SOAS University of London

Research Degrees: Media Studies

London, United Kingdom

DURATION

3 Years

LANGUAGES

English

PACE

Full time, Part time

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Request application deadline

EARLIEST START DATE

Sep 2024

TUITION FEES

GBP 22,490 / per year *

STUDY FORMAT

On-Campus

* for overseas student full-time | GBP 4,860 home student full-time | overseas student part-time: GBP 11,245 per year | home student part-time: GBP 2,430 per year

Introduction

The Centre for Global Media and Communication SOAS has an exciting doctoral research programme with a number of students working on an exceptionally wide range of topics, both theoretical and empirical, concerned with different aspects of communication and practices in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The programme places emphasis on the acquisition of critical theoretical skills and in-depth regional, political, social and cultural knowledge of global media in all its forms and practices in relation to these regions and their diasporas.

The Centre stresses interdisciplinarity and a non-Western centric focus on research in order to enhance de-colonial approaches to addressing the dynamics between communication, politics and culture as understood by and experienced by the peoples of the regions we study. This is reflected in the research undertaken by our graduates and our current cohort. Given the focus on interdisciplinarity, the centre draws upon expertise across SOAS and encourages students to approach other departments to enhance their experience and knowledge.

The PhD Programme is suited to researchers who wish to engage in a detailed study of media in Asia or Africa and to those who wish to combine media and communication studies with other disciplines, ranging from the study of language and culture through the humanities to politics, law and international relations in the social sciences.

We consider research students as central to enhancing our reputation and encourage them to take part in research seminars and give papers at national and international conferences. Some were published in academic journals.

Duration

3 years full-time or 6 years part-time

Curriculum

The research degree has two paths. The first is the standard research route comprising a thesis of 100,000 words. The second is a research stream with a practical component designed for film and media professionals who wish to combine PhD research with practical production. The research will consist of a thesis of 60,000 words with an hour of film/video production (subject to approval).

Students will be registered as a research student in the Centre for Global Media and Communication located in the School of Law, Gender and Media. Degrees are awarded by the University of London.

Your research will be guided throughout by a research committee of three staff members, consisting of two supervisors and a head of the committee, who is normally the Postgraduate Tutor. Depending on the nature of your research, there are two possible kinds of supervision.

You may either have a primary supervisor, who will be the main person responsible for guiding your research, and a second supervisor with a lesser role, who will provide additional expertise.
Alternatively, it may prove more appropriate for you to have co-supervision, commonly one supervisor being a media or film specialist, the other being a specialist in the area you are researching or the discipline that you are linking to media or film.

In the first year, you prepare for research by following an MPhil training programme. The aim of the training programme is to give you a thorough grounding in theory, methods, regional, cultural, linguistic and any special disciplinary expertise you may require for your research.

Required Courses

MPhil Training Seminar – a weekly course of seminars specially for first-year research students, the syllabus being determined by the interests and requirements of the students in that particular year
CGMC Research Seminar – a twice monthly seminar attended by the entire academic staff and student body of the Centre at which contemporary issues in media research and practice are presented by leading scholars in media and film studies, independent film directors and NGO and media activists.
Research Methods Course – a weekly course over one term, designed to provide a solid grounding in methods required for different kinds of research. It includes an emphasis on discourse and interpretive analysis.

Other elements will be agreed between you, the Postgraduate Tutor and your supervisor(s). These might include:

Global Media and Communication – you will probably be asked to take the first term of our offering in Global Media, depending on what theoretical background you already have. The aim is to provide you with a range of theoretical approaches necessary for your research.

Current Courses Include

Theoretical and Contemporary Issues in Global Media and Communication
Theoretical and Contemporary Issues in Media, Communication Technologies and Development

Further optional elements may consist of specialist disciplinary, language or regional culture courses, which you and the Centre staff agree are useful to your research.

Apart from your formal doctoral research, we encourage you to develop a portfolio, which includes downloaded and scanned materials, and smaller projects (individual or collaborative), that may well be important for your future career.

Research Degrees: Media Studies

Introduction

Duration

Curriculum

Required Courses

Current Courses Include

Program Tuition Fee

Career Opportunities

About the School

Questions