MPhil in Media, Languages and Cultures

The MPhil in Media, Languages and Cultures at the University of Nottingham Malaysia offers a focused, interdisciplinary research experience in areas such as media democracy, Southeast Asian cinema, digital media, and youth culture. Other research areas include migration, food culture, cross-cultural issues, and the creative industries.

This programme allows students to engage with critical topics in media and cultural studies, helping them understand the role of media and culture in a rapidly changing global landscape. Students will refine their research skills and gain insights into how media shapes societal structures and communication.

With guidance from experienced, research-active faculty, MPhil students will develop strong analytical and critical thinking skills, preparing them for careers as independent researchers or educators in media, communication, and cultural fields.

MPhil and MRes Eligibility Criteria

Degree Requirements:

• A second-class honours degree (2:2) (or international equivalent) in a relevant discipline.

  • Non-UK qualifications will be assessed against this standard.

• Applicants must hold a degree from a recognised university.

  • The university welcomes students from all academic backgrounds and considers a wide range of qualifications.

  • For certain programmes, prior qualifications must be in related fields.

Other Details:

• As part of the admissions process, applicants may be invited to attend an interview if further evaluation is deemed necessary.

• Eligibility can only be confirmed upon submission of a complete application.

English Language Requirements:

• IELTS (Academic):

  • Overall score of 7.0, with no less than 6.0 in each element.

• TOEFL (iBT):

  • Overall score of 100, with minimum scores of:

    • 21 in Writing and Listening

    • 22 in Reading

    • 24 in Speaking

• PTE (Academic):

  • Overall score of 76, with no less than 71 in each element.

• MUET: Band 5

Other Details:

• IELTS (Academic), TOEFL iBT, and PTE (Academic) test results must be less than two years old.

• IELTS One Skill Retake is accepted.

• IELTS Academic Online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition, and PTE Academic Online are not accepted.

• MUET results are valid for five years from the release date.

Research covers areas including:

• comparative literature, Japanese literature, literary translation
• digital cultures, youth and social networks
• food, identity and transnationalism
• international information flows – questions of imbalance, cultural and media imperialism and dependency
• media and human rights – these include communication rights, media and gender relations, and media and minority groups
• performing arts: music, drama, performance, applied creative practices
• Southeast Asian cinema, particularly Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean films
• the history, policies and structures of the culture industries - these encompass structural analysis, political economy and post-colonial development studies