Doctor of Philosophy in Media and Cultural Studies (Ph.D.)

Overview

The Ph.D. program in Media and Cultural Studies is designed to perform and respond to the interdependence of media systems, cultural discourses, and emergent technologies. The unique program is designed to accommodate all mass communication disciplines and bridge the intellectual and empirical gap between rapid global advancements in media studies and the concurrent cultural effects.

Language of the Program

The language of instruction for the PhD program is English and it must be the language used for preparing the dissertation (Complementary research).

Admission Requirements

For a student to be accepted into the PhD program, the following conditions must be met:

• Master’s Degree: The applicant must hold a master’s degree in media or mass communication from a recognized university.
• English Language Proficiency: Applicants for the PhD in Media must pass one of the following English language ability tests:
  • Institutional TOEFL (ITP) with a minimum score of 550.
  • Internet-Based TOEFL (IBT) with a minimum score of 80.
  • IELTS with a minimum score of 6.

Students whose master’s degree was taught in English are exempt from this requirement.

PhD in Media and Cultural Studies Program Structure

To obtain a Doctor of Philosophy in Media and Cultural Studies, students must successfully complete 57 credit hours in a minimum of 7 semesters. Courses are distributed as follows:

Courses’ Distribution

1. Research Methodology Courses (6 Credit Hours)

   Course Code	Course Title	Credit Hours
   MCS700	Research Methods for Media and Cultural Studies	3 Credit Hours
   MCS701	Media and Audience Analysis	3 Credit Hours

2. Advanced Media Studies Courses (6 Credit Hours)

   Course Code	Course Title	Credit Hours
   MCS702	Theories of Media Cultural Effects	3 Credit Hours
   MCS703	Media and Cultural Globalization	3 Credit Hours

3. Compulsory Specialization Courses (15 Credit Hours)

   Course Code	Course Title	Credit Hours
   MCS710	Media Representations of Cultural Traits	3 Credit Hours
   MCS711	Media, Technology and Culture	3 Credit Hours
   MCS712	Propaganda and Political Communication	3 Credit Hours
   MCS713	Seminar on the Contemporary Egyptian and Arab Media Environment	3 Credit Hours
   MCS800	Research Seminar	3 Credit Hours

4. Elective Specialization Courses (6 Credit Hours – Choose Two)

   Course Code	Course Title	Credit Hours
   MCS720	Socio-Cultural and Economic Effects of Advertising	3 Credit Hours
   MCS721	Media and Social Marketing	3 Credit Hours
   MCS722	Global Public Relations Campaigns	3 Credit Hours
   MCS723	Audio-Visual Media and Popular Culture	3 Credit Hours
   MCS724	Audio-Visual Content Analysis	3 Credit Hours
   MCS725	News Media: A Cultural approach	3 Credit Hours
   MCS726	Cultural Cohesion and Fake News	3 Credit Hours

5. Non-Media Electives (6 Credit Hours)

   Students must complete two courses outside their media specialization, either within the university or at another Egyptian or Arab university recognized by the Supreme Council of Universities. These courses total six credit hours and are determined based on the recommendation of the academic advisor or the dissertation supervisory committee.

   • Comprehensive Exam

   After completing the coursework with a cumulative GPA of no less than 2.7, students must take a Comprehensive Exam in Media studies.

6. PhD Dissertation Research (18 Credit Hours)

   After passing the comprehensive exam, students register for the MSC801 Complementary Research course for the Doctoral Degree.

Tuition fees to be paid per credit hour

39 Credit Hours + Thesis 18 Credit hours, total of 57 Credit hours (4000 EGP per credit)

Fees and categories eligible for different discount rates

• 50% discount for Teaching Assistants working at MIU.
• 25% discount for MIU Alumni.
• 10% discount for applicants who achieved overall grade of Very Good or Distinction.
• Program Fees for Non-Egyptian Students $250 per Credit same discounts mentioned above to be applied.
• In addition to 5000 EGP administrative fees to be paid by the beginning of the first year.