Media and Cultural Studies MPhil, PhD

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

An MPhil is available in all subject areas. You receive research training and undertake original research leading to the completion of a 40,000 - 50,000 word thesis.

Find out about different types of postgraduate qualifications

A PhD is a doctorate or doctoral award. It involves original research that should make a significant contribution to the knowledge of a specific subject. To complete the PhD you will produce a substantial piece of work (80,000 – 100,000 words) in the form of a supervised thesis. A PhD usually takes three years full time.

Find out about different types of postgraduate qualifications

Attendance is flexible and agreed between you and your supervisors depending on the requirements of the research project.

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

• Thesis
• Viva

We offer a wide range of projects for the thesis. These will be provided by our academics. You can also propose your own topic.

Our mission is to help you:

• stay healthy, positive and feeling well
• overcome any challenges you may face during your degree – academic or personal
• get the most out of your postgraduate research experience
• carry out admin and activities essential to progressing through your degree
• understand postgraduate research processes, standards and rules

We can offer you tailored wellbeing support, courses and activities.

You can also access a broad range of workshops covering:

• research and professional skills
• careers support
• wellbeing
• health and safety
• public engagement
• academic development

Find out more about our postgraduate research student support

PhD Supervision

• Celebrity: Dr Gareth Longstaff, Dr Bethany Usher
• Critical Studies of the Environment: Dr Tina Sikka
• Cultural Politics of Food: Dr Tina Sikka
• Democracy and Political Communication: Dr Joss Hands, Dr Darren Kelsey, Dr Majid Khosravinik, Dr Tina Sikka, Dr Florian Zollman
• Digital Media Studies and Activism: Dr James Ash, Dr Karren Ross, Dr Deborah Chambers, Dr Darren Kelsey, Dr Joss Hands, Dr Majid Khosravinik
• Film Practice: Dr Geetha Jayaraman, Dr Ian McDonald, Dr Alastair Cole, Dr Raisa Sidenova
• Gender, Identity and Media: Dr Deborah Chambers, Dr Karen Ross, Dr Chris Haywood, Dr Gareth Longstaff, Dr Tina Sikka
• Gender, Health, and Science: Dr Tina Sikka
• Journalism: Dr David Baines, Dr Murray Dick, Dr Darren Kelsey, Dr Florian Zollman, Dr Karen Ross, Dr Bethany Usher
• Masculinity/Masculinities: Dr Clifton Evers, Dr Chris Haywood, Dr Gareth Longstaff
• Media and Myth: Dr Darren Kelsey
• Mobilities and Media: Dr James Ash, Dr Deborah Chambers
• Museums, Culture, and Heritage: Dr Areti Galani, Dr Rhiannon Mason, Dr Aron Mazel, Dr Andrew Newman, Dr Peter Stone, Dr Chris Whitehead
• Pornography and Representation: Dr Gareth Longstaff, Dr Chris Haywood
• Public Relations: Dr Jonathan Ward, Dr Ramona Slusarczyk
• Queer Studies: Dr Clifton Evers, Dr Chris Haywood, Dr Gareth Longstaff
• Race and Ethnicity: Dr Tina Sikka, Dr Majid Khosravinik
• Social and Cultural Dimensions of Pollution: Dr Clifton Evers
• Sport and Leisure: Dr Clifton Evers, Dr Darren Kelsey

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information.

Home fees for research degree students

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support. You may be eligible for a scholarship worth 25% off the international fee. Search our funding database. 

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information. 

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section.

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.