Ph.D. Studies in Media and Communication

The Department of Media and Communication at CityU has an outstanding international faculty, including many world-renowned scholars in the field of media and communication. We are at the forefront of research in computational communication, health communication, media effects, new and emerging media, and political communication.
 
The Department hosts a large and renowned PhD program, currently having more than 50 students who all receive financial support for 3-4 years of study from either the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (HKPFS) or from CityU or other sources. The program is highly selective with the acceptance rates of around 10% and offers outstanding opportunities for career development, in Asia and internationally. The student body is diverse, with current students representing 4 countries in Asia and Europe.
 
The students receive rigorous training in the Department, which offers two PhD-level research methods and statistics courses as well as two theory-focused courses. In addition, the program provides several extra-curricular learning opportunities for PhD students every year, including two regional symposia: the Honours Symposium for Asian PhD Students in Communication Research held in collaboration with Korea University, Nanyang Technological University, and Yonsei University, and Postgraduate Symposium of the Chinese Journalism and Communication Consortium. Furthermore, since 2015, the Department has been hosting the annual CityU Summer School in Social Science Research, which offers advanced methodological training to CityU PhDs and other graduate students from renowned universities worldwide.
 
Our PhD students are encouraged to attend international conferences and seek overseas research opportunities during their studies. Typically, each student receives financial support (up to HK$16,000 per trip) to attend up to four international conferences during their period of study. In addition, the students can seek additional research training and experience for up to 6 months during their candidacy for which they will receive additional funding support. In recent years, PhD have gone on research exchange to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),  The University of Vienna, the University of Cape Town, and the University of Michigan. The students are also entitled to receive up to HK$20,000 to fund their dissertation expenses, which can include data collection, travel and research assistance.
 
In terms of research output, our PhD students are regularly publishing in renowned peer-reviewed journals, including top-rated Q1 SCI/SSCI publications. Since 2008, our PhD students have published more than 161 articles in SSCI journals, including the top-tier journals such as Human Communication Research, New Media and Society, Political Communication, Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, Social Science Computer Review, Computers in Human Behavior, International Journal of Public Opinion Research and Journalism.
 
Our PhD graduates are now making a significant contribution to the discipline through teaching and research around the world. About 68% of the 85 PhD program alumni are working at major universities around the world. Locally, they occupy positions at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. International appointments include: Michigan State University and University of Pittsburgh in the United States, University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, Groningen University in the Netherlands, and several top university in China such as Sun Yet-San University, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, and others.
 
We invite students with strong promise and commitment to apply for our Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in media and communication. Students with BA, MA or MPhil degrees are eligible to apply for admission to the PhD program. Successful applicants will receive generous studentships covering tuition and a stipend (approx. HK$28,100/per month for HKPFS awardees and HK$18,700 per month for others) for a duration of four years. The Department will also provide additional research and travel support and offer a range of professional development workshops and events for our PhD students. For more information on how to apply for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS), please visit this page: http://www.jvrhmfr.xyz/pg/hong-kong-phd-fellowship-scheme

We look forward to receiving your PhD applications and hope to welcome you to City University of Hong Kong in the near future!
 
 
Marko SKORIC
Associate Professor
Research Degree Coordinator
Department of Media and Communication