The PhD programme offers flexible supervision between the University of Nottingham Ningbo China and the University of Nottingham (UK). Students will be registered at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, and graduates will be awarded a University of Nottingham (UK) degree, which is also recognised by the Chinese Ministry of Education. Depending on the proposed area of research, students may be required to spend part of their studies at the University of Nottingham (UK). Supervision between the campuses will be settled for each individual student.

Some possible (not exclusive) PhD supervision areas in the School of International Communications (you may also consider a combination of these areas).  

• Disciplines/Fields

  Media studies	Cultural studies	Internet studies
  Actor network theory	Creative industries	Digital media
  Game studies

• Topics

  Celebrity persona	Political economy of celebrity	Fan cultures
  Fan production and consumption	Online swarms	Meme warfare
  Blockchains and crypto culture	The internet of things	Anonymous online groups/online extremism
  Transmedia	Media convergence	Digital platforms
  Online video distribution	Gender	Sexuality
  Creative/Filmmaking Practices	Cinema Studies (Indian/Bollywood, Asian, American)	Celebrity Culture
  Screen Production and Performances	Intangible Cultural Heritage (Folk and Cultural Traditions and Practices, Folk Festivals)	Mobile & Online Storytelling
  Caste and Race Issues	Multi-Media Exhibitions & Film Curation

Postgraduate Research Director

To discuss your research proposal and possible application, please contact the PGR Director of the School – Dr Vikrant Kishore at Vikrant.Kishore@nottingham.edu.cn.

All enquiries should be routed through the PGR Director.

If you apply to a PhD programme, you will generally need to hold an honours degree at 2.1 and a masters at merit level or above in a relevant subject (or international equivalent). 

The following will be considered when making an offer:

1. academic performance during the undergraduate and postgraduate study
2. research papers published in international academic journals
3. quality of the research proposal
4. research potential and attitude
5. English proficiency  

Key dates

We welcome qualifying applications all year round. You may consider either a Spring or Autumn entry that better suits your study plan. To ensure you will be able to register on your desired date, please submit your application at least 3 months in advance.

2026-27 Academic year (for self-funded applicants)

How to apply

Our step-by-step guide contains everything you need to know about applying for postgraduate research.

Fees

Tuition fees are adjusted annually and are set for each individual degree. Please follow the Gradaute School's fee information for details.

Scholarships

The School awards a full PhD scholarship once a year. Note that competition for this scholarship is very strong and students are advised to explore additional external sources of funding. Please see the University's PhD scholarships pages for further information. 

Dear Prospective PGR Students,

Please ensure that your research proposal is prepared in accordance with the provided template for the PhD Programme in the School of International Communications. Adhering to this format will help streamline the evaluation process and ensure all necessary components are included. Please attach your CV and transcripts of your degree results along with the proposal and submit them to the PGR Director.

PGR Director

To discuss your research proposal and possible application, please contact Dr Vikrant Kishore at Vikrant.Kishore@nottingham.edu.cn