Postgraduate MA, PhD
Journalism
We are committed to offering PhD supervision for studies that explore contemporary issues in Journalism and news media.
We are committed to offering PhD supervision for studies that explore contemporary issues in Journalism and news media.
We work closely with the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research and the Kent Law School along with the University’s Institute for Cultural and Creative Industries on interdisciplinary PhD studies. We welcome PhD applications that focus on (but need not be limited to) political communications, travel journalism, conflict reporting, ethics, media law and regulation, lifestyle journalism, election coverage, trust and social media.
We offer two research programmes. Our MA by Research entails producing a 40,000 word thesis on a one year full-time / two year part-time basis. Our PhD programmes demand a high level of research and analysis resulting in theses of 75,000 words on a three year full-time / five year part time basis.
The Centre for Journalism was established in 2008. Through our close links with the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research and the Kent Law School, our students are part of an active and vibrant postgraduate community. Our students work alongside academics recognised as expects in their respective fields. We also work closely with the Graduate and Researcher College who, through their Researcher Development Programme, provide a full programme of seminars and workshops on all aspects of postgraduate study.
A lively and welcoming community spirit exists within the Centre. There are regular social events, seminars and masterclasses. Recent visitors have included: Amol Rajan, Media Editor of the BBC and Ed Conway, Economics Editor Sky News; Gavin Esler, former presenter of Newsnight; Jon Snow, presenter of Channel 4 News, Mark Thompson, former Director General of the BBC, Alex Crawford three times RTS TV journalist of the year, Stephanie Flanders former Economics Editor BBC and Stuart Ramsay Sky News chief Correspondent.
Minimum 2.1 or equivalent in a relevant subject. In certain circumstances, the Centre will consider candidates who have not followed a conventional education path, eg, working or former journalists who have acquired a minimum of three years’ professional experience in the news industry. These cases are considered individually.
All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.
Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.
This course requires a Good level of English language, equivalent to B2 on CEFR.
Details on how to meet this requirement can be found on our English Language requirements webpage.
Examples:
IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component
PTE Academic 63 with a minimum of 59 in each sub-test
A degree from a UK university
A degree from a Majority English Speaking Country
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
Postgraduate research is a fantastic opportunity and significant investment in your future, enabling you to expand your knowledge, skills and career options – all while making a meaningful impact and contribution to an area you are passionate about.
At Kent, we also recognise the significant financial investment that comes with postgraduate study, and we offer a range of scholarships for our postgraduate researchers, to help keep your mind on your studies, and off your finances.
Scholarships can be broad, or specific to your situation, background or even country – so please do use our scholarships finder to discover the options available to you.
We also have research partnership funding with research councils and government schemes in specific areas of interest that can help you take your research to the next level with additional financial support.
Find out more on our fees and funding page and discover what option is right for you.
The resources for journalism research at Kent are led by the Templeman library on the Canterbury campus and the Drill Hall library on the Medway campus. The journalism collection includes a comprehensive range of texts on the history, principles and practice of journalism. Specialist resources include a complete microfiche archive of popular newspapers of the Second World War. Students have access to online full-text journals plus extensive online newspaper resources. The Centre subscribes to all relevant UK journals. Research students have access to the SCONUL access scheme to visit and borrow from other UK libraries. The Drill Hall Library contains more than 250 study spaces, 370 computers and more than 150,000 items. The Templeman library contains over 1600 study spaces, 390 computers and more than 1 million items.
The Centre is based in state-of-the-art multimedia newsrooms equipped with the latest audio and video-editing technology, a radio studio and broadcast-quality television facilities. A dedicated postgraduate newsroom opened in September 2010. Newsroom computers offer a wide range of software for teaching and research support. Students have access to Press Association news wires, Sky News Radio and Reuters World Television News feeds. They use the Centre’s dedicated multimedia website, www.centreforjournalism.co.uk which offers live publishing facilities in text, audio and video. The site is a forum for debate about issues in journalism and the news industry involving students and practitioners in Britain and abroad.
Staff regularly publish their research in leading academic journals and books. These include: Travel Journalism and Travel Media: Identities, Places and Imaginings (Palgrave), Assessing the Delivery of BBC Radio 5 Live's Public Service Commitments (Abramis), Journalism Studies, Contemporary British History, Ethical Space, Journal of Media Law, Communications Law, Studies in Travel Writing and British Journalism Review.
Kent's Graduate School co-ordinates the Researcher Development Programme for research students, which includes workshops focused on research, specialist and transferable skills. The programme is mapped to the national Researcher Development Framework and covers a diverse range of topics, including subject-specific research skills, research management, personal effectiveness, communication skills, networking and team working, and career management skills.
Kent's Graduate School co-ordinates the Researcher Development Programme for research students, which includes workshops focused on research, specialist and transferable skills. The programme is mapped to the national Researcher Development Framework and covers a diverse range of topics, including subject-specific research skills, research management, personal effectiveness, communication skills, networking and teamworking, and career management skills.
Political communication, history of journalism, environmental journalism, conflict reporting, journalism technology, democracy, media law and ethics, travel journalism, lifestyle journalism.
Kent’s world-class academics provide research students with excellent supervision. The academic staff in this school and their research interests are shown below. You are strongly encouraged to contact the school to discuss your proposed research and potential supervision prior to making an application. Please note, it is possible for students to be supervised by a member of academic staff from any of Kent’s schools, providing their expertise matches your research interests. Use our ‘find a supervisor’ search to search by staff member or keyword.
Full details of staff research interests can be found on the School's website.
As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, postgraduate qualifications are becoming more attractive to employers seeking individuals who have finely tuned skills and abilities, which our programmes encourage you to hone. As a result of the valuable transferable skills developed during the course of your studies, career prospects for journalism graduates are wide ranging. Options include; an academic career in Journalism or a related discipline; a journalism career in a particular area of reportage; public policy research, media promotions, public affairs, marketing and public relations.
The 2024/25 annual tuition fees for this course are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Find out more about general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Next steps
We are no longer accepting applications for this course for entry in 2024.
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