Master's programme

The master's programmes at the School of International Communication are rapidly developing into highly-acclaimed, unique post-graduate qualifications.

Taught by a highly international team of scholars, the addition of new modules reflecting a growing interest in journalism, means MA students within the school have a rich vein of scholarship to tap into and use to develop their own interests and ideas.

An important component to postgraduate students' studies within the school is the preparation of their dissertations. Students within the school will find a helpful and knowledgeable team of scholars readily available to assist them in this vital task, ensuring dissertations are of the highest standard.

PhD programme

If you have any questions regarding postgraduate research, please get in touch with our Postgraduate Research Director, Dr Vikrant Kishore.

Current Research Areas of Supervisors
Name Research Interests

Dr Bjarke Liboriussen

Associate Professor in Digital and Creative Media

  • Game Studies
  • Creative Industries
  • Adaptation
  • Popular Heritage
  • Focused Interview
  • Textual Analysis

Dr Celia Lam

Associate Professor in Media and Cultural Studies

  • Audience and Fan Studies
  • Celebrity Culture

Dr Corey Kai Nelson Schultz

Associate Professor in Media & Communication Studies

  • Chinese art film
  • Chinese visual culture
  • Film phenomenology
  • Museum studies
  • Affect studies
  • Representation of Jews and Jewishness in China

Dr Damien Tomaselli

Assistant Professor in Cinematography

  • Film
  • Interactive Audiences
  • Virtual environments
  • Transition from Traditional to Digital Media

Dr Filippo Gilardi

Associate Professor in Creative Industries and Transmedia

  • Media Convergence
  • Creative Industries
  • Digital Copyright

Dr Levi Dean

Assistant Professor in International Communications

  • Screenwriting Studies
  • Documentary Studies
  • Creative Industries
  • Filmmaking

Dr Lei Hao

Teaching Fellow in Digital Media, Communications and Cultural Studies

  • Ethnicity in digital culture
  • Critical blockchain studies
  • Digital labour
  • Video sharing platform
  • Media convergence

Dr Mary J. Ainslie

Associate Professor in Media and Cultural Studies

  • Southeast Asia
  • Hallyu/Korean Wave
  • Horror Film/Cinema
  • Anti-Semitism/Israel/Judaism
  • Islam

Dr Paul Martin

Associate Professor in Digital Media and Communications

  • Computer Games (form and meaning)
  • Japanese Popular Culture
  • Representations of the Military in Popular Culture

Dr Richard Frenneaux

Assistant Professor in International Communications

  • Music Industry
  • Platform Disruption

Dr Sadia Jamil

Assistant Professor in International Communications

  • Journalism Studies
  • Digital Journalism
  • Media Information & Literacy
  • Media Ethics
  • Safety of Journalists

Dr Stephen Goulding

Assistant Professor in International Communications

  • Political Communication
  • Media Discourse
  • Critical Discourse Studies
  • Political Economy of Communication and Media
  • Critical Theory
  • Nationalist Identity
  • Alternative Media
  • Multimodal and Corpus Approaches to Discourse Analysis

Dr Shixin Ivy Zhang

Associate Professor in Journalism Studies

  • Journalism Studies
  • Newsroom Convergence
  • Media Management
  • Media Globalisation

Dr Thomas William Whyke

Assistant Professor in International Communications

  • Cultural Studies
  • Gender and Sexuality Studies
  • Animation Studies
  • Chinese Religion
  • Social Media
  • Subculture

Dr Vikrant Kishore

Associate Professor in International Communications

  • Celebrity Culture
  • Reality Television
  • Creative Practices
  • Documentary Practice
  • Screen Production
  • Screen Performances
  • Asian Cinemas
  • Indian Cinema
  • Bollywood
  • Cultural Heritage
  • Film Festivals
  • Online Storytelling
  • Mobile Filmmaking
  • Folk and Cultural Traditions and Practices
  • Folklore and Folk Festivals
  • Caste and Race issues
  • Multimedia Curation
  • Archiving and Exhibitions

Dr Zhan Zhang

Assistant Professor in International Communications

  • Media (Discourse) Analysis
  • Strategic Communication
  • Intercultural Communication
  • Technology and Society

Dr Zhaoyu Zhu

Teaching Fellow in Communication& Cultural Studies

  • Film History
  • Chinese Cinemas
  • Film Business/Film Festival
  • Chinese Popular Culture/Youth Culture
  • Media Representation