Research degrees
Communication and Media at Loughborough University is the ideal environment to pursue a PhD in a variety of subjects, supported by internationally recognised staff carrying out cutting-edge research.
As a postgraduate student, you will receive extensive training in both research methods and development of teaching skills, participate in conferences, and become part of local and international networks of researchers in your field.
Our doctoral researchers play an active role in shaping our research culture, co-organise seminars, collaborate with staff in the organisation of high-profile research events, and organise their own annual conference. Our PhD graduates have gone on to successful careers in academia, with appointments including full-time lectureships at Exeter, Keele, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool, and Loughborough, and international appointments, as well as a range of destinations in media and cultural industries.
Our staff supervise postgraduate research in five key areas: culture, economy, and policy; language and social interaction; media, memory, and history; nations and migration; and political communication. In addition, we are also supporting doctoral projects in other areas related to interests of individual staff members. Further information about our areas of supervision can be found here, and prospective applicants are also encouraged to explore individual staff research profiles before contacting a member of staff to discuss their proposal.
All doctoral students in Communication and Media are part of the Centre for Research in Communication and Culture (CRCC), the largest research centre of its kind in the UK, established in 1991. The CRCC organises a regular seminar series, as well as events and conferences, all oriented towards the interdisciplinary study of communication. The CRCC is also leading the Communication and Media pathway of the ESRC-funded Midlands Graduate School, which also provides scholarships for doctoral and postdoctoral students.
Our staff also contribute to the postgraduate summer school of the European Communication Research and Education Association. Our doctoral researchers have been showcasing their work and learn about new developments in our field at this summer school. Our department is also home to the long-established Discourse and Rhetoric Group, linked to our specialism in Language and Social Interaction. A recent addition to our department is the Online Civic Culture Doctoral Training Centre, which brings together several PhD students and staff who apply cutting-edge concepts and methods from social science and information science to understand the role of social media in shaping our civic culture.
Finally, our doctoral students also contribute to the running of the Liquid Lab, Loughborough’s Qualitative Digital Research Laboratory, which is a peer support network for doctoral researchers using qualitative methods.
3rd
in the UK for Communication and Media Studies
(Guardian University Guide 2024)
100%
of research impact rated ‘world-leading’
(Research Excellence Framework 2021)
3rd
for research quality in Communication and Media Studies
(Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024)
For further information on the application process, proposal requirements, areas of supervision, and fees and funding, please explore the links below.