PhD Opportunities in Communication, Media, and Film Studies

We warmly invite applications for full-time or part-time self-funded PhD study. 

About the PhD Programme

The Centre for Culture, Media & Society (CCMS) is an exciting interdisciplinary environment delivering research that offers critical insight and real-world impact. 

We are interested to receive applications that relate to our areas of research expertise in:

Communication, Culture and Heritage

• European cultural studies
• Critical heritage studies
• Culture, identity and the body
• Folklore, contemporary legend and media
• Cultural institutions and their audiences, festivals and archives

Film, TV and Audiences

• Film and TV industries, infrastructures, ecosystems and governance
• Film, TV and visual culture
• Genre and narrative theory in film studies
• Nationalism, transnationalism and diaspora in cultures and cinemas of Europe, Asia and Arab world
• Screenwriting and adaptation

Representation, Resistance and Anti-Racism

• Postcolonial Studies
• Critical Race Theory, human rights, social justice and activism
• Textual and visual studies of protest and resistance in media and culture
• Critical explorations of intersectional identity-based inequalities and experience (including but not limited to gender, race and religion)
• Global media and global events coverage

Media and Society

• Digital cultures (including fan cultures)
• Digital inclusion
• Social media (including social media interaction, platforms and culture analytics)
• Journalism and PR studies
• Virtual reality applications in health and wellbeing 

You will join a vibrant PhD programme with excellent student satisfaction scores. There are opportunities to participate in seminars, workshops and conferences, including SHU's innovative interdisciplinary postgraduate research conferences on the topics of research METHOD and research IMPACT. We offer training in research methods via modules on the M. Res in Social Research and access to specialist media and film production facilities including recording studios, edit suites and VR studio and screening facilities at 'The Void' film lecture theatre. You can read more about the PhD community and past and current PhD projects here.

Scholarship Opportunities

When available, PhD scholarship opportunities are advertised here: PhD scholarships.

How to apply  

For important course information about PhDs in Media, Communication, Cultural Studies, and Film Studies, including entry requirements and tuition fees, the online application form, list of documents you need to upload with your application and information about doctoral student loans, please see the SHU prospectus entries for:

PhD Media & Communication (Full-time)

PhD Media & Communication (Part-time)

Your research proposal will need to be clear and detailed, setting out the aims of the enquiry, its context, current knowledge on the topic, proposed methods of data collection and analysis and any potential challenges or opportunities.   

Applications are invited to be considered for entry in October, February, or May. 

For an October start, apply by 1^st June.

For a February start: apply by 1^st October

For a May start: apply by 1^st February

Click here: ‘How to Apply’ for more information about the PhD application process including how to make an enquiry about supervision, what happens after you submit an application and answers to some frequently asked questions.

Applications are welcome from all candidates, irrespective of age, ethnicity, pregnancy and maternity, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, belief, or marital or civil partnership status.

For academic enquiries contact: Dr. Kerry McSeveny, Postgraduate Research Tutor for Media, Communication & Film k.mcseveny@shu.ac.uk

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