Department of Media and Communication Center for Communication Research

Ph.D. Studies in Media and Communication

To Apply

The application deadline for the academic year 2024/2025 is 1 December 2023 and the application results will be announced in early March 2024.
 
To apply, please consult the SGS website (https://www.cityu.edu.hk/pg/research-degree-programmes/steps-and-procedures) and draft a research proposal following the guidelines. You may wish to browse the department's website for information regarding faculty's research interest and expertise.
 

Research Proposal

Please bear in mind that the Research Proposal is a primary source of information for assessment of your research interest and the fit to our expertise areas, your familiarity with the relevant literature, conceptual ability, methodological skills, and English writing. You may contact Departmental Research Degree Coordinator, Dr Marko SKORIC or particular faculty member(s) for clarifications on our research interests and training approaches. However, requests for advice on "how to write a good proposal (to get admitted)" will usually not be entertained because that is exactly what we look for from the proposal.
 
The guiding principle for a good Research Proposal is that you must have a serious question in mind worthy of careful, thorough research. That is, you must be able to state a proposition (or a series of related propositions) for detailed research and analysis.
 
The proposal should be written in English and include:
 
  1. A clear statement of the aims of the research and why it is a worthy and/or interesting topic.
  2. An outline of the research background for the topic, giving an overview of some current findings in the area, with references. From this background material it should be clear to a reader what the research problem is, and what theory, questions (hypotheses), or phenomena you wish to investigate.
  3. The methods you intend to apply to the research questions. For example, how you will collect your data, who might be the appropriate respondents, whether you will use an established data base, case studies, experimental methods, questionnaires, etc. It should be clear to a reader on the methodology to be used, its source, and its appropriateness for the purpose of investigation.
  4. A brief summary.
  5. A list of works cited in your proposal.

The proposal should be around 5 pages in single space, plus a list of works cited.
 

Entrance Requirements

  1. BA, MA, or M.Phil degree from a recognized university;
  2. Strong GPA (over 3.5 out of 4; or total marks of over 85 out of 100);
  3. English proficiency (see below);
  4. Publications in recognized journals would be an advantage.
     

English Proficiency Requirements

Applicants whose first degree was obtained from an institution where the language of teaching is not English should satisfy the minimum English proficiency requirements specified by both the University and individual Colleges and Schools. The minimum English Proficiency Requirements for research degree applicants of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences is:
 

  1. a minimum TOEFL* score of 88 (internet-based), with a minimum of 21 for Reading, 21 for Listening, 25 for Writing, and 21 for Speaking; or
  2. 2. a minimum IELTS 6.5 for overall band score and for the sub-categories of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking

* TOEFL Paper-based test (before October 2017) and Paper-delivered test (after October 2017) will not be accepted as there is no Speaking component.


TOEFL and IELTS scores are considered valid for two years from the test date and must be valid at the time of submission of application.



Research Areas of Faculty Members

Please visit the personal profile of faculty members.