Overview

Jointly managed by the Drama department and the Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology/Social Anthropology, this Anthropology, Media and Performance programme begins with a year of academic formation and preliminary training in research methods and relevant craft techniques, before you carry out your project on the basis of field research of up to a year's duration.

In the third year, you will be expected to return to Manchester and prepare the presentation of your results in textual or other media, as appropriate.

Career opportunities

As we are an inter-disciplinary department in Drama, our PhD students The University of Manchester work across theatre, film and screen studies, digital humanities, and so on.

The skills gained through the PhD process are wide-ranging and varied. These include critical engagement, investigative thinking, effective communication, project management and reflexive practice.

Several of our graduates have moved on to academic positions in the UK and abroad, including Canada, Iran, and Singapore. Others are working in the arts, education and not-for-profit sectors, as artists, filmmakers, practitioners, teachers, librarians, curators, writers, and editors, and among others!

Programme Structure

We aim to:

examine potential interdisciplinary combinations of anthropology, applied theatre/performance studies and media production so you can produce original knowledge in one or more of these academic fields;
focus on cutting-edge theories and self-reflexive, critical research practice in all these fields;
train you in a range of practical field research methods and media production skills to enable you to carry out the year-long fieldwork that is an integral and necessary aspect of the second year of the programme, and to produce a combination of written dissertation and media and/or performance practice;
make you aware of the legal and ethical implications of your work and of the appropriate procedures for ensuring ethical clearance of your research;
encourage you to develop a range of transferable skills in areas such as IT and AV media, as well as presentational, writing, team-working and foreign language skills.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 36 months
Part-time
- 72 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-28 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-06-30 00:00:00
Starting 2027-01-01 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-09-30 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

100

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PTE Academic

76

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IELTS

7

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Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Manchester, United Kingdom

Disciplines

Anthropology Media Studies & Mass Media View 47 other PhDs in Media Studies & Mass Media in United Kingdom

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Academic requirements

GPA

Upper Second Class

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

76

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

7

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Bachelor's (Honours) degree at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and
Master's degree in a relevant subject – with an overall average of 65% or above, a minimum mark of 65% in your dissertation and no mark below 55% (or overseas equivalent)

When you submit your application, you must include each of the below required documents:

A 1,500 word PhD research proposal
Copies of the academic transcript and certificate from both your Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. If your Master’s degree is pending, please provide an interim transcript.
An up to date academic CV, detailing your education and qualifications; employment history; publications; and any other relevant information.
You must nominate two academic referees (including one from your most recent institution).
International applicants must additionally provide English Language evidence (e.g IELTS)

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

29900 GBP / year

≈ 29900 GBP / year

Living costs

Manchester

United Kingdom

645 - 1197 GBP / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Anthropology, Media and Performance.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Career opportunities

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Living costs

Manchester

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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