School of Arts & Media

Postgraduate Research

The School of Arts & Media has full-time, part-time and overseas students studying for PhDs in a wide variety of subjects. These include Design Management, Digital Culture, Film Practice, Film and TV Studies, Fine Arts, Heritage, Jazz Studies, Media Arts, Music Technologies, Public Engagement and Social Media. The approaches range from theory driven enquiry, through case-studies, archival research and other techniques, to practice-based research. There are currently over 70 PGR students in the school supervised in four distinct research centres:

Research students are supported by a supervisory team, made up of a main supervisor and co-supervisor, and assisted by a personal tutor. Seminar and training programmes offered by the School, College and wider University enable students to develop a disciplinary understanding alongside more transferable research skills. They also have access to extensive digital, media, information and workshop facilities. We encourage prospective students to contact us so that we can put them in touch with specialist staff with whom they can explore their research ideas and the opportunities we offer.

How to Apply

If you are a potential student looking for research opportunities, you will find a friendly welcome from colleagues and students whose work is focused on new and innovative areas of research. To apply for your postgraduate research place, you will need to complete our online application form. You will need to have at hand your supporting documents ready to upload when you start the online application.

Graduate Teaching Studentships Opportunities

Students applying for research degrees at Salford also have the opportunity to apply for a Graduate Teaching Studentship (GTS). The Graduate Teaching Studentship covers full tuition fees and a scholarship for three years, based on successful PhD progression. The scholarships are worth £13,590 per year (2013-2014 levels) and are available to Home/EU students. The Graduate Teaching Studentship scheme offers a valuable opportunity to study for a PhD while teaching in subjects broadly related to your PhD research.

Modes of research

PhD research within the School of Arts & Media is conducted as conventional theoretically led research, practice as research and PhD by publication. Many of our postgraduate researchers incorporate ‘Practice as Research’ methodologies into their work. In addition, Salford is active in its support for a very substantial percentage of practical element or elements in final PhD submissions. Regardless of the mode of research the appropriate theoretical and practical expertise tailored to the specific project is made available in the supervision teams.

Current Research Students

The current postgraduate research projects in the School of Arts & Media are focused on a range of practice-based and theoretically led research topics encompassing the wide scope of research activity in the school’s research centres and include:

“Second Selves: An Investigation into Identity Development in Second Life” (Pete Wardle), “Black bloggers in Britain and Alternative Journalism: Overcoming Marginalization, Misrepresentation and Exclusion from the Mainstream Media” (Deborah Gabriel), “The Manifestations of Romanticism in Virtual Reality and how the Romantic Spirit Prevails in the Work of Contemporary Artists?” (David Hancock), “The Role of Social Media During the Arab (Spring) Uprisings: Hope, Democracy, Deceptions and Imperialism (Mohammad Mesawa), “The impact of museum policy on the aging population in the UK” (Antonio Benitez), and “Jazz for the iPod Generation: Music Distribution, Festivals and Digital Technology” (Tom Sykes).

Arts & Media Postgraduate Research Student Handbook

As a postgraduate research student you are a key component of our research successes and we aim to provide an excellent support and working environment for you to flourish. The Arts & Media Postgraduate Research Student Handbook provides students and their supervisors with all the up to date information and help required to undertake a research degree at Salford and to get the most out of the postgraduate research student experience.

Career Prospects

Students leaving the School with a postgraduate research degree are well placed to lead and manage research and development activities in a number of creative and media industries. Globally, a postgraduate research qualification is usually a prerequisite for an academic career and several of our alumni are now senior academics.

For more information about Postgraduate Research in the Centre for Media, Art & Design Research and Engagement (MADRE) please contact:

Dr Qian Sun
Postgraduate Research Coordinator
T: +44 (0)161 295 6169
F: +44 (0)161 295 5678
q.sun@salford.ac.uk

School of Arts & Media
The University of Salford
Centenary Building
Peru Street
Salford
M3 6EQ

For more information about Postgraduate Research in the Communication, Cultural and Media Studies Research Centre (CCM), the Salford Music Research Centre, or the Performance Research Centre please contact:

Dr Michael Goddard
Postgraduate Research Coordinator
T: +44 (0)161 295 6076
m.n.goddard@salford.ac.uk

School of Arts and Media
The University of Salford
MediaCityUK
Salford
M50 2HE