Culture, Media & Creative Industries at King's carries out world-leading research across the field of culture, media and the analysis of particular creative industries. We are pioneers in shaping how culture and creativity are understood, practiced, and valued. Our work informs public policy, drives industry innovation, and amplifies cultural voices across the world. We pride ourselves in research rigour and making a difference to the world through all exceptional research. CMCI is also developing, in concert with Digital Humanities, research into digital cultures, particularly into social networks, digital identities and digital activism. Our approach is international in perspective, interdisciplinary in nature, and is characterised by a productive engagement of the theoretical, historical and empirical. We also offer regional expertise in East Asian, South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American media, culture and creative industries.

The PhD in Culture, Media & Creative Industries is a programme for those seeking an academic career or who wish to become high-calibre professionals in the cultural, media or creative sectors.

• Latest Research Excellence Framework rankings: CMCI was ranked third in the UK for research power. Our Faculty of Arts & Humanities is one of the most prestigious of its kind, ranked sixth in Europe (QS World University Rankings, 2025).
• Current staff: 51
• Current PhDs: 49

Our areas of doctoral supervision include (but are not limited to):  

• Cultural and creative Industries
• Cultural policy
• Cultural memory
• Cultural management
• Cultural entrepreneurship
• Museum, Heritage and Culture
• Culture, care and social justice
• Subcultures
• Material culture studies
• Gender, race and culture
• Culture and translation
• Climate crisis and culture
• Identity politics in the Global South
• Cultural economics
• Cultural work and labour
• Art and nation building
• Inequalities in the art world
• Arts and social change
• Participatory, community-engaged arts
• Film and TV industry
• Music industry
• Media Production
• Media convergence
• Audience studies
• Media and policy
• Media and activism
• Gender and media
• Race and media
• Production geopolitics
• Networked subcultures
• Queer studies and media
• Game studies
• Digital feminism
• Digital life-writing
• Immersive technologies
• Cultural sector and AI
• Media and AI
• Digitalisation in creative sectors
• Creative economy and development
• Creative education and inclusion
• Creative resistance and activism
• Sustainability and the creative economy
• Creative work and creative labour
• Fashion
• Performance studies
• Music industry

Learn more about the Department’s research activities on our Research and Expertise page.

Doctoral School for Arts & Humanities

Researchers on this course are supported by the new Doctoral School for Arts & Humanities. The initiatives, including a placement programme, extensive training opportunities and professional support, will benefit doctoral students throughout their time at King’s and in their path to professional success.