What field would be best for this subject?

I’m currently looking into studying at Masters level, and have several ideas for possible dissertation topics, a few of which focus on photojournalism (as in, examining already published work, and not creating my own own project).

Could anyone tell me what field would be best to study a topic like this at MA level, in terms of art history, literature, history, etc?

Thanks in advance.

Reply 1

Keele Rep

Official Rep

Original post

by wilddustbunny

Hi @wilddustbunny,

It really depends on the methodological approach that you want to take to the project, as well as what you want to get out of the degree programme more widely (i.e., where you want to go in terms of a career, what research/theoretical/methodological knowledge and disciplinary skills you will need to pursue that).

As a literature student, for example, you'd be more likely to examine the materials as a 'text', to think about what they are doing and why, and to think about how those works interact with other 'texts'. There will still be some consideration of the historical context of those works but the focus would be upon the text itself. A media programme, on the other hand, might encourage you to ask the same questions but to look more widely at the medium in which they are presented: why photojournalism, how does this work as a documentary form, how does it interact with other mediums and medias?

There's often a lot of overlap. My own PhD project, for example, treads a thin line between literature and history (with a dose of sociology and politics thrown in for good measure, as well as a little bit of psychogeography and art history). What makes it more of a literature PhD than a history PhD, however, is the fact that my focus is upon texts and textual analysis as a way of thinking about a particular historical moment. As such, my methodologies and research skills are geared towards textual analysis and close-reading.

Because the project you're interested in pursuing sounds as if it could overlap into several areas, it's probably best to have a chat with some university staff/admissions tutors from different types of courses about your proposed project, and how that might fit within their discipline. Postgraduate open days can be a really good way of doing this as multiple subject areas are usually represented, so you can talk to several different staff members on the same day. At Keele, for example, our postgraduate open events (https://www.keele.ac.uk/study/opendays/postgraduateopenevents/) usually have a 'market' of academics from across our subject areas so students who aren't sure where their interests might 'fit' can chat to different staff from different departments.

Hope that helps!

Amy Louise
PhD Candidate & Student Ambassador, Keele University