We offer research programmes in a range of topics linked to staff expertise in the fields of communication, film, and media studies. Our staff are recognized as experts in their fields, and have produced a number of influential books, journal articles, edited collections and creative works in film and video.

Our programme boasts a vibrant and diverse research culture, and the interdisciplinary nature of research fields creates a rich and stimulating environment for staff and students, with links to a number of other centres in our University and the wider community.

We are key contributors to the Faculty of Arts Law & Social Sciences research groups, including Anglia Research Centre in Media & Culture (ARCMedia) and to the Cultures of the Digital Economy (CoDE ) Research Institute.

We also host and participate in a variety of research oriented events, including Faculty and Departmental research seminar series, book launches, gallery events, film screenings and international conferences.

We have close links with the Cambridgeshire Film Consortium, the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse, Kettle's Yard, and the University of Cambridge's Centre for Research into Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities (CRASSH), amongst other partnerships.

Supervision and support

You will will be allocated a supervisory team which will consist of a first and second supervisor, with additional members added if necessary.

We host a well-attended postgraduate research seminar, which meets regularly to give students an opportunity to present papers in a supportive setting. This group provides an informal context for postgraduate training and support, but there is also a more formal training programme, which aims to offer subject-specific support and training for all postgraduates as an addition to the generic training offered by Anglia Ruskin. We allocate a substantial sum each year towards the support of postgraduates in the form of bursaries and travel or conference expenses.

Academic supervision is available in most areas of communication, film and media, including practice work.

We have a particularly strong concentration of expertise in the areas of digital media theory and practice; network culture and media research; cinema and sexuality; violence and spectatorship; contemporary European cinema; and music, sound and voice in media and culture.

Facilities

Our programme has a range of excellent facilities, including TV studios, multimedia studios, DVD, video, animation, and 16mm editing suites. Our research students also have access to our outstanding library resources, as well as to the Cambridge University Library and the British Film Institute.

Funding

There are a number of ways in which you can obtain external funding for doctoral research, from the full-time awards granted by the AHRC (Arts & Humanities Research Council) to smaller grants available from a range of grant-awarding bodies. Our programme periodically offers fully funded and fees-only fellowships, and from time to time, Departmental bursaries are awarded to candidates showing exceptional potential. In addition to these, our programme has a Postgraduate Fund to which students can apply for help with travelling expenses, conference fees, and other research needs. We offer advice on external and internal funding to any interested prospective candidates for our PhD degree.

Career development and training

We are committed to offering training and career development opportunities for all research students. Many of our PhD candidates hold teaching responsibilities in our programme, and have been involved in the organisation of international conferences recently held at our University. Within our Department, we also offer sessions on a range of subjects, including:

• writing up a paper for publication
• placing an academic article
• giving a conference paper
• style in the doctorate
• updates on research methods and literature searches
• internet training
• editing skills for doctoral research
• subsequent monograph publication
• dealing with festivals, agents, and publishers.

We welcome proposals from students wishing to work in the fields of Communication, Film, or Media, including practice work. Below is a list of current staff and their research specialisms:

Dr Patricia MacCormack, BA, PhD: Continental Philosophy; Cinema and Sexuality; Horror and Transgressive Film.

Dr Sean Campbell, BA, MA, PhD: Popular Music/Culture; Migration/Ethnicity; Irish studies.

Dr Joss Hands, BA, PhD: Network Politics; Digital Activism; Critical Theory.

Dr Simon Payne, BA, MA, PhD: Experimental Video Practice; Digital Video Aesthetics.

Dr Tanya Horeck, BA, MA, PhD: Feminist Film Theory; Representations of Sexuality and Violence in Contemporary Cinema; Crime Narratives.

Dr Tina Kendall, BA, PhD: Materialist Film Theory; Spectatorship and Cinematic Unpleasure; The New Extremism in European Cinema.

Milla Tiainen, MA LicPhil: Cultural Theory and Continental Philosophy; New Materialist Feminisms and Media Theory; Sound and Auditory Culture Studies.

• MPhil: Candidates must hold a BA or equivalent in a related subject area.
• PhD: Candidates should normally hold an MA or equivalent in a related area subject area.
• For candidates whose first language is not English, a minimum IELTS score of 7 or equivalent is required with a minimum score of 6.5 achieved in each of the four language skills. We welcome applications from EU and international students.