Journalism

Entry requirements

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.

Months of entry

January, April, October

Course content

The Journalism group members are at the forefront of research into subjects as diverse as journalism and the implications for it of emergent digital and social technologies; migration and refugees; social justice and political communication; environmental and health communication. We also have specialist expertise in media and journalism in China and Hong Kong. Our staff comprise some of the biggest names in the business, who will enable you to be an effective journalist in any international setting.

Our main themes of research include

• Bodies, Space and Political Resistance - Dr Anita Howarth (see also Dr Monica Degen, Dr Sara De Benedictus, Dr Meredith Jones, Dr Sharon Lockyer in Sociology and Communications on Bodies, Space and Culture)
• Communication, protest and social change - Dr Anita Howarth (see also Dr Lesley Henderson and Dr Sanjay Sharma in Sociology and Communications)
• Chinese media and journalism - Dr Jingrong Tong
• Digital cultures - Dr Christian Stiegler (see also Dr John Roberts, Dr Sanjay Sharma, Dr Peter Wilkin, Dr Meredith Jones, Dr Monica Degen in Sociology and Communications for Digital Cultures, Networks and Social Media)
• Social media, politics and society (social media analysis) - Dr Jingrong Tong (see also Dr John Roberts; Dr Sanjay Sharma; Dr Peter Wilkin; Dr Meredith Jones; Dr Monica Degen in Sociology and Communications)
• Digital data analysis - Dr Jingrong Tong
• Emergent Digital Media Technologies (including Immersive Storytelling, Virtual and Augmented Reality b- Dr Christian Stiegler (see also Dr Paul Moody in Sociology and Communications)
• Environmental, health, science and risk communication - Dr Jingrong Tong; Dr Anita Howarth (see also Dr Lesley Henderson, Dr Sanjay Sharma in Sociology and Communications)
• Hunger, poverty and social justice - Dr Anita Howarth (see also Dr Peter Wilkin, Dr Sara d Benedictis, Dr John Roberts and Prof Nicola Ansell in Sociology and Communications on the precariat)
• Journalism/journalists in comparative, historical and digital contexts - Dr Jingrong Tong, Dr Anita Howarth
• Migration, Refugees and Sanctuary - Dr Anita Howarth; (see also Professor Sarita Malik, Dr Sanjay Sharma, Dr Simon Weaver, Dr Meredith Jones and Dr Paul Moody in Sociology and Communications on race, racism and othering)
• Political Communication - Dr Anita Howarth; Dr Jingrong Tong
• Political Economy of media industries/journalism - Dr Christian Stiegler (see also Dr Peter Wilkin, Dr John Roberts and Dr Paul Moody in Sociology and Communications on Approaches to Political Economy)
• Popular culture and mass media - Dr Christian Stiegler (see also Dr Paul Moody in Sociology and Communications and Dr Leon Hunt in Film & TV on film and media history)

Information for international students

English language requirements

Fees and funding

Brunel offers a number of funding options to research students that help cover the cost of their tuition fees, contribute to living expenses or both. Recently the UK Government made available the Doctoral Student Loans of up to £25,000 for UK and EU students and there is some funding available through the Research Councils. Many of our international students benefit from funding provided by their governments or employers. Brunel alumni enjoy tuition fee discounts of 15%.