Sociology and Communication PhD

The Sociology and Communications group is a dynamic, international and globally respected community of researchers. Members are at the forefront of study into subjects as diverse as globalisation and social transformation, political communication, communication and social change; gender and sexuality, the body, human-animal studies, the senses and embodiment, race and ethnicity, the environment, urban space and cities, digital cultures, public communication, young people, rights and the global south; popular culture, comedy/humour studies, experimental multi-media, and sports studies. 

• Join an expert interdisciplinary community that publishes innovative and world-leading research addressing contemporary concerns and emerging social and cultural challenges.
• Be part of a thriving research culture where researchers have received regular grants from the AHRC, ESRC and British Academy.
• Benefit from our excellent multi-Supervisory teams to support your postgraduate study.
• Enjoy being part of a collegial and active research environment.

Find out about the exciting research we do in this area. Browse profiles of our experts, discover the research groups and their inspirational research activities you too could be part of. We’ve also made available extensive reading materials published by our academics and PhD students.  

Learn more about research in Sociology and Communications and Media Studies.

While we welcome a wide range of topics in the areas of Sociology & Communications, here is an example list of potential research topics that we would like to supervise:

• Digital antagonism, exclusions and discrimination
• Environmental Communication
• Popular communications and Social change
• Public sphere, deliberative democracy and free speech
• Public space and protest movements
• Surveillance and algorithmic profiling
• Creative industries, inequality and diversity
• Comedy, Identity and Society
• Intersectional Veganisms
• Transgenderism and ‘Transracialism’
• Reality Television and Ethnic Minority Girls
• Cities, urban change and place
• Sensory Sociology
• Culture, Space, Time and Cities
• Political economy of communication/media
• The digital revolution and social change
• The rise of the far-right and neo-fascism
• Radical social movements, the precariat and digital labour
• Democratisation and the clash of civilisations
• World-systems analysis
• Anarchist social thought
• Emergent Digital Media Technologies
• Film & Media History
• Globalisation and youth activism
• Children and international development
• Globalisation of education
• Science and society
• Urban Space and Experience

Our researchers create knowledge and advance understanding, and equip versatile doctoral researchers with the confidence to apply what they have learnt for the benefit of society. Find out more about working with the Supervisory Team.

You are welcome to approach your potential supervisor directly to discuss your research interests. Search for expert supervisors for your chosen field of research.

List of potential supervisors by theme

• Bodies, Space & Culture - Dr Monica Degen; Dr Sara De Benedictus; Dr Meredith Jones; Dr Sharon Lockyer
• Comedy Cultures - Dr Sharon Lockyer; Dr Simon Weaver, Hauke Riesch
• Environmental Communication - Dr Lesley Henderson; Dr Hauke Riesch; Dr Peter Wilkin; Dr Jingrong Tong
• Communications and Social change - Dr Lesley Henderson; Dr Sanjay Sharma; Dr Jingrong Tong
• Digital Cultures, Networks and Social Media - Dr John Roberts; Dr Sanjay Sharma; Dr Peter Wilkin; Dr Meredith Jones; Dr Monica Degen; Dr Jingrong Tong
• Race, Racism and Representation - Professor Sarita Malik, Dr Sanjay Sharma; Dr Simon Weaver; Dr Meredith Jones; Dr Paul Moody
• Approaches to political economy - Dr Peter Wilkin, Dr John Roberts, Dr Paul Moody
• The far-right, neo-fascism and the clash of civilizations - Dr Peter Wilkin, Dr Thomas Linehan (Politics)
• Radical social movements and the precariat - Dr Peter Wilkin, Dr Sara de Benedictis, Dr John Roberts, Prof Nicola Ansell
• The City, Public Sphere and Public Space - Dr John Roberts; Dr Monica Degen; Dr Peter Wilkin; Prof Nicola Ansell; Dr Gary Armstrong
• World-systems analysis - Dr Peter Wilkin, Dr John Roberts
• Anarchist social thought - Dr Peter Wilkin, Dr Rohn Roberts
• Emergent Digital Media Technologies - Dr Paul Moody; Dr Christian Stiegler (Journalism)
• Film & Media History - Dr Paul Moody; Dr Leon Hunt (Film & TV)

While we welcome applications from student with a clear direction for their research, we are providing you with some ideas for your chosen field of research:

This course can be studied 3 years full-time or 6 months part-time, starting in January. Or this course can be studied 3 years full-time or 6 months part-time, starting in October. Or this course can be studied 3 years full-time or 6 months part-time, starting in April.

The general University entrance requirement for registration for a research degree is normally a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree (1st or 2:1). 

An interview will be required as part of the admissions process and will be conducted by at least two academic staff members remotely via MS Teams, Zoom, or face to face.

Applicants will be required to submit a personal statement and a research statement.
Please contact your proposed supervisor, where possible, to receive feedback and guidance on your research statement before submitting it. Learn how to prepare a research statement here.   

• IELTS: 6.5 (min 6 in all areas)
• Pearson: 59 (59 in all subscores)
• BrunELT: 63% (min 58% in all areas)
• TOEFL: 90 (min 20 in all)