PhD Opportunities in Communication, Media and Film Studies

Applications are invited for Graduate Teaching Assistant PhD scholarships in all areas of communication, media and cultural studies and film and screen studies, commencing 1^st October 2021.

About the PhD Programme

The Centre for Culture, Media & Society is an exciting interdisciplinary research environment. It has a particular concern with recognising culture as a key interlocutor for social and political change and pursues work capable of delivering critical insight and real-world impact. PhD proposals can align with a broad range of topics to examine forms of culture and media, their institutions, audiences, technologies, expressions and representations, and the challenges and consequences these generate. 

We are interested to receive applications in the following areas and the intersections between:

Representations and Reception

Racism, colonialism and resistance in media and culture

Critical explorations of identity-based inequalities and experience, including but not limited to gender, race and religion

Intersectional inequalities

Visual studies of protest, resistance and activism

Genre and narrative theory in film studies

Global media and global events coverage and audience reception

Encounters with heritage and heritage technologies

Folklore, contemporary legend and media

Culture and Society

Digital cultures and digital inclusion

Human rights, inequalities, social justice and activism

Political communication, discourse and society

Social media, platforms and culture analytics

National, transnational and diasporic cinemas of Europe, Asia and Arab world

Film history

European cultural studies

Postcolonial Studies

Cultural industries and Technologies

Media industries, infrastructures, ecosystems and governance

Journalism and PR practice

Virtual reality, including serious games applications in health domains

Screenwriting and adaption

Television studies and visual culture

You will be joining a vibrant PhD programme which, since 2017, has returned sector leading scores in the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey. You will have opportunities to learn at seminars, workshops and conferences, including SHU's interdisciplinary postgraduate research conferences on the topics of research METHOD and research IMPACT. We offer training on research methods via modules on the M. Res in Social Science and access to media and film facilities including production equipment, recording studios, edit suites, VR studio and screening facilities at 'The Void' film lecture theatre. 

Graduate Teaching Assistantships

GTA scholarships combine PhD study with professional development so you also gain practical experience in learning, teaching and assessment in Higher Education. You can work towards Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and as part of your training will be expected to support teaching related activities in either the Department of Media Arts & Communication or Department of Humanities, up to a maximum of 180 hours per academic year. For more information visit Sheffield Hallam University PhD scholarships

Funding

• An annual maintenance stipend at UKRI national minimum doctoral stipend rates: £15,609 per annum for 2021/22 full-time study; £7,805 per annum for part-time study.

For more information visit: Tuition fees for EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals

How to apply

We recommend that you contact a prospective supervisor to discuss your research ideas before submitting an application. Potential supervisors can be found through the department and research centre websites linked above or by contacting us for advice.  You will need to submit a research proposal with your application that identifies research aims, describes the context of the proposed research, offers a critical overview of existing research literature, provides a rationale for the proposed approaches to data collection and analysis and discusses any ethical or practical considerations.

Where English is not your first language you will need to submit evidence of English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS 7.0 (or equivalent).  

Sheffield Hallam welcomes applications from candidates irrespective of age, pregnancy and maternity, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion or belief, or marital or civil partnership status.

For academic enquiries or advice contact:

Dr. Kerry McSeveny, Postgraduate Research Tutor for Media & Communication k.mcseveny@shu.ac.uk

For more information about how to apply and an application form please visit https://www.shu.ac.uk/research/degrees/apply

For general enquires please contact the Cultural & Creativity Research Institute Postgraduate Research Team culture-creativity-admissions@shu.ac.uk

Submit your application to culture-creativity-admissions@shu.ac.uk. The closing date for applications is 23:30pm on 1st June 2021.

Selection process

Interviews will take place on 13^th and 14^th July by videoconference. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to deliver a 10 minute presentation on their research proposal followed by an interview.