Media, Education, Aesthetics, Design

Content and Objetives of the Doctoral Program

In the doctoral program ‘Media, Education, Aesthetics, Design’ (Department of Media and Interactions), the scientific exploration of the transformation of (mass) media and medial communication is central. The focus lies particularly on

• the convergence of analog and digital media,
• the transformation of media formats at the level of production and reception,
• the differentiation of traditional mass media,
• the content-related, organizational, and technical merging of individual media into larger complexes and perceptual dispositives.

To comprehensively investigate these complex processes, they can be examined on the one hand in terms of their sociocultural, socioeconomic, media-content, media-didactic, media-theoretical, aesthetic, economic, political, cultural, or pedagogical implications. On the other hand, they can be analyzed from the perspective of various disciplines, such as media studies, communication studies, education, cultural studies, economics, linguistics, design, arts, history, social sciences, philosophy, or psychology. This doctoral program brings the different perspectives, questions and disciplines into dialogue to analyze, understand, and shape transformation processes.

Doctoral candidates enrolled in the program are supervised by a team of three professors. Their integration into the research environment of the Department of Media and Interactions ensures close connection to the academic disciplines relevant to their doctoral projects and actively promotes interdisciplinary exchange. The program’s mandatory and elective components support candidates in acquiring key subject-specific, methodological, and interdisciplinary competencies, preparing them for a digitalized working world, an academic career, or a specialist or leadership position outside academia in the media, education, or cultural sectors.

Target Groups and Admission Requirements

This program primarily addresses graduates with a degree in humanities, social, or cultural studies, or a degree in design or arts, who pursue doctoral projects aligned with the Department's key research areas ‘Media and Public Sphere’, ‘Media Culture and Media Education’, or ‘Aesthetics and Communication’. Doctoral projects related to media content, media products, media effects, audiences, competencies, education, media economy, media systems, aesthetics, history, and/or theories are especially welcome.

To be admitted as a doctoral candidate in the department and to be able to pursue a doctorate within the program, the following requirements must be fulfilled:

• a degree that entitles to pursue a doctorate according to § 67 (4) of the Higher Education Act,
• a convincing doctoral project that fits the program (see also the exposé guidelines),
• supervision by a professorial member of the department and proposals for a complete supervision team (see also Confirmation of Supervision),
• a degree in humanities, social or cultural studies, or design and arts, evaluated at least with grade “good”.

Admission as a doctoral candidate is decided by the doctoral examining committee.

Structure of the Program

The doctoral program consists of a mandatory and an elective component. It supports doctoral candidates in

1. engaging deeply with their research topics and critically reflecting on their scientific practices,
2. dealing with the research areas ‘Media and Public Sphere’, ‘Media Culture and Media Education’ and ‘Aesthetics and Communication’ and positioning themselves within these areas,
3. networking within the scientific community both inside and outside the department, and
4. developing transversal key qualifications.

The doctoral program is designed for a duration of three years, and should ordinarily be completed within five years. Extensions are possible upon request.

Events Offered within the Doctoral Program

The department regularly offers the following events:

Lecture Series

In the summer semester, the department organizes a lecture series (Ringvorlesung) consisting of typically five sessions, each lasting two hours. The sessions take place online in the afternoons.

Research Methods

To strengthen methodological competencies, the department offers a dedicated course each semester:

• In the summer semester, the ‘Overview of Methods’ provides insights into various qualitative and quantitative research approaches.
• In the winter semester, the ‘Applied Methods Workshop’ follows, in which selected methods are explored and practiced in greater depth.

Both formats are usually held online and each take place over a full day.

Doctoral Colloquium

The doctoral colloquium takes place twice a year:

• In the summer semester as an online event, usually on the first Friday in March,and
• in the winter semester as an in-person event at PK NRW or at one of the participating universities of applied sciences.

Both colloquia each last a full day.

Current Information

The department informs doctoral candidates about upcoming events via email and on the News and Events page.

Documents for Enrollment and Admission