you meet our entry requirements and you have provided all of the required documentation.

The complete application will be reviewed by the appropriate Director of Postgraduate Studies who will assess if we can offer supervision. If we can identify potential supervisors, your application will be sent to them for consideration. If we are not able to supervise you we will notify you of this as soon as possible.

It normally takes around four–six weeks to reach a decision on postgraduate research applications. However, this can be delayed if your application is incomplete and we require additional information from you. If you have not had a decision on your application within eight weeks please contact your RSA via the application portal.

If we have supervisors who are interested in supervising your project, you will be invited to attend an admissions interview. This can be held via Skype if you are not in the UK.

Types of offer

Conditional

If we have made you a conditional offer, the conditions will be stated in your offer letter. When you have met these conditions you should provide this to your RSA. When you have met all the conditions of your offer, we will provide you with a new offer letter.

Except where indicated in the offer letter, there are no specific deadlines for meeting the conditions of your offer. However make sure you leave enough time after meeting the conditions to make arrangements to start your course, for example if you need to arrange accommodation or a visa.

Unconditional offers

An unconditional offer has no conditions. You just need to let us know whether or not you wish to accept or decline our offer of a study place and you do this by accepting/rejecting the offer via the new applicant area.

Deferring your offer

If you have been made an offer of study, and for unforeseen circumstances you cannot attend at the start of your course, you may ask to defer your place to the next admission point.

To request a deferral you should contact your RSA via the new applicant area. Please note that a change of start date is at the discretion of your supervisors and Director of Postgraduate Studies. It is not automatically given and you may be asked to apply again.

Normally applicants are only permitted to defer their start date a maximum of two times.

Withdrawing your application

If you wish to withdraw your application please notify your research student administrator via the new applicant area and they will update your application for you.

Post offer

CAS number
International students who require a Tier 4 to study in the UK will need to apply for a CAS number. A CAS is a unique reference number that is 14 digits long that is given to you by the University of Brighton. It confirms to the Home Office that you have accepted an unconditional offer and met with the Home Office requirements regarding length of study in the UK and academic progression.

As part of your unconditional offer you will be asked to complete a visa questionnaire. Our visa compliance team will then review your eligibility and issue a CAS number as appropriate.

More information is available on our international pages.

Tuition fee deposit

If you are self-funded we cannot issue you with a CAS until you have paid your tuition fee deposit. We would advise that you pay this as soon as possible so that you are able to make your visa application in plenty of time.

More information about the tuition fee deposit and how to pay it is available international student fees page.

If you are a funded student you will need to provide proof of your sponsorship before the tuition fee deposit can be waived.

See more information on visa applications.

ATAS statement

You will need to obtain an ATAS certificate every time you make a Tier 4 Student application if you are studying or going to study one of the following research degree programmes:

Pharmacy
Biomedical Sciences
Healthcare Professions
Physiotherapy
Occupational Therapy
Engineering
Environment
Civil Engineering
Built Environment
Computing
Mathematical and Information Sciences
Information Technology.

Where an ATAS statement is required, the process of how to apply for this will be provided in your offer letter so do read your offer letter carefully.

For details about the scheme and how to apply for your ATAS certificate visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office information about ATAS.

ATAS Certificates can take up to two months to be issued so you must apply for your certificate in plenty of time. The process of applying for an ATAS statement will be detailed in your offer letter.

Fees and funding

Funding

Undertaking a research degree requires an intellectual and financial commitment. The majority of students are self-funded; some are funded by their employer, through industrial partners, Research Councils and University studentships.

Learn more about the funding opportunities available to you.

Tuition fees academic year 2018–19

Standard fees are listed below, but may vary depending on subject area. Some subject areas may charge bench fees/consumables, this will be decided as part of any offer made. Fees for UK/EU and international students on full-time and part-time courses are likely to incur a small inflation rise each year of a research programme.

MPhil/PhD

Full-time	Part-time
£4,260 (UK/EU)	£2,130 (UK/EU)
£14,400 (international)	N/A
£12,690 (international tuition fee for those students registered in the School of Humanities or in the Brighton Business School)	N/A

Professional doctorate

Full-time	Part-time
N/A	£2,672.50 (UK/EU)

EngD UK/EU only

EngD
Full-time	Part-time
£5,520 (UK/EU)	N/A
£15,830 (international)	N/A

PhD by Publication

Full-time	Part-time
N/A	£2139 (UK/EU)

Contact Brighton Doctoral College

Email the team at Brighton-Doctoral-College@brighton.ac.uk detailing your enquiry. Please provide as much detail as possible as this will help us address your questions promptly and thoroughly.