Language and Social Interaction, Communication, Conversation Analysis, Discourse Analysis

The Department of Communication and Media at Loughborough University leads international research at the cutting edge of language and social interaction using conversation analysis, discourse analysis and rhetorical analysis. Members of our DARG Discourse And Rhetoric Group have extensive experience in supervising doctoral research into different uses of language in society with a focus on applications to real-world problems. We invite proposals from prospective PhD candidates with projects relating to the thematic areas of language and social interaction. This could include areas such as: PhD researchers in these areas would be embedded and supported by a lively and diverse research culture, within the Communication and Media department. They would also be part of the Centre for Research in Communication and Culture (CRCC), which is one of the largest centres of this kind in the UK. The 2021 Research Excellence Framework ranked us 5th in the UK and the 2022 QS World University Ranking placed us in the top 100 for communications and media research. 94% of Loughborough’s research impact is rated world-leading or internationally excellent. REF 2021

The standard University IELTS English language requirement is 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each individual element (reading, writing, listening and speaking).

International students: £23,100

UK students: £5,238

UK/Home: £5,238

International: £23,100

October 2026

31 July 2026

• Loughborough, United Kingdom