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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
View profile of David Berry
Prof Michael Bull
Professor Of Sound Studies
View profile of Michael Bull
Dr Sally Xiaojin Chen
Senior Lecturer
View profile of Sally Xiaojin Chen
Prof Ivor Gaber
Professor of Political Journalism
View profile of Ivor Gaber
Prof Ben Highmore
Professor of Cultural Studies
View profile of Ben Highmore
Dr Malcolm James
Senior Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies
View profile of Malcolm James
Prof Kate Lacey
Professor of Media History & Theory
View profile of Kate Lacey
Dr Eleftheria Lekakis
Senior Lecturer In Media & Communication
View profile of Eleftheria Lekakis
Prof Sarah Maltby
Professor of Media & Communication
View profile of Sarah Maltby
Dr Monika Metykova
Senior Lecturer in Media Communications/Journalism Studies
View profile of Monika Metykova
Prof Kate O'Riordan
Pro Vice Chancellor for Education and Students
View profile of Kate O'Riordan
Prof Pollyanna Ruiz
Professor of Media and Cultural Studies Studies
View profile of Pollyanna Ruiz
Dr Alban Webb
Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies
View profile of Alban Webb
Dr Cecile CHEVALIER
Senior Lecturer in Media Practice
View profile of Cecile CHEVALIER
Dr Katherine Farrimond
View profile of Katherine Farrimond
Dr Beatrice Fazi
Reader in Digital Humanities
View profile of Beatrice Fazi
Prof Margaretta Jolly
View profile of Margaretta Jolly
Dr Niall Richardson
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.
£3,000 scholarships available to environmental influencers bringing about real-world behaviour change
Find out more
£800 scholarship available to reward talented organ player studying on any course at Sussex.
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
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
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PhD Information Sessions
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Online PhD Sessions
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International
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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
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- Postgraduate Research
Communication and Media PhD / MPhil
- Part time available: yes
Studying in:
- Department of Communication and Media
- School of Arts
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Research in Department of Communication and Media is conducted within four research clusters which share common interest in critical, interdisciplinary analysis of a variety of modes of mediated communication across social spaces and fields - Culture, Space and Memory research group, Discourse & Society research group, Media, Politics and Society research cluster and Screen & Film Studies research group.
Why study with us?
One of the reasons I chose to study at the University of Liverpool was because of the range of expertise in the Department of Communication and Media. My own research covers video games, film studies, and cultural theory and there are experts in each here. This has been invaluable to my studies. Christopher McMahon - Communication and Media PhD student
of our environment is conducive to generating research that is 'world leading' or 'internationally excellent' - Research Excellence Framework (2021)
in the sector for 'outstanding' (4*) research impact in the latest Research Excellence Framework (2021)
of our research is classified as 'outstanding' (4*) or 'very considerable' (3*) in the latest Research Excellence Framework (2021)
The department prides in its ability to embrace the study of communication and media in an inclusive and comprehensive manner. From political communication to discourse and culture, from heritage industries to media and entertainment, from film and television to social media, the Department of Communication and Media has been providing cutting edge research that links strongly with most key areas of inquiry in this major field of studies.
Research in Department of Communication and Media, University of Liverpool, is conducted within four research clusters which share common interest in critical, interdisciplinary analysis of a variety of modes of mediated communication across social spaces and fields.
The Culture, Space and Memory research group brings together ideas and intellectual orientations on the cultures, practices and spatial dispositions that inform transdisciplinary approaches to media and communication in the digital age.
The Discourse & Society research group looks at how language and discourse – in traditional/social media, politics and the wider public domain – act as vehicles of social change as well as carriers of relationships of power and inequality in contemporary societies.
The Media, Politics and Society research cluster deals with critical analysis of media outputs and journalism from the perspectives that highlight political agendas, assess the impacts on marginalised groups, and foster understandings of human rights.
Finally, the Screen & Film Studies research cluster focuses on film and television studies, with the study of digital screens that cut across various media sectors emerging as a third key area of expertise.
We particularly welcome research proposals that match those of our researchers, including:
- Media in humanitarian crises; media and human rights; media coverage of migration and free movement across Europe;
- Latin American culture and the relationship between politics and aesthetics; contemporary photography;
- Rhetoric, policy frameworks and methodologies that capture the impact and legacy of large-scale urban interventions and events
- Broadcasting history, institutions and their programming; film and television documentary, television current affairs programming
- Science fiction, fantasy and 'cult' TV and film; PR and promotional cultures with a particular interest in social media;
- Gender, political communication and news media and the ways in which they intersect
- The moral function of communication; conceptions of home, identity and belonging in communicative capitalism
- Critical discourse studies of populist political communication; the intersection of politics and the media as key carriers of public imaginaries of social reality
- Experimental, oppositional, marginal and other alternative filmmaking histories and practices; the work of Andy Warhol and other artist-filmmakers
- Argumentation Theory, Rhetoric and Discourse Analysis, with emphasis on in the study of argumentation in strategic communication contexts
- Media discourse (especially approaches from a (socio) linguistic perspective) and the uses of dialogue in TV drama
- Media and the city; urban cultural studies; visual culture, space and place; cultural mapping and spatial humanities; popular culture, heritage and cultural memory
- International and global journalism; young people as media audiences; the Internet’s role in relation to online risks and to enabling democratic deliberations
- Political communication during election campaigns, particularly online; social media and their use by voters to communicate politically;
- Stardom/celebrity, Hollywood and transnational cinema, screen performance, cult media, and digital media/Virtual Reality
- The production of news, documentary and factual content within public service and commercial broadcasting, and within community and citizen journalism.
- Media discourses and representations in relation to gender and sexuality; the role of media in identity and community
- American independent cinema; Hollywood and global entertainment; cinema and youth cultures; the B Film, exploitation and creativity; Hollywood and Greek cinema
- The social, political and cultural impacts of digital media; digital media and interpersonal interaction; digital inclusion/exclusion; digital research in the social sciences.
Further resources
- How to write a research proposal
Find a scholarship
- AHRC - NW Consortium DTP
Research themes
Our research themes are:
- Political communication
- American cinema
- Political, independent and alternative cinema
- Gender and media
- Media and human rights
- Media and war
- New media and digital communication
- Media discourse
- Global entertainment and media industries
- Broadcasting and public interest media
- Media, space and place.
We can offer you:
⦁ Excellent library facilities ⦁ Opportunities for interdisciplinary inputs if you're pursuing a research degree ⦁ High quality research methods training ⦁ A regular programme of communication and media seminars open to everyone ⦁ An annual PGR conference, usually held in May, for research students. This is open to all.
Research groups
⦁ Culture, Space and Memory
⦁ Discourse and Society
⦁ Media, Politics and Society
⦁ Screen and Film Studies
Study options and fees
The fees stated in the table above exclude potential research support fees also known as ‘bench fees’. You will be notified of any fee which may apply in your offer letter.
* Please note that if you are undertaking a PhD within the Faculty of Science and Engineering the fee you pay, Band A or Band B, will reflect the nature of your research project. Some research projects incur a higher fee than others e.g. if you are required to undertake laboratory work. You will be informed of the fee for your programme in your offer letter.
^ Self-funded, full-time international students studying a PhD programme classified as Band A will receive a £2,000 reduction in their fees for the first year only.
Entry requirements
The department offers postgraduate degrees, both taught and by thesis and has specific policies towards international students and those wishing to study part time. The department fully embraces the University’s Equal Opportunities strategy and works closely with the Student Welfare and Disability Team, the International Office and the English Language Support Unit, to provide appropriate facilities for students with additional needs including English language support and adaptive and assistive technologies.
Candidates wishing to be considered for registration onto one of our higher degrees should possess a good Honours degree (2:1 or equivalent).
English language requirements
How to apply.
Research degree applications can be made online. You'll also need to ensure that you have funding to cover all fees.
Applications are open all year round .
More about applying for research degrees
Apply online
Formal applications are made online and are open all year round. Before you submit a formal application we strongly recommend you complete this form for an initial evaluation of your proposed project and its compatibility with the research interests of our staff.
If you require further information, you can contact the Departmental Director of Postgraduate Research Dr Alyssa Grossman. Email: [email protected]
Find a supervisor
View staff list
Need help finding a supervisor? Contact us
Related studentships: self-funded and funded phd projects, related doctoral training partnerships.
Doctoral Training Partnerships support future researchers with funding and a rewarding learning environment where you can collaborate with leading researchers.
We offer a range of scholarships to help you meet the costs of studying a research degree.
See scholarships
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