PhD Media and Cultural Studies at Birmingham City University

Programme overview

Our Media and Cultural Studies PhD research degree will help you achieve a career in media research or academia. The PhD enables research into a broad range of interests within the fields of media, communication and cultural studies. Your research will be delivered over three years (full time) or four years (part-time or distance learning).

Faculty: Faculty of Arts, Design and Media | Department: Media and Journalism | Duration: 3-4 years full-time; 4-7 years part-time; 4-7 years distance learning | Study mode: full-time/online/part-time | Intake: September 2026, February 2027 | Location: Birmingham, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

Our Media and Cultural Studies PhD research degree offers individual programmes of research across many areas of interest. Our PhD gives you the opportunity to spend time researching and developing a deep understanding of a unique area of interest whilst contributing world leading insight to the Birmingham Centre of Media and Cultural Research. On successful completion of your PhD research degree your findings will have either contributed new knowledge or extended existing theory and understanding of an area of interest.

Career pathways

The Doctor of Philosophy or PhD is recognised worldwide and is often an essential requirement for those wishing to follow an academic or research career in industry or commerce. Our Media and Cultural Studies PhD research degree has been designed to help you achieve a career in Media and Cultural Studies research or academia.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

To apply for our Media and Cultural Studies PhD research degree you should have, or expect to be awarded, a Masters degree in a relevant subject area from a British or overseas university. Exceptional candidates without a Masters degree, but holding a first class Bachelors degree in media studies, may be considered. We also welcome enquiries from potential PhD researchers without formal academic qualifications but with appropriate levels of professional experience. Please send us an initial PhD enquiry containing your brief PhD research proposal (max. 500 words), and/or any questions or queries you may have. We will review your initial enquiry to ensure your research proposal compliments one of our PhD research interests and if so we will ask you to make a full application. English Language Requirements for International Students. Valid Academic IELTS certificate with overall score of 7.0 with no band below 6.5 or equivalent.

Domestic applicants: GBP 5,238 a year (2026/27). full-time, 3-4 years; annual tuition for the first year of study Source

International applicants: GBP 15,420 a year (2026/27). full-time, 3-4 years; annual tuition for the first year of study Source

Intake: September 2026, February 2027

Duration: 3-4 years full-time; 4-7 years part-time; 4-7 years distance learning

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