phd media

Journalism and Media

Doctoral program.

Our doctoral program is among the best programs in journalism and media in the U.S.  Led by faculty with distinguished research and publication records – many with professional journalism or media experience – our program is designed to equip students with a strong theoretical grounding and versatile research methods.  Graduates of our four-year program can go on to positions in the academy, and they also may join think tanks, advocacy and non-governmental organizations and professional associations working with information and media systems.   

We offer a far-reaching array of electives and research opportunities. The faculties’ fields of interest broadly include news and media engagement; online incivility; digital media; mis and disinformation; the digital divide and information equity; media law and policy, including the impact of Artificial Intelligence and algorithms on media; journalism and democracy; global media systems; media and representation; visual communication studies; critical data studies; social media and platform studies; media economics, among other topics.  Please look at  faculty bios  and description of research opportunities  to learn more about current projects.   

Our program incorporates many opportunities to undertake research independently or to work with groups associated with research centers, institutes or research groups. We have an excellent record of participation with the major professional associations including the Association for Education in Journalism and Media Communication ( AEJ MC ), the International Communication Association ( ICA ),  the International Association of Media and Communication Research ( IAMCR ), the Association of Internet Research ( AoIR ), as well as smaller highly focused forums such as The Research Conference on Communications, Information and Internet Policy. 

Interdisciplinary Work

Our students also participate with the many interdisciplinary  Portfolio Programs  on campus.  Moody College is home to three such programs, including the  Communication, Information and Cultural Policy  program focused on media systems, directed by some of our faculty.  Additionally, summer internships with professional or research programs are sometimes sponsored by associated research institutes.  Students have taken advantage of UT’s  Archer Program , and the multi-University COMPASS program associated with the Technology and Information Policy Institute.   

Program of Work 2023-2024

Doctoral Handbook 2023-2024

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Media Agency of the Year

Phd is adweek’s global media agency of the year, with a new global ceo, $775 million in new business and an evolving internal philosophy, the omnicom agency is on the rise.

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PHD is on a mission to understand the future generation of marketing, one that will be completely reshaped by technology. For the past decade, it has been ahead of the game when it comes to focusing on the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning to drive marketing transformation.

That’s in part because it’s stuck close to parent company Omnicom Media Group (OMG), allowing PHD to grow its tech offerings at scale. In 2018, OMG introduced a centralized platform, Omni, that helps its agencies and clients create, plan and execute ad campaigns using data. From there, the tech offerings have evolved with OMG’s integration of generative AI technology in partnership with Microsoft. And in 2023, the parent company introduced the agency-as-a-platform (AaaP) model , which tackles clients’ problems with technology and tools.

This data-centric culture has allowed PHD to help its clients reach untapped demographics and craft media-planning strategies that marry creativity with technology. Clients have responded favorably, as PHD has retained 97% of its accounts and produced a net new business gain of $775 million with revenue growth of 10% projected for the year. New clients included Uber, McCain Foods and Grupo Bimbo. Named as ADWEEK’s Global Media Agency of the Year, PHD employs around 6,500 people in 81 offices across 74 countries, a worldwide reach that has helped it win global accounts such as Uber’s $500 million account.

During its search for a media agency partner, Uber narrowed in on three key factors: talent, technology and agility, Lee Walsh, global head of media at Uber, told ADWEEK.

“We were impressed with the capabilities and sophistication of the Omnicom tool stack. This gives us the platform to deliver greater sophistication to our campaign segmentation, activation and measurement,” Walsh said.

McCain Foods (U.S.), Nielson Financial Services (U.K.), Planeta DeAgostini (Spain and Italy), Stena Line (Europe), Mobily (Dubai), Pelago (Singapore), Rohto (Hong Kong), GetYourGuide (France), and Spin Master (Mexico).

Electrolux (Asia), Sky Betting & Gaming (U.K.), A2A (Italy), Fortum (Nordics), Rover.com (U.S.), VIVO Healthcare (India), Sun Life Financial (Hong Kong), Red Bull (Australia), G.J. Gardner Homes (New Zealand) and Unilever (Australia).

Omnicom policy precludes sharing revenue at the individual agency level; however, it did share a year-over-year percentage of growth projected at 10% for PHD in 2023.

Strategic moves:

PHD’s global client president, Francesca Hills, led the development and launch of an environmental, social and governance (ESG) platform across all of the media network’s agencies. The platform is an end-to-end solution that operationalizes ESG-driven investment. Housed within Omni Studio and aggregating the best ESG tools and activations from across the network, the platform includes a global shared knowledge database; private sustainability and DEI marketplaces; and customized tools for planning, optimization and measurement.

PHD’s leadership is 47% female and 53% male in the C-suite, with senior management at 53% female and 43% male. In addition, 10% of mid- to senior-management roles are held by employees identifying as LGBTQ+. The agency has also introduced initiatives to identify and empower the next generation of BIPOC talent and leadership, such as inclusive hiring manager training.

A watershed year

2023 was a watershed year for PHD with the introduction of a new global chief executive. Guy Marks (formerly CEO of OMG EMEA) succeeded Philippa Brown , who stepped down after four years at the helm, bringing the agency closer to the parent group.

Another chief executive change was made with U.S. CEO Catherine Sullivan being replaced by U.S. chief operating officer Mike Solomon.

Last year, OMG also rolled out its AaaP model, which PHD and other OMG agencies offer to their clients as a multifaceted and flexible service with technology and tools centralized through Omnicom’s operating system, Omni. The road map for this strategy was set out within Shift: a Marketing Rethink, a book written by the agency’s long-standing chief strategy officer, Mark Holden.

“That strategy is focused on the complexity in our industry, how marketing has fragmented exponentially, [and] agencies such as PHD need to solve that for clients,” said Marks, who added PHD must bring simplicity and easy access to talent and capabilities because every brand has different needs based on scale, maturity and internal expertise.

Centralized platform Omni allows OMG agencies and their clients to create, plan and execute ad campaigns using data. Last year, that proposition evolved with the integration of gen AI technology in partnership with Microsoft.

Core to the strategy is the aim to decentralize the agency’s expertise, which clients are able to access through Omni Studio. The company hopes this studio can transform the entire communication strategy and planning process.

Omni Studio, launched in 2018, allows PHD’s strategists to collaborate to create online campaigns, producing 70,000 unique ideas from across the agency. Each week, it estimates that nearly three-quarters of account teams, strategists and planners work together across the platform to brainstorm ideas.

Another service currently in beta and set for release this year is AI virtual assistant Omni Assist, which provides insights, recommendations and notifications to reduce the time from planning to activation.

Holden, who has led the agency’s AI adoption, explained that the system was plugged into Omni Studio, acting as a utility that will be used to retrain people to work with AI.

“When you can work with AI to condense information down quickly, the role of the individual is to make a judgment on things as opposed to actually doing the work or even generating. We’ve got, in a beta form, AI within Omni generating channel ideas,” Holden explained.

Susanne Grundmann, chief global client officer of OMG Germany, claims Omni Studio has helped shape the planning process within the business, not just creating an output for clients but creating a consistent and collaborative process for the workforce as well.

“It comes with a unique culture and identification of our talent that is much stronger than I have experienced in any other agency brand,” said Grundmann. “People working in different parts of the agency, coming together to work on innovations on best practices … In my view, it started within the strategy community and is now becoming stronger in other areas of the business.”

Another addition to the agency’s proposition is Omnicom’s acquisition of Ascential’s digital commerce division Flywheel for $835 million.

The platform allows retail clients to monitor and measure ecommerce performance in near-real time as they aim to improve their sales and market share. This will now be integrated within Omni, bringing with it a new data infrastructure for the network.

Major new business wins

Since adopting the AaaP strategy, PHD has won billions of dollars of new business, following up the $500 million Burger King and Kimberly-Clark EMEA accounts in 2022 with another $500 million win with Uber and a $300 million win with baked goods manufacturer Grupo Bimbo.

Previously held by EssenceMediacom, the prestigious Uber contract is split regionally, with the majority being spent in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, the U.K., Japan, Australia and Mexico.

“[We operate] in a fast-paced and highly competitive environment,” said Uber’s Walsh. “We needed a partner that could move at speed whilst still producing best-in-class work. PHD demonstrated a deep understanding of our industry and built agile processes that match the pace at which we operate.”

Other wins included McCain Foods in the U.S., Stena Line in Europe, Mobily in Dubai, and several more local contracts. It also retained business with Dr. Oetker in Norway, Unilever in Taiwan, CITIC Bank in Hong Kong and Tourisme Montréal in Canada. At the beginning of this year, PHD also kept hold of HP’s global media account.

Volkswagen’s $3 billion-plus review account is still in review. However, PHD continues to service it while the mandatory review process, which includes PHD as the incumbent, is ongoing.

A global reach within OMG

The PHD brand is an important one to Omnicom, underlines Marks, as rival agency networks consolidate and dispose of long-established entities. And that is evident from the years it has spent building its innovative culture.

“The most important part of any media agency is the people. PHD demonstrated a strong track record of in-house training, a meaningful commitment to DE&I and a culture of innovation,” said Walsh.

The AaaP strategy was significant in creating a unique culture across the business because it takes the viewpoint of the client and supports them across all of their brand needs, according to U.S. CEO Solomon.

“I look at what that’s done for how we started to think about other teams inside of our network. How we service the Diageo business, and with the Uber business we thought about the kind of skill sets that come in there,” Solomon added. “The real beauty of it is that over the course of the last year and a half, it shaped everything about how we build and think about those solutions and how we start to focus more on the outcomes and the business and not so much just on … media inputs and outputs.”

According to Marie Lee, vice president of media and digital performance marketing at Princess Cruises, the agency team also operates as a navigation partner that guides her through an increasingly fragmented landscape.

“My goal is to deliver advertising experiences that are on par with their guest experience. And I want to differentiate our brand and tell our story in innovative and creative ways that inspire our audiences. What’s great about PHD and the work that I’ve done with them in the past year is that their team is as passionate about our brand and our vision and is committed to our success as much as we are,” she told ADWEEK.

Key campaigns

In November 2023, toy and entertainment company Spin Master introduced its latest fantasy adventure series, Unicorn Academy, on Netflix. PHD helped it rank on the streamer’s Top 10 for kids’ content to ensure it would be renewed.

Due to competitive limitations, advertising on TV and streaming channels was off-limits, leading the team, working through Omni Studio, to implement a two-leveled strategy.

With a budget of less than $5 million, this began with the use of seeding through YouTube and running ads across all networks simultaneously. On launch weekend, a takeover of all major original equipment manufacturers’ screens took place during peak kid viewing periods. This included easy clickthrough to content, which was achieved through strategic media units across the campaign that created a single path for viewers to reach Unicorn Academy content on YouTube and Netflix.

The target was achieved, with the series becoming the most watched of the Top 10 list on Netflix Kids with 15 million hours viewed and another 30 million views on the YouTube channel. The result? A series renewal.

As it aimed to reach the highly sought under-40 demographic, ANZ Bank in Australia and New Zealand had to consider its lack of relevance to a younger audience. It identified sports and gaming as two of their key passions, deciding to focus on the development of a sports-centric gaming environment for the brand.

With video game NBA 2K set to launch in the region September 2023, PHD helped ANZ integrate within software updates to feature and serve the brand’s creative to an Australian audience. In-game activity such as the Half Court Challenge offered ANZ player engagement opportunities through a custom court skin, which allowed players to capture themselves making a half-court shot and awarded prizes to select winners. The campaign drove 67,000 clickthroughs to the ANZ Financial Wellbeing page.

A locker code giveaway allowed gamers aged 16-plus to exchange their contact details via the microsite for a unique locker code, redeemable for 15,000 in virtual in-game currency. With a budget of $330,000 (500,000 Australian dollars), PHD beat the KPI of generating 5,000 leads by 117% and delivered 36 million impressions and over 10,000 livestream views on social.

PHD partnered with cloud and digital consultancy Kerv to extend Audi’s national campaign into a hypertargeted program across key local markets. The teams were aiming for an easy, cost-effective strategy across OTT and CTV. They launched a first-to-market ad experience that used Kerv’s patented AI/machine learning image recognition technology to deliver a highly localized and personalized ad experience at scale, ultimately driving user engagement and regional awareness. They used Dynamic Destination, an ad service offered by Kerv that links to personalized landing pages and operates with inputs such as location, time of day and weather, to inform advertisers of real-time environments.

Featuring videos that were accessed through QR codes within Audi’s ads, viewers were able to connect with their local dealerships. The activity earned 98% video completion rates with over 23,000 minutes spent with the brand.

This story first appeared in the Feb. 20, 2024, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Stephen Lepitak

• @stephenlepitak
• [email protected]

Stephen is Adweek's Europe bureau chief based in Glasgow.

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February 21 2024

Phd is adweek global media agency of the year.

PHD has been named ADWEEK’s Global Media Agency of the Year. 2023 saw PHD retain 97% of client accounts, gain $775 million in new business, achieve a global reach within OMG, and marked the year Guy Marks took to the helm as global CEO.

Read the ADWEEK PDF download here.

Related news

Award Wins, News

Phd secures the top spot in the warc media 100 rankings as the highest-ranked network for the first time.

PHD Global Wins Grand Prix at Internationalist Awards for Innovative Digital Solutions 2023

PHD wins Agency Network of the Year at the Festival of Media Cause Campaign Awards 2023

2024 Best Online PhD in Media Studies [Doctorate Guide]

If you’re fascinated by the relationship between people and the media that surrounds us, a PhD in Media Studies might be an advantageous path for you to explore.

Those who earn a PhD in Media Studies have a unique opportunity to conduct further research into how media and media consumption impact us culturally, socially, and emotionally—and vice versa.

Editorial Listing ShortCode:

From content to creation, those who pursue a doctorate in media studies learn how to analyze, interpret, and research the many types of media and how people connect with them.

Universities Offering Online PhD in Media Studies Degree Program

Methodology: The following school list is in alphabetical order. To be included, a college or university must be regionally accredited and offer degree programs online or in a hybrid format.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Indiana University of Pennsylvania offers a PhD in Media and Communication Studies. This is a flexible program designed for working professionals. Classes meet on weekends and use a blend of online and face-to-face components. Students may join either a full-time or part-time cohort. Full-time students take three classes per semester, and part-time students take two per semester.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Liberty University

Liberty University’s PhD in Strategic Media requires 60 credit hours and takes an average of 3 years to complete. Classes are 8 weeks long and available 100% online. Coursework includes Digital and Strategic Communication Orientation I, Digital and Strategic Communication Audience Measurement, Social, Mobile, and Online Media Analytics, and more.

Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Regent University

Regent University offers a PhD in Communication. The degree can be earned mostly online, but students are required to participate in a 1 week summer residency on campus.

The program requires the completion of 56 to 64 credit hours and teaches from a Christian worldview. Coursework includes Communication Research: Historical and Critical Methodologies, Communication Research: Applied Methods, History of Communication, and more.

Regent University  is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Technical Communication and Rhetoric that can be earned in a hybrid online and in-person format. The program requires the completion of 60 credit hours. The curriculum covers topics such as visual rhetoric, new media, and the rhetoric of science and healthcare.

Texas Tech University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

University of Alabama

The University of Alabama offers a Doctorate in Communication and Information Sciences. Students can choose from a variety of concentrations. Options include Health Communication, Book and Publishing Studies, Advertising and Public Relations, Interpersonal Communication, Media Processes and Effects, and more.

The University of Alabama is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Online PhD in Media Studies Programs

The term “media” covers many forms of visual communication, from film studies to television and new media, such as gaming and other online avenues.

Those who pursue an online PhD in Media Studies have the opportunity to tailor their degree to focus on a specific concentration. Most programs, though, require students to take courses that focus on history, policy, technique, and theory to develop their research and analytical skills.

Media studies is a unique field that ties together art and humanities. As such, you’ll likely explore different styles of media as well as the evolution of various types of media. You may be asked to look at the local and global impact of media as well. Your studies may ask you to consider the creative process, methodology, and cause and effect relations of media as well as the social, psychological, and moral impact of media.

Many professionals who hold a doctorate in media studies go on to pursue careers in:

• Higher education
• Public relations
• Media creation

Doctoral programs for media studies generally let you pursue a specific path in your courses to help you prepare for your specialized career goals. Students interested in public relations may want to look into the online public relations degree options that a number of universities offer.

Media and Communication Careers & Salaries

Earning a doctorate in media studies can put you on a path to a variety of careers related to media and communications.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , media and communication occupations are expected to see 14% job growth over the next ten years.

Depending on your chosen focus for your doctorate in media studies, you may consider a future career in a variety of fields that relate to print, broadcast, cinematic, and online media formats.

Some professionals pursue a career in marketing or advertising, while others work in the media and public relations department of a corporation or political campaign. Media studies experts might also work as network executives or content producers. Those with a PhD may also pursue opportunities to research and teach in a college or university.

Media Studies Doctorate Curriculum & Courses

While each school will have its own curriculum for doctoral programs in media studies, the courses offered will likely include both required and elective courses, such as:

• Evolution of Film, Television, and New Media : This course explores the history of various types of media, from invention to present day.
• Media and Communication Theory : In this course, students will learn about different goals and methods of delivery in media.
• Qualitative Research in Media : This course examines how to carefully research and understand how people experience and interact with media.
• Quantitative Research in Media : This course studies how to research statistics and create case studies regarding media impact.
• Global Communication Theory : The internet allows us to share media around the world instantly, and this course explores the results.
• Regional Culture and Media : Regional nuances lead to differences in media creation and consumption, which will be reviewed in this course.
• Politics and Communication : In this course, you’ll examine how media and communication tactics are used in political situations.
• Impact of Media on Children : This course allows students the opportunity to research methods of creating and outcomes of media on children.
• Gender and Media Studies : This course evaluates social and cultural views of gender that are often reflected in mass media.
• Historical Media Policy : Over time, many laws and regulations have been placed on various media outlets, and this course will cover them.

Each program and school will have its own unique curriculum, so you may wish to take a close look at each program’s requirements before applying.

Admissions Requirements

Much like with programs leading to an online master’s in media studies , each online doctoral program for media studies will have its own requirements for admissions, so it’s strategic to review a school’s specific guidelines before submitting an application. Many schools require the following:

• GRE or GMAT scores (only some schools require them)
• Transcripts from undergraduate and graduate school
• Master’s degree in communication, media studies, or related field
• Personal statement, including goals and intent
• Letters of recommendation

Many schools also require students to complete an online application and provide a writing sample, which would be outlined in their admissions requirements.

Media Studies PhD Programs Accreditation

Many students who pursue their media studies PhD look for programs that are regionally accredited. These multimedia degree online or on-campus programs have been recognized for their educational excellence and adhere to national higher learning standards. There are potentially many benefits to choosing an accredited program.

Attending an accredited school is often an eligibility requirement for federal financial aid and other scholarship programs. Future employers and professional associations may also give preference to candidates who earned their degree at an accredited institution.

Each school should share their accreditation status, or you can visit the US Department of Education ’s website to search for the status of a specific school.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Many schools provide a variety of resources for students who could use assistance paying for their tuition. Financial aid options can include scholarships and grants as well as teaching fellowships.

You might also choose to take a closer look at national, needs-based financial assistance programs. To determine if you qualify for a federal work-study program or other federal loans and grants, you can complete the online FAFSA , or Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Additionally, you may qualify for educational assistance through your employer. Some companies offer grants or reimbursements to employees who are furthering their education. Other aid options include financial awards that are offered through community or private sponsors.

Is Media a Good Career?

Yes, media is a good career for many professionals. There are many roles to be explored within the field of media. Many doctoral graduates pursue a career in teaching. Others pursue leadership or senior positions in the media and communication field. The median salary for management occupations is $109,760 (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Some professionals apply their training to advertising and marketing fields, in which their understanding of media impact can help them create and manage effective campaigns. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates an expected increase in employment for each of these fields. For example, employment for media and communication positions is expected to grow 14% over the next ten years, which is faster than average.

What Can You Do with a Media Studies PhD?

Professionals who earn a media studies PhD may pursue a variety of careers related to the focus and concentration they select during their studies. For example, those who examine the cultural impact of media on certain groups of people may work in politics or public relations.

Those who follow the impact of advertising across various media formats may continue into a role as an advertising executive. Those who quantify how people consume media may work for media outlets such as television networks or publishing houses. PhD holders also tend to pursue roles in research and academia.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Ph.D. in Media Studies Online?

Depending on the number of credit hours required, you can generally complete your doctorate in media studies in 3 to 5 years when studying full-time.

Many programs ask students to complete a dissertation or symposium to demonstrate their cumulative knowledge and research on a specific topic. This can include several credit hours of research or practical immersion into a media field.

A dissertation component will likely add to your time to completion. A doctoral program that does not require a dissertation may be completed in 3 years with full-time study.

How Much Does a PhD in Media Studies Cost?

The cost of a PhD in Media Studies depends on the program you choose. Some programs ask online students to pay by the credit hour, while others ask students to pay by the semester. You can take a look at the tuition fee schedule for each school for specifics.

Although tuition will vary between schools, many students pay around $400 to $1,300 per credit hour for doctoral programs in media studies. You may be asked to pay administrative fees as well, which is usually outlined in each school’s tuition fee guide.

What’s the Difference Between Journalism vs. Media Studies?

Journalism and media studies are different types of studies that can overlap.

Journalism focuses on:

• Researching current events
• Reporting news
• Producing and distributing true accounts

These stories can be shared or broadcast across a variety of media, including television, internet, print, and radio. On the other hand, media studies focuses on subjects such as:

• Media research and theory
• The relationship between media and gender, religion, sexuality, and age
• The impact culture, society, and media have on each other

Media studies includes all types of media, including text, digital, visual, and audio as well as film, games, and internet applications.

What’s the Difference Between Communication Studies vs. Media Studies?

Communication studies and media studies are closely linked, but they are not exactly the same.

While there is some interdisciplinary overlap, communication studies focuses on the message, while media studies emphasizes how a message is delivered.

Is a Doctorate in Media Studies Worth It?

Yes, a doctorate in media studies is worth it for many students. If you enjoy researching and analyzing a variety of different methods, theories, styles, and applications of media, a doctorate in media studies can open the doors to advanced career possibilities.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 14% job growth for media and communication occupations and 12% job growth for postsecondary teachers over the next ten years. If you are currently involved in a media career, a doctoral program can let you further your studies in humanities or communications to focus on a specific type or overall impact of media.

Getting Your PhD in Media Studies Online

If you are interested in getting your PhD in Media Studies degree online , there is no time like the present to start researching and considering your options.

You can take a look at a variety of programs in new media studies online to determine which one best fits your personal interests and aligns with your future career goals. You can also explore the curriculum for the various online degree programs in communications to see if the required and elective courses reflect your own focus.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that employment opportunities in advertising, education, and media creation are on the rise. If you’re ready to enhance your expertise and qualifications in these fields, why not start exploring accredited universities offering digital media degrees online or on-campus today?

• PhD in Communications & Media

The ICR has one of the most renowned communications Ph.D. programs in the world. Students in the program study such topics as media economics, organization and structure; media policy; political economy of the media; new technologies and new media; telecommunications; advertising and consumer research; journalism studies; media ethics; media and communications history; social and cultural studies of science and medicine; popular culture and film; race, ethnicity and gender; democracy and the media; and global/international communications. Recent Ph.D. dissertations have addressed a wide range of topics, from intellectual property and cultural production in Africa, to the history of sound technology, Chilean television infrastructure and policy, and advertising regulation and post-Mao journalism in China.

The ICR attracts many international students from such countries as Austria, Argentina, Barbados, Canada, China, Germany, Ghana, Ireland, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Russia and Turkey. Our graduate student body has been extremely successful in terms of research grants and fellowships both on campus and nationally, and recent graduates are employed internationally in institutions such as McGill University, UC-San Diego, Rutgers, the University of New Hampshire, CUNY Queens, the University of Chicago and Texas A & M.

Today, nearly everyone recognizes the importance of knowing everything possible about communication. Information technologies, media mergers and computer marvels are daily convention. Intellectually significant research on communication is not commonplace, however. Work of enduring quality develops from comprehending the gravity and stature of the subject, and communication is among the most challenging and fascinating areas that humankind has been inspired to address.

Its proper study crosses the boundaries of established academic disciplines and draws upon a holistic intellectual heritage grounded in the liberal arts, in the traditions of social scientific research and cultural interpretation, and in a thoroughgoing spirit of critical inquiry. This conceptual pursuit of the highest order requires preeminent standards of imagination, academic rigor and historical awareness.

These are qualities the Institute of Communications Research at the University of Illinois has nurtured in establishing its distinctive reputation. The Institute has encouraged innovative doctoral work, while striving to appreciate more deeply why the study of communication has endured through human history. These Web pages provide a glimpse into the Institute's intellectual environment, and they should be viewed only as a starting point. You can gain a richer understanding by discussing with faculty members and doctoral students how their special interests may relate to your own. We encourage you to do that, either through a phone call or a personal visit to the Illinois campus.

• Director of Graduate Studies:  Amanda Ciafone

Office location: 119 Gregory Hall, 810 S. Wright St., Urbana, IL Phone: 217-333-1549

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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

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PhD in Media Study

The Department of Media Study’s PhD is one of a small set of innovative doctoral programs in experimental media theory and practice-led research in the United States. This program responds to the rapid development and transformation of media due to advances in digital technologies and to the growing number of artist-scholar-researchers working in technology-based art forms.

A new community of artist-scholar-researchers has emerged in the spaces between media art practice, the humanities and the sciences. This work is not easily categorized and often spans disciplines that traditionally have little overlap. Students of this program become experts in the hybrid set of conceptual and technical abilities that this field requires while they engage with the aesthetic, political and social challenges of media making. The department offers courses in film and video production, interactive media, digital media, physical computing, media networks and web-based media.

Learning Environment

This doctoral program is designed to create a framework for practice-led and scholarly research into media arts. Commensurate with the traditional PhD framework, most of the credits are earned in research and independent study. Consequently, students are free to organize their course of study around specific research trajectories. Coursework gives students opportunity to showcase and critique their work with peers. Students work closely with members of the faculty who share their research area. The dissertation combines both written and production components in a proportion and manner appropriate to the student’s area of research. The program only requires that the conversation between these two components be substantial and original. This PhD is most obviously appropriate for artists who plan to conduct their research in an academic context. However, the PhD is equally appropriate for media artists who want to explore the theoretical implications of their work or for ‘scholarly’ researchers who want to move from the purely discursive to explore practice-based research. This program is designed to be completed in five to six years. 

Program Requirements

Seventy-two credit hours are required, and students are expected to create a substantial and original media project to accompany their doctoral dissertation.

The PhD Requirements Manual offers a more comprehensive explanation of degree requirements. 

See Brad Hendricks  [email protected] for forms.

Description of required coursework follows:

Production (9 credits): PhD students must be literate in media creation. (This category was previously Methods of Making.) Students should discuss with their  faculty advisor whether any particular courses in this category would benefit them.

Media Theory and History (18 credits):  The required course DMS 570, Media Theory, provides a graduate-level introduction to media theory and research methodologies. Additional media theory and history courses prepare students to take their qualifying exams and eventually to contribute original research to the field. The preliminary media theory course should be taken in the first semester, the other two media theory courses should be taken in the semester prior to the qualifying exam.

PhD Seminars and Research Ethics (6 credits):  Students are encouraged to take these courses (I and II) in semester 1 and semester 4. PhD Seminar I focuses on research methods and practices; PhD Seminar II focuses on research strategies and preparation of manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Students will identify appropriate professional journals, publication venues and conferences for the presentation of their doctoral research. Students must also pass a research ethics course, either by taking a 2 credit seminar (PHI 640 or RPN 541) or by completing the online Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) with a passing score of 80% or higher. Students taking the CITI course must submit documentation of their successful completion of the course with their Application to Candidacy.

Directed Electives (30 credits):  Students may choose any UB graduate courses that support their doctoral research, chosen in consultation with their faculty advisor. Students must keep records (course work and syllabi) of all course activities performed outside of DMS. This information will become important when applying for candidacy. Some directed electives (at least 8 credits) must be taken in additional media theory classes.

Dissertation and Project Guidance (9 credits):  Thesis and project work is usually credited by registering for DMS 598 project supervision during one of the last three semesters, and DMS 702 Dissertation guidance in the final two semesters, in any combination of credits suited to the work.

Required Coursework outside DMS:  Students must take at least 3 classes outside of DMS as part of their requirements for the major. Usually these courses will be used for electives and will be chosen in concert with the student’s faculty advisor. Use of these courses for PhD requirements, other than as electives, must be approved by the DGS. Students are required to keep documentation (syllabi, semester papers, etc.) for these courses. All credits must be in graduate level courses External Courses (counted under electives or other categories)(500 level and above).

Requirements for Student Starting Prior to Fall 2021

Production (8 credits)

Media Theory and History (12 credits)

PhD Seminar I and II (8 credits)

Research Ethics (0 credits, or counted under electives)

Directed Electives (38 credits) Includes at least 8 additional credits of Media Theory and History

Dissertation and Project Guidance (6 credits)

[Includes at least 3 classes outside of DMS]

Apply Today!

Join a community of scholars and researchers working together to solve pressing global problems.  We are committed to recruiting the very best PhD students and preparing doctoral students for career success. UB features:

• World-class faculty experts  mentor PhD students in a dynamic research and learning environment. Students can focus on their research and scholarship alongside renowned faculty while preparing for the careers and professions that await them after graduation.
• A city on the rise.  Buffalo, N.Y. offers affordable housing, arts, culture and community.  Learn more about Buffalo .

PhD Funding Opportunities

• Academic year stipends of $23,000  for all full-time, funded PhD students on 10-month academic teaching assistant, research assistant or graduate assistant appointments.
• UB’s stipend levels are competitive among public Association of American Universities (AAU) member institutions.
• Arthur A. Schomburg Fellowship Program : To be eligible for a Schomburg Fellowship, candidates must contribute to the diversity of the student body, and can demonstrate that they have overcome a disadvantage or other impediment to success in higher education. Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible to receive Schomburg Fellowships.
• Presidential Fellowships :  To be eligible for Presidential Fellowships, candidates must meet the criteria listed on the Presidential Fellowship page. Both domestic and international students are eligible, if they meet these criteria. For any questions regarding funding for academic year 2024–2025, contact the director of graduate studies or department chair.

Learn more about the Department of Media Study Graduate Programs

• 10/17/23 Graduate Overview
• 11/17/23 Meet Our Faculty
• 12/11/23 Current Graduate Students

380 Academic Center

Phone: (716) 645-6242

[email protected]

251 Center For The Arts

Phone: (716) 645-0927

[email protected]

Research Areas: Documentary Theory and Practice; Media and Activism; Intersectional Politics and Aesthetics; History of the Interview; Labor

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

• MEDIA ROOM /
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Vincent Lloyd, PhD, Named 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship Recipient

VILLANOVA, Pa. (April 19, 2024) – Vincent Lloyd, PhD, a professor of Theology and Religious Studies and Director of the Center for Political Theology at Villanova University, has been named a 2024 Guggenheim Fellow . Chosen through a rigorous application and peer review process from a pool of almost 3,000 applicants, Dr. Lloyd is one of 188 fellows selected for this prestigious fellowship based on “career achievement and exceptional promise.” In all, 52 scholarly disciplines and artistic fields, 84 academic institutions, 38 US states and the District of Columbia, and four Canadian provinces are represented in the 2024 Guggenheim Fellow class.      

Since its founding in 1925 by Senator Samuel Guggenheim, the Foundation has awarded over $400 million in fellowships to more than 19,000 fellows. Each fellow receives a monetary stipend to pursue independent work at the highest level under “the freest possible conditions.” Many Fellows’ projects directly respond to timely issues such as democracy and politics, identity, disability activism, machine learning, incarceration, climate change and community.

"Congratulations to Dr. Lloyd on this well-deserved recognition," said Adele Lindenmeyr, PhD, William and Julia Moulden Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. "The Guggenheim Fellowship is among the most prestigious awards in academia, recognizing individuals whose work demonstrates exceptional depth, promise and impact. Dr. Lloyd’s selection reflects his distinguished scholarly reputation and the timeliness of his compelling new project on the controversial Black intellectual and radical, Harold Cruse."

Selected as a Guggenheim Fellow in discipline of Intellectual & Cultural History, Dr. Lloyd’s research and teaching focuses on issues and trends related to religion in politics and race, and their impact on social change. Most recently, he is the author of  Black Dignity: The Struggle Against Domination  (Yale University Press), co-author of  Break Every Yoke: Religion, Justice, and the Abolition of Prisons  (Oxford University Press), and co-editor of the forthcoming  Political Theology Reimagined  (Duke University Press). Dr. Lloyd has co-edited the journal  Political Theology  for the past 12 years, and he co-edits the Transforming Political Theologies book series. Dr. Lloyd previously held fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies, the Louisville Institute, Durham University (UK), Emory University and Notre Dame.

During his Guggenheim Fellowship, Dr. Lloyd will be writing  Harold Cruse: Contrarian Radical , a biography of one of the forgotten founders of Black studies, to be published by Yale University Press.

About the Guggenheim Foundation : Created and initially funded in 1925, by US Senator Simon and Olga Guggenheim in memory of their son John Simon, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has sought to “further the development of scholars and artists by assisting them to engage in research in any field of knowledge and creation in any of the arts, under the freest possible conditions.”

Since its establishment, the Foundation has granted over $400 million in Fellowships to more than 19,000 individuals, among whom are more than 125 Nobel laureates, members of all the national academies, winners of the Pulitzer Prize, Fields Medal, Turing Award, Bancroft Prize, National Book Award, and other internationally recognized honors. The broad range of fields of study is a unique characteristic of the Fellowship program.

The Foundation centers the talents and instincts of the Fellows, whose passions often have broad and immediate social impact. For example, in 1936, Zora Neale Hurston wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God with the support of a Guggenheim Fellowship and dedicated it to the Foundation’s first president, Henry Allen Moe. Photographer Robert Frank’s seminal book, The Americans, was the product of a cross-country tour supported by two Guggenheim Fellowships. The accomplishments of other early Fellows like e.e. cummings, Jennifer Doudna, Jacob Lawrence, Rachel Carson, James Baldwin, Martha Graham, and Linus Pauling also demonstrate the strength of the Foundation’s core values and the power and impact of its approach. More information at gf.org

About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation’s top universities, Villanova supports its students’ intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu .

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