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PhD in Media Studies
Critical and creative inquiry for common struggles
PhD in Media Studies
Critical and creative inquiry for common struggles
PhD in Media Studies
Critical and creative inquiry for common struggles
You might think the world is hard to change. We aim to change your mind.
Media Studies at Western provides rigorous, interdisciplinary graduate programs to catalyze personal and collective transformation. We examine media, culture, and technology informed by a commitment to social justice and social change. Using a dynamic blend of creative, qualitative, and quantitative methodologies, we investigate the forces shaping contemporary media and culture and their socio-political implications. From studies of automated governance systems to the ethics of crime reporting, from the politics of dreaming to the online content economy, our faculty offer expertise across diverse fields, methodologies, and subject areas.
(Banner image by Shawn Robertson, Surviving Memory in Postwar El Salvador, 2023)
Tap into research with impact
View media through a kaleidoscope of culture, industry and technology
Our PhD program provides an intensive education in critical media theories, histories, industries, and technologies. We support a wide range of methodological approaches, including community-based research, participatory action research, visual and textual analysis, worker inquiry, intersectional analysis, and archival research. Subject areas include:
- Critical social and political theory and activism
- Popular culture, journalism, cultural industries, and labour
- Critical digital media, technologies, policies, and practices
- Media history, memory, information, and archives
Study what matters to you
Eduard Sviridenko, PhD in Media Studies candidate
Decoding Propaganda, Defending Truth
Eduard Sviridenko has always been fascinated by the power of language. Yet, it wasn’t until he started researching Russian government propaganda for his PhD that he fully realized how deeply media can shape public perception, especially in suppressing dissent.
Questions? Contact Us
For administrative questions related to admissions or applications, contact FIMS Graduate Student Services. For questions related to curriculum, research or the program experience, contact Media Studies Graduate Program Chair Alison Hearn.
Program Information
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Enroll in Media Studies at Western and change your perspective on the world