Doctoral Hub

• MPhil Guide
  
• MPhil/PhD Student Handbook
• PhD Academy Handbook
• Departmental AI policy

Submission deadlines                          

Exam MY646(MC5M1) / MY465 (MC5M2) WT0

MPhil Draft theories chapter deadline Monday 10 May (WT Week 8)

MPhil Draft methdos chapter deadline Tuesday 6 May (ST Week 1)

PhD End of year reflection deadline Monday 26 May (ST Week 4) 

MPhil thesis proposal deadline Monday 26 May (ST Week 4) 

MPhil upgrade vivas Monday 2 June to Friday 12 June (ST Week 5-6)

Committees

AT SSLC  Thursday 31 October (AT Week 5)

WT SSLC Thursday 20 February (WT Week 5)

ST SSLC Thursday 5 June (ST Week 5)

Seminars                    

MC501 (3rd years+)Weekly term time meetings on Wednesday from 13:00 – 14:30  

PhD 'Mixer' (all years) Coffee and a chance to socialise with other PhDs - 14:30 - 15:00 

MC500 (1st and 2nd year)  Weekly term time seminars on Wednesdays from 15:00 – 16:30 

MC5M1 and MC5M2 AT Weekly term time seminars depend on self-enrolment + WT Weekly Tuesday seminars from 15:00 to 17:00. 

It is very important that you, as our MPhil and PhD researchers, familiarise yourselves with the Regulations and other vital information for research students. For LSE’s formal regulations: 

MPhil/PhD in Media and Communications 

MPhil/PhD in Data, Networks and Society 

 Aims of the Doctoral Programme

The Department of Media and Communications recognises that research flourishes in a supportive environment. As a mid-size department within LSE, we benefit from an informal and friendly atmosphere, which encourages a lively intellectual culture in which creative ideas from many perspectives can be exchanged. 

The arrangements for the MPhil/PhD programme are designed to: 

• provide a rigourous and constructive environment that is conducive to high quality research; 
• encourage you to take full advantage of the range of advice and specialist knowledge available in the Department and in the School as a whole; 
• support and monitor your progress on a sustained basis so as to help you to complete your thesis within the required timeframe. 

If there are issues that you wish to discuss, you may raise these with the Doctoral Programme Director (Ellen Helsper), your representative who can take these to  the Staff/Student Liaison Committee (SSLC), or if you do not consider either of these appropriate with the Head of Department (Myria Georgiou). Additionally, support, advice and guidance is available from the PhD Academy team.  For support regarding the administration of the programme and general queries please contact Danielle Blasse using the Media.PhD@lse.ac.uk email. 

All students should have regular meetings with their supervisors normally consisting of 3 termly meetings for MPhil students and  

No supervision should be expected outside of term time.  

For more detail please refer to programme regulations and MPhil/PhD Handbook. 

The PhD Log

The PhD Log allows you to keep an accurate record of the topics discussed and actions required when meeting your supervisor(s). It is important that you get into the habit of making detailed entries into the log soon after each meeting with your supervisors. The log provides a method of recording what has been discussed and agreed between you and your supervisor/s and allows you and your supervisor/s to provide further comments if required. 

The PhD Log can be accessed via LSE for You. Please note that it is compulsory for supervisors and PhD students to use the PhD Log.  

Conflict with supervisor

We make every effort to match our MPhil and PhD students with supervisors who are best placed to guide and support a thesis through until its completion. However, we do understand that issues between students and their supervisors can arise and we do not want you to suffer in silence if this is happening to you.  

If you have any comments or concerns about supervision first try to discuss these with your supervisors. If this is not possible or does not result in a satisfactory solution, you can raise these with the Doctoral Programme Director (Ellen Helsper), the Head of Department (Myria Georgiou) or the PhD Academy team.  You can also contact the Director of the PhD Academy (Binchun Meng) directly. Please flag any issues as early as possible, all conversations are confidential and will not be shared with anyone unless you indicate that you would like others to be informed. 

Theories, concepts and skills training 

• MC500 Doctoral Seminars (required for 1st  year MPhil candidates) – weekly Wednesday afternoon seminars. 

This readings, presentations, and workshop based, PhD researcher-centred seminar series explores key theoretical, analytical and practical challenges of doing media and communications research and being a scholar in this field. One presentation per PhD researcher is expected as well as a contribution to the mini-conference (WT11). The Doctoral seminars offer a space committed to providing a positive, inclusive, diverse, and safe community for its members. All participants need to keep in mind that class interactions, despite disagreements or criticisms, should always be constructive and respectful to others. 

The MC500 seminars are preceded by the PhD researcher Mixer with 3+ years, we encourage all PhD researchers to be there if possible, these are very important for community building between cohorts and allow for mutual support and advise in an informal setting. 

• One full unit or two half units of theory courses, chosen from the School’s graduate course provision.  

Courses are to be chosen in liaison with the primary supervisor/co-supervisors and will be approved by the Doctoral Programme Director. It is strongly advised that PhD researchers select at least one half unit in the Department of Media and Communications. 

Research methodology training 

MPhil candidates take either MC5M1 or MC5M2 Advanced Methods of Qualitative and Quantitative Research in Media & Communications, depending on your methodological orientation and scholarship requirements. Both courses have a quantitative analysis component;  

• MC5M1 (Qualitative specialisation) students take MY464: Critical Data Literacy for Media and Communications and MC5M2 (Quantitative specialisation) students take MY465: Intermediate Quantitative Analysis. Lectures and seminars for MY464 and MY465 take place in AT. 
• All MPhil candidates are required to take the Seminars in Advanced Research Methods taking place from 15:00 to 17:00 on Tuesdays in WT. 

Besides attending the methodology course, PhD candidates should be talking to their supervisors about their methodological framework and design, as well as make appointments with any faculty deemed relevant to discuss methodology and their formative assignment from early on in the year and especially during the Winter Term.  

For further methods training information, please refer to the Methods Handbook available via the MC4M2/MC5M1/MC5M2 Moodle page.   

Upgrade process

Spring term is dedicated to the upgrade process. 

Please see the PhD handbook for more detail as well as the MPhil assessment section.

Please read the PhD handbook and your programme regulations for details, the below is a summary of assessments on our doctoral programmes. 

Formative assessment 

You have to formative assessments as part of your core course work: 

• Your theoretical progress will be assessed through the submission of a draft theoretical chapter of your thesis.

• Your methodological progress will be assessed through the submission of a draft methodological chapter of your thesis.

Both will be marked by your supervisors and will receive one of the following grades: Distinction (70-100%), Merit (60-69%) Pass (50-59%) or Fail (0-49%). 

Word limit: Each chapter should be no more than 3,500 words. 

Deadlines: The theory chapter is due Monday 10 March 2025 (Winter Term, Week 8). Feedback will normally be received by the end of Winter Term. 

The methods chapter is due Tuesday 6 May 2025 (Spring Term, Week 1). Feedback will normally be received by the end of Week 5 of Spring Term. 

The chapters should be uploaded to the MC500 Moodle page by 12.00 (midday UK time). 

Summative assessment and progression

All year 1 MPhil candidates are MPhil candidates until they pass their upgrade, at which point they will become PhD candidates. MPhil candidates cannot proceed unless they have passed their upgrade. To upgrade from MPhil to PhD, you submit a thesis proposal and take part in an upgrade viva with your supervisors and a department faculty member. 

You have two assessments that you have to pass: the PhD upgrade viva based on your thesis proposal and a data literacy (MY464) or an advanced quantitative analysis (MY465) exam.  

The PhD Board determines the Department’s criteria for upgrading to MPhil candidates to PhD. The thesis proposal will form part of the evaluation process, and, together with an upgrade viva and any examination for methodological courses, will determine whether MPhil candidates are permitted to upgrade from MPhil to PhD and continue into their second year. 

If you pass the upgrade process but fail any other assessment (methods exam/s) then you will receive a ‘conditional upgrade’. This means you will be upgraded on the condition that any failed assessments receive a resit mark of at least 50%.

Deadlines: 

• Analytical methods exams. Students have to sit the exam for MY464 (MC5M1) or MY465 (MC5M2) in Winter Term week 0.

• Upgrade viva. Full-time students must submit a thesis proposal to the Department by Monday 26 May 2025 (Spring Term, Week 4). This should be uploaded to the MC500 Moodle page by 12.00 (midday UK time). The upgrade viva is normally conducted in weeks 5 and 6 of Spring term. 

Please see the PhD Handbook for further information on guidelines for formatting and content of the thesis proposal.  

Upgrade Viva format

The upgrade viva review generally lasts up to 90 minutes. You will get a chance to present your work and will be asked question regarding the content and the ideas expressed in the upgrade proposal. It is audio-recorded and you will receive a copy of the recording, together with a formal written response from the chair and each committee member. 

Upgrade Viva Feedback

You will receive oral feedback during your upgrade viva and written feedback by the end of Spring Term. 

Possible outcomes of the MPhil upgrade 

There are 4 possible outcomes from the upgrade examination: 

a)     Pass and progress to PhD. 

b)    Pass with minor corrections, and progress to PhD; you will be asked to resubmit or revise some component of the thesis proposal within 3 months. A second viva will not be necessary in this case. 

c)     Referral for resubmission of all or part of the thesis proposal within 3 months (at the start of the new academic year); progression to PhD will be conditional on examination of the revised work by the thesis committee. A second viva may be necessary in this case, and this will be decision of your thesis committee on receiving the resubmitted thesis proposal. 

d)    Fail (leading to a resit) with resubmission of a proposal by Friday 6 December  and a re-examination at the start of WT. 

You should not plan to take leave of absence for fieldwork before passing the upgrade. 

MC500 Doctoral Seminars (required 2nd year PhD researchers) 

MC500 Seminars take place weekly on Wednesday afternoons during term time.  

Shared with the first year MPhil researchers, with a different content every year, this is seminar continues with skills training and theoretical work as well as learning from and giving feedback on the work of other MPhil and PhD researchers.  One presentation per PhD researcher is expected as well as a contribution to the mini-conference (WT11).  

The MC500 seminars are preceded by the PhD researcher Mixer with 3+ years, we encourage all PhD researchers to be there if possible, these are very important for community building between cohorts and allow for mutual support and advise in an informal setting. 

MC501 Advanced Doctoral Seminars (for 3rd year PhD researchers) 

MC501 Seminars take place weekly on Wednesday afternoons during term time and precede the MC500 seminars.  

Doctoral seminar discussing work-in-progress (chapter drafts; analysis-in-progress; articles to-be-submitted), providing a space for collaborative writing and analysis, as well as practical workshops relevant to academic and other research careers and preparation for the final viva. The Doctoral seminar series is a space committed to providing a positive, inclusive, diverse and safe community for its members. All participants need to keep in mind that class interactions, despite disagreements or criticisms, should always be constructive and respectful to others. 

The MC501 seminars are followed by the PhD researcher Mixer with 1st and 2nd years, we encourage all PhD researchers to be there if possible, these are very important for community building between cohorts and allow for mutual support and advise in an informal setting. 

After upgrade there are two forms of assessment: the end of year reflection document which will feed in, alongside other milestones reached during the academic year, into the decision about reregistering in the subsequent academic year, and the final PhD thesis and the associated viva, based on which the decision is made whether the title of Philosophy Doctor will be granted. 

End of year reflection (compulsory) 

Upgraded PhD students (years 2+) who are not about to submit are required to submit an end of year reflection report  which should reflect on progress made so far and support needed for the following academic year. 

This document will be reviewed and discussed by the thesis committee. If required, the thesis committee may arrange to meet you in person, but normally feedback will be sent via email. This document and notes from the thesis committee will form the basis of the discussion about your progress at the annual PhD Board. 

Deadline: Tuesday 6 May 2025 (Spring Term, Week 1). This should be sent to your thesis committee, with Media.PhD@lse.ac.uk  in CC, by 12.00 (midday UK time). You will receive feedback by the end of Spring Term. 

A template for the reflection document is available on the MC500/MC501 Moodle page. 

Work in progress (non-compulsory) 

At the end of years 2 and 3, you may also submit a piece of work which consists of any combination of theory, methodology and data analysis that you may wish to receive feedback on. There will be a written report from each member of your thesis committee. Even though the purpose of this submission is not to assess you formally, you are strongly encouraged to take up this opportunity for additional feedback from your thesis committee. 

Deadline: The deadline for the work in progress is Tuesday 6 May 2025 (Spring Term, Week 1). This should be emailed to the student’s thesis committee. The end of year work in progress should be no more than 10,000 words. You will normally receive feedback by the end of Spring Term, and this will normally be emailed to you by your thesis committee chair. 

Research ethics

The School attaches utmost importance to the maintenance of high ethical standards in the research undertaken by its academic and research staff and students. You should make sure that you familiarize yourself with and understand the ethical requirements and responsibilities you have in being part of the LSEs. 

You may find it helpful to first look at this one-page overview 'Ethics review in a nutshell' but before setting out on fieldwork should read the  LSE research ethics policy which sets out the School's research ethics policy and the procedure for obtaining independent ethical scrutiny of research proposals by the Research Committee's Ethics Group.   

Filling out the ethics application form on Online Ethics Review system is required for any study at the LSE whether it is a pilot project or a final full study.  

You are NOT allowed to embark on fieldwork without fieldwork and research ethics approval from your supervisor(s) and the School. 

Fieldwork 

You should speak with your supervisor and a member of the PhD Academy team for further advice when you are planning your fieldwork. 

You should begin to discuss plans for (pilot) fieldwork and ethics with your supervisor/s as you are writing the methodology chapter for your upgrade document in Winter Term. 

Any PhD student conducting fieldwork needs to complete a fieldwork request form and the associated risk assessment at least three months before fieldwork begins.  

Any fieldwork where a student remains outside the United Kingdom continuously for over 12 months is regarded by the insurers as a Secondment. This means that exclusions will apply to the medical cover provided. Contact the Health and Safety Team for details of these exclusions.  

Accessing sensitive textual resources 

If you are planning research that will involve accessing sensitive websites/materials such as ISIS, the research ethics manager will organise a meeting with a member of the School’s Information Security Team. They will advise on how to access such sites/materials safely (whether from a secure LSE machine/server or remotely via e.g. VPN connection from a laptop), how to hide browsing history, erase data, etc. 

Data management 

Data Management Plans cover collection, organisation, use, storage, contextualisation, preservation and sharing of data. However, different forms of Research Data Management plans exist. It is worth thinking early about managing data. Read here about: What is a Data Management Plan and how do I write one? 

The website of The LSE Financial Support Office gives an overview of financial support for PhD study. 

Support for MPhil/PhD candidates includes: 

• In-course financial support for final stage PhD candidates 
• Support for student parents 
• Postgraduate travel fund 
• LSE Students' Union hardship funds  

The Financial Support Office holds regular drop-in sessions for PhD researchers where a designated member of staff is available to answer student queries.  

ESRC Research Training Support Grant 

If you are an ESRC PhD researcher, you are eligible for a combined Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) and UK Fieldwork Allowance. This also applies to part-time and fees only award holders. If you want to apply for the RTSG, you should contact Media.phd@lse.ac.uk. 

More information on the Research Training Support Grant is available here. 

Department PhD support fund 

The Department has modest funds to provide support for your research activities. These funds are limited and insufficient to support everyone enrolled in the programme, therefore you are required to consider the following before applying: 

• If you are presenting a paper at a conference, symposium or academic event, you should first apply for LSE's Postgraduate Travel Fund (see above). 
• If you are funded by ESRC, you should first draw on your ESRC Research Training Support Grant (see above). 

If you are ineligible for the postgraduate or ESRC grant, or if your application is unsuccessful, you are invited to apply to the Department’s MPhil/PhD support fund, as long as your request meets one or more of the following criteria: 

1) A request for a contribution towards the costs of travel, accommodation and/or conference/workshop fees in relation to presenting a research paper. 

2) A request for a contribution towards the costs of travel, accommodation or conference/workshop fees where your research will benefit substantially from participation and this is confirmed by your supervisor. 

3) A request for a contribution towards the costs of undertaking fieldwork which forms a necessary part of your project and is confirmed by your supervisor. 

4) A request for a contribution to other essential research-related expenses (please note this does not include books obtainable from the LSE Library). 

Please note that: 

• You may apply for any specific amount up to a maximum of £800 over the duration of your PhD. However, please note that it should not be assumed that each PhD researcher will get the full amount, the Department reserves the right to part-fund your application. 

• First year MPhil researchers cannot apply until they have passed their upgrade.

• If an application has been approved, funding will be reimbursed when you submit receipts for expenses incurred. 
• Decisions will be made by the doctoral programme director and will be final. 

The application form for the PhD Support Fund is available here. 

We hope that MPhil and PhD student work runs smoothly and that everyone finds doctoral study a challenging but ultimately rewarding process and experience. However, we recognise that difficulties can arise and we have done our best – as a programme, a Department and an institution to provide recognition and support as needed. 

Finding support 

We are aware that during their study, students may encounter difficulties in terms of physical or mental health, finances, housing, immigration status, family, relationships, homesickness, self-esteem and more. We hope this doesn't occur to you, but we also hope that if you do have difficulties, you find the courage to tell someone who can help.  

Most importantly, don’t suffer in silence - speak to your friends, fellow PhD cohort and your supervisor. More informally, you are also welcome to contact any other member of the department that you feel you can trust and ask for help.  

It is important especially that your supervisor knows how you are, and supervisors are well placed to identify additional sources of support, depending on the problem you may be facing. They can also advise if time off, or a formal interruption to your studies. The Doctoral Programme Director (Ellen Helsper), is also available for confidential consultation if needed.  

Professional help is available for free via the fully confidential LSE Student Counselling Service https://info.lse.ac.uk/current-students/student-wellbeing/Student-Wellbeing-and-Counselling-Service 

 LSE student wellbeing services 

LSE Disability and Wellbeing Service is the first point of contact for disabled students, both before arrival at LSE and throughout their time here. They have experts in long term medical/ health conditions, physical disabilities and sensory impairments, mental health and specific learning difficulties (such as Dyslexia). They are available for advice and guidance, and can put in place Inclusion Plans (IPs) and help with Individual Examination Adjustments. http://www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/LSEServices/disabilityAndWellBeingService/home.aspx 
 
LSE Student Counselling Service is a free and confidential service for all students, offering one to one appointments, drop in sessions , and group based support on issues such as stress management and self-esteem. 

LSE Peer Support enables students to talk confidentially to a fellow student about anything that is troubling them. Located in halls of residence and on campus, the Peer Supporters are a group of specially selected and trained students who help their peers to find their own solutions. 

LSE's Bullying and Harassment resources support students who have survived or witnessed behaviours that are intimidating, hostile, degrading or offensive, whether repeatedly or as one-off instances.  The School and the Department do not tolerate such behaviours and offers ways to report them and help survivors. 

Something might happen during the course of your PhD that might require you to interrupt, extend or change to part-time study. The conditions for each of these are detailed in the PhD handbook and more information can be found on the PhD academy website: here.  

All circumstances are particular to the individual, therefore, you should discuss these with your supervisors, or, if this is not possible with the Doctoral Programme Director (Ellen Helsper). Your supervisors and the DPD will need to approve your application for the change of circumstances.  

In any case, we strongly advise you to get in touch with the PhD when encountering difficulties, so that you can receive proper guidance and advice which will be addressed to your specific circumstances: phdacademy@lse.ac.uk. 

Please read through detailed submission guidelines in the PhD handbook and note LSE’s regulations for PhD students.   

As you enter the final year of your programme you will need to prepare to submit your thesis ready for the viva examination. The maximum length of registration is normally four years for full-time and eight years for part-time students. 

Before you submit your thesis, you are strongly advised to consult your supervisory team and, preferably produce one or more draft versions, for discussion, so that the structure of argument can be clarified, the claims and evidence strengthened and well justified, the flow of your narrative made smooth, and the phrasing made as felicitous as possible. The precise way in which this is achieved should be discussed with your supervisor. 

An extension beyond the maximum period is only granted in very exceptional circumstances (see changing your study arrangements). Requests for extension have to be agreed upon and justified by supervisors and the doctoral programme director. The ultimate decision for granting an extension, however, lies with the Chair of the Research Degrees Subcommittee, not with the Department. 

Examination entry 

At least three months before you plan to submit your thesis you should complete the examination entry form with your supervisor. Whilst you should work on this form together, it is ultimately signed off by your primary supervisor and approved by the doctoral programme director. 

The examination entry form is available on the PhD Academy website. 

The thesis is examined by two examiners. Your primary supervisor is responsible for nominating your examiners although normally they will discuss possible nominations with you to ensure they are the most appropriate choice. Your supervisor will not be one of your examiners. 

Until the examiners have confirmed that they can act, they are not appointed as examiners. Therefore, theses will not be sent to them until that time and no arrangements for the viva examination will be agreed. These arrangements are all carried out by the primary supervisor and you should have no contact with your examiners in the run-up to your viva. 

Thesis submission 

You will need to submit an electronic version of your thesis to the PhD Academy by emailing phdacademy@lse.ac.uk .  

You should refer to the Formatting and binding your thesis document to ensure your thesis is formatted in line with the School’s requirements. The front pages of your thesis should contain certain information and you should refer to the Template for the front pages of your document for further guidance.  You must submit your thesis by the deadline. If you are unsure what your deadline is, please submit an enquiry. 

Theses that are submitted late cannot be accepted without an approved extension from the Research Degrees Subcommittee Chair. You should ensure you allow time for the final editing  of your thesis within your deadline.  

Examiners are not permitted to accept a thesis, in any format, from any source other than from the PhD Academy.   

Editorial help with your thesis 

You might wish to seek help from a third party in editing your thesis before you submit it for examination. You will need to read the School’s Statement on Editorial Help , provide a copy of it to any third party you use and declare what help you have received from a third party in the front pages of your thesis (see template for front pages of your thesis ).  

Make sure that you are aware of the LSEs and the departmental guidance on using AI in the writing and editing of your thesis. 

iThenticate Text Matching Software 

The School makes text-matching software (iThenticate) available to its research students who might wish to use it to check their written work.  

If you are a research student and wish to use the software, please submit an enquiry  and the PhD academy will set up an account for you. 

You will find further instructions on how to use the software on the iThenticate website. Fuller guidance is provided in the iThenticate User Manual [PDF]. 

Your two examiners will read your thesis and then you will be examined by a viva examination which should last no longer than 2 hours. The viva can take place on School premises or be online or mixed mode, depending on the individual needs of the candidate, supervisors and the department. At the viva, if you wish (it is entirely your choice), your supervisor may be present as an observer but cannot participate. Read the PhD handbook on what to expect during the PhD viva. There will also be an MC501 session on preparing for the final viva and feel free to request a mock viva with your supervisors.  

The outcome of the examination 

The outcome of the viva will be a judgement by the examiners, who compile a final examiners’ report. They will make one of several recommendations, which are detailed in the regulations on doctoral examination and also on the form you completed in registering for the degree. We hope that you will pass, possibly with some minor amendments, and be ready to celebrate! 

Appeals process 

Should you wish to appeal the Department’s decision in not allowing you to re-register for the programme or to not allow you to upgrade to PhD status, or to appeal against the result of an MPhil or PhD examination, you are advised to familiarise yourself with the Appeals Regulations for Research Students. 

Doctorate extension scheme 

The Doctorate Extension Scheme (DES) is intended to enable overseas students gaining a doctorate to remain in the UK for an additional 12-month period (after being awarded the PhD) in which to seek work with a Tier 2 employer, to set up as an entrepreneur or to undertake some form of employment. You can undertake any type of work but are not permitted to work as a doctor or dentist in training, or as a professional sportsperson or sports coach.  
 
You can apply for the DES only:  

• if you have a valid Tier 4 or pre-Tier 4 student visa 
• if you have completed all the requirements for your PhD 
• 60 days before your expected completion date i.e. the date you will be awarded your PhD 
• and you are in the UK at the time you apply under the scheme. If you do not meet all of these criteria you will not be able to apply under the scheme 

You will need to read the DES Guidance note to students and follow the steps set out in it within good time if you wish the School to sponsor you under the scheme. You can access the guidance note here. 

Graduation 

You will be able to attend graduation once your examiners are satisfied with any necessary revisions to your thesis, you have submitted your final completed thesis to the LSE Library, and the PhD Academy have confirmed your completion via email. 

If this happens before 30 September, you will be invited to attend the December graduation ceremony. If this happens before 30 April, you will be invited to attend the July graduation. 

Visiting fellowship status following completion 

As a recently completed PhD, you will be given the opportunity to become a Visiting Fellow (LSE PhD Graduate) in the Department for one year, following completion. Once the one year has lapsed, you may apply to become a Visiting Fellow.  

This will mean you will retain full library access, borrowing rights, and your LSE email address, giving you the ability to submit to journals and jobs with an LSE email address at this crucial transitional stage following the PhD. 

You should be registered automatically signed up for the departmental newsletter about events and research activities that take place. 

If for some reason you are not receiving the newsletter, contact Media.Research@lse.ac.uk to make sure you are on the mailinglist. 

Peer mentoring 

The peer mentoring scheme was an idea developed by the Department’s PhD cohort in order to foster a supportive environment for incoming MPhils by pairing you with a second year PhD who has just completed their first year of study. 

MPhils will be able to talk to their peer mentor for a personal perspective on being an MPhil in the Department, as well as offering insight into making the transition between a taught master’s degree and a research degree. Peer mentors will not be able to offer academic mentorship, this should be offered by your supervisory team.  

Peer mentoring is an important element of the MC500 and MC501 seminars. 

Research Dialogues 

As MPhil/PhD students, you are expected to attend and participate in the Department’s Research Dialogues, as this is the main intellectual meeting point for faculty, doctoral and post-doctoral researchers as well as visiting fellows. 

Research Dialogues take place every other  Thursday in the Silverstone Room during term time, you will receive calendar invites at the beginning of the academic year. If you have not received these, contact Media.Research@lse.ac.uk to be added to the mailing list.  

Additional events and public lectures 

Additional events will be arranged throughout the academic year, ranging from public lectures to ad-hoc research seminars, symposia and conferences. MPhil and PhD student participation is encouraged at all public events, so keep an eye out for email invitations. You can keep up to date with upcoming public events through the LSE Events email notification service. See lse.ac.uk/publicEvents/. 

Professional opportunities and skills training 

We will upload any job openings, calls for papers, conference deadlines, skill training and other relevant opportunities to the MC500/MC501 Moodle Forums that are dedicated to this. If you hear of such an opportunity, please email it to Media.PhD@lse.ac.uk so that we can notify other PhD researchers as well. 

Celebrate event 

The Department hosts an annual Celebrate! Media and Communications PhDs event. This is an event in which alumni come together with current faculty, PhD researchers and visiting researchers to celebrate the wonderful work that they have done and the contributions they continue to make. This takes place in WT11.   

Social life in the Department 

The Department hosts a range of social activities, some designed around MPhil//PhD students, and others intended for a wider Departmental audience, including faculty, MScs, visiting academics and researchers. Below is a list of activities organised by the Department, do please suggest more. 

• Weekly mixers between MC500/MC501 seminars 
• Phubs and Phicnics in week 4 of every term. 
• A meal with your supervisor and their other MPhil/PhD supervisees. 
• Lunches and drinks receptions following Departmental events, symposia and conferences. 

An annual departmental winter (December) and summer party (June).