Communication and Media Studies MPhil

Overview The School of Social Sciences has long been recognised as an international centre of academic excellence and for our cutting-edge interdisciplinary work. As a University, Loughborough is home to world-leading research in communication and media and has connections with a wide range of public and third sector bodies, including BBC Trust, Metropolitan Police, the Electoral Commission, the College of Mediators and the Department of Health. The Communication and Media study area provides training in digital culture, media and communications and Loughborough is home to world-leading, original and internationally-excellent research in this field. The School is home to a lively community of 110 postgraduates working closely with 80 specialist supervisors who conduct research at the cutting-edge of developments in their fields.Our graduates have gone on to work in industries including television, marketing, academia and publishing. They work for companies and organisations such as China Development Research Foundation, Elsevier Ltd, Image Line Communication, Institute of Psychiatry, Metropolitan Police Service, Oxfam, and X-Pert Med GmbH. Research areas Communication and Media Studies This group uses multidisciplinary approaches to analyse media and the communications industries and to develop theory. Comparative perspectives feature strongly in much of its work and members are internationally renowned for their research and publications. Social Psychology This group is internationally renowned for its research on social interaction across a range of everyday and institutional contexts, and on social identities, groups and processes. Leaders in the areas of conversation analysis, discursive psychology and political psychology, the group publish prolifically on topics such as prejudice, identity, children and families, and communication in professional and clinical contexts. Centre for Research in Communication and Culture (CRCC) Comprises the world-leading Discourse and Rhetoric Group (DARG) and Culture and Media Analysis Research Group (CAMARG) involving staff from across the School. Their influential research has real world impact through their engagement with private and public-sector organisations. The Online Civic Culture Centre This centre applies cutting-edge concepts and methods from social science and information science to understand the role of social media in shaping our civic culture. It features a team of academic supervisors drawn from the disciplines of communication, information science, social psychology and sociology. Interdisciplinary teams of researchers and PhD students work together on issues of misinformation, disinformation and the rise of hate speech and incivility online. Skills and experience A PhD programme will give you the opportunity to develop new and highly sought-after skills which can set you up for a range of careers. It is a chance to make a novel contribution to knowledge, to become a world expert in a particular field and it can open a range of doors with different employers. You will also enhance your interpersonal skills, such as networking and relationship building, which will be invaluable in your future career. In addition to the University’s extensive training provision, you will have access to courses in teaching and research skills and methods organised by the University and the School. Future career prospects Recent graduate destinations include: Rochester College, USA, Associate Professor and Department Chair The University of Manchester, Lecturer Bournemouth University, Senior Lecturer.