Digital Media PhD
Our digital media research is committed to transdisciplinarity, creative digital practice, the intersection of art and sciences, social technologies and public engagement.
You are currently viewing course information for entry year:
Start date(s):
- September 2025
- January 2026
Overview
The Digital Media PhD is part of the Fine Art programme of study. We offer PhD supervision in two main areas of digital media.
Digital arts practice is led by Dr Tom Schofield. It includes topics such as:
- emerging technologies and experimental practice
- art and science practice
- transdisciplinary practice
- interactivity and human-computer interaction in arts practice
- data visualisation and creative practice
- affective computing and creative practice
- applied philosophy
- philosophy of cognition
- contemporary art and media theory
- new production environments and living labs
- open source culture and creativity
- crowdsourcing and creativity
Digital media in museum, gallery and heritage settings is led by Dr Areti Galani. It includes topics such as:
- online museum, gallery and heritage experiences
- social software and its implications for the cultural sector
- design and use of mobile, personal and ubiquitous technologies in cultural settings
- study and understanding of social museum experiences
- theory and practice of visitor studies
- ethnographic and ethnomethodological approaches in the study of museum experiences
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Important information
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View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.
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How you'll learn
Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:
- Thesis
- Viva
We offer a wide range of projects for the master's thesis. These will be provided by our academics. You can also propose your own topic.
Our mission is to help you:
- stay healthy, positive and feeling well
- overcome any challenges you may face during your degree – academic or personal
- get the most out of your postgraduate research experience
- carry out admin and activities essential to progressing through your degree
- understand postgraduate research processes, standards and rules
We can offer you tailored wellbeing support, courses and activities.
You can also access a broad range of workshops covering:
- research and professional skills
- careers support
- wellbeing
- health and safety
- public engagement
- academic development
Find out more about our postgraduate research student support
Your development
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS) researcher development programme
Each faculty offers a researcher development programme for its postgraduate research students. We have designed your programme to help you:
- perform better as a researcher
- boost your career prospects
- broaden your impact
Through workshops and activities, it will build your transferable skills and increase your confidence.
You’ll cover:
- techniques for effective research
- methods for better collaborative working
- essential professional standards and requirements
Your researcher development programme is flexible. You can adapt it to meet your changing needs as you progress through your doctorate.
Find out more about the Researcher Education and Development programme
Your future
Our Careers Service
Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.
Quality and ranking
All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body
From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK
Facilities
You have access to top quality facilities at the University's Culture Lab. Culture Lab’s facilities include a stock of film cameras and editing suites, as well as motion-capture, animation and sound-mixing technology.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees for 2025 entry (per year)
Home fees for research degree students
For 2024-25 entry, we have aligned our standard Home research fees with those set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The standard fee was confirmed in Spring 2024 by UKRI.
For 2025-26 entry, we will be aligning our standard Home research fees with those set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The standard fee will be confirmed in Spring 2025 by UKRI.
As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.
Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.
EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.
If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.
Scholarships
We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information.
What you're paying for
Tuition fees include the costs of:
- matriculation
- registration
- tuition (or supervision)
- library access
- examination
- re-examination
- graduation
Find out more about:
If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.
You can check this in the How to apply section.
If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.
For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.
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Entry requirements
The entrance requirements below apply to 2025 entry.
Qualifications from outside the UK
English Language requirements
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University Admissions Policy and related policies and procedures
Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course
How to apply
Using the application portal
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Get in touch
Questions about this course?
If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:
School of Arts and Cultures
Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 3509
Please e-mail Karen Robb (SACS.PGR.Admin@newcastle.ac.uk) and Tom Schofield (Tom.Schofield@newcastle.ac.uk)
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