phd in english literature in europe

English Language and Literature MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

One of the highest-ranking English departments in the UK ( The Guardian University Guide 2023 - English ), UCL English provides excellent opportunities for PhD students to study in the heart of literary London, with access to vast quantities of resources and research materials, and a high number of academic staff working on a diverse range of specialist research topics.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, applications accepted.

• Entry requirements

An undergraduate degree in English Literature or a related subject is a pre-requisite for this programme, and a UK Master's degree in a relevant discipline, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard will normally be required. Research degree students are expected to start in September, but may request to start in January if there are exceptional reasons to do so. Applicants who wish to be considered for AHRC/ LAHP funding must have submitted a complete application by 5 January 2024.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

With access to vast collections of research materials and supervision from world-leading experts* in a wide range of literary periods and topics, UCL provides an exceptionally strong environment in which to study for an English PhD. UCL English Department has specialists in every period of English and American literature, as well as English language, with an outstanding record of internationally recognised scholarship and publications. A PhD in English at UCL will allow you to pursue original research and make a significant contribution to your field. 

Students accepted for admission are given a principal supervisor with whom they will work closely during the course of the degree. A subsidiary supervisor is also appointed to provide additional advice. Great importance is attached to matching student and supervisor, and ensuring that students' progress is well monitored. Students meet either one or other supervisor approximately ten times during the academic year.

Graduate students initially register for the MPhil degree, but usually upgrade to full PhD student status in the second year, if progress is satisfactory. (The English Department does not offer a standalone research Master's programme, nor is it possible to be admitted as a PhD student directly.) In addition to the upgrade review in the second year, progress is also reviewed at the end of each year. Students who are making good progress will usually be offered opportunities to gain teaching experience from the second year onwards.

There are normally about 45 students undertaking research degrees in the department. They form a diverse, friendly, and vibrant intellectual community. There is a full programme of departmental research seminars at which papers are given by invited speakers and graduate students, and students also have access to a wide range of seminars and research events across UCL and the University of London. Research skills training is provided both within and beyond the department.

PhD students at UCL have access to an incomparable range of libraries, including the British Library and Senate House Library (the library of the University of London). They can also apply to spend a period as a visiting scholar at Yale as part of the UCL-Yale Collaborative Partnership.

Who this course is for

This programme is suitable for applicants with a strong interest or background in a wide range of literary periods or in English Linguistics, and who want to do complete research alongside specialists in literature in English and linguistics of the English language. The programme is suitable for both recent Masters graduates as well as early or mid-career professionals who have achieved the stated entry requirements.

What this course will give you

As one of the most respected academic institutions in the world ( QS World University Rankings 2023 ), UCL is an excellent place to study for a PhD in English. Our PhD students benefit from specialist supervision by world-leading researchers* as well as access to the outstanding range of research resources available to them in London.

The clear structure of the PhD programme, with regular progress reviews, supports successful completion, while the training courses offered by the department and UCL enable the development of both specific research skills and the professional skills needed for an academic career.

The relatively small department also offers many opportunities for formal and informal intellectual exchanges and collaborations, supported by our programme of research seminars. Many of our students also make the most of UCL’s partnership with Yale to spend a period of study there.

PhD students in English at UCL acquire advanced skills of the highest calibre as researchers, writers, and presenters of their work. They will also usually gain experience of teaching (both tutorials and seminars).

*UCL English has an outstanding research record, with 94% of our research outputs being graded as 4* 'world leading' or 3* 'internationally excellent' in the REF 2021.

The foundation of your career

The English Department is proud of its PhD alumni and values its ongoing relationship with them. We welcome alumni to departmental events, and encourage them to keep in touch with us at [email protected] . For more information on UCL’s wider alumni community, please see our website .

Employability

Our PhD graduates have an excellent record of securing employment in institutions of higher education and have progressed to academic positions here at UCL, at Oxford and Cambridge, in the wider University of London, at other universities across the UK, and in international destinations including the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. They are also well placed to pursue careers outside academia, as the skills in research, analysis, writing, and communication obtained during the PhD transfer easily to high-level work in many sectors.

Networking both among students and with academic staff and visiting speakers is facilitated by our lively programme of departmental research seminars, as well as our various reading groups and events. Beyond the department, extensive opportunities to meet fellow specialists and exchange knowledge and ideas are offered by the events programmes of the UCL Institute for Advanced Studies, the University of London Institute of English Studies, and numerous other research institutions near UCL and across London.

Teaching and learning

The MPhil/PhD degree programme primarily consists of independent research and self-directed study, and the central work of defining a thesis topic, and planning the stages of research and writing, is undertaken in close consultation with the primary supervisor. You will also undertake skills training that may take the form of seminars, workshops, and conferences. 

Graduate students initially register for the MPhil degree, but upgrade to full PhD student status at the start of the second year, if progress is satisfactory.

In addition to the upgrade review at the start of the second year, progress is also reviewed at the end of the first year, in the first-year review, where the student submits a portfolio to their supervisory team, and at the Higher Degrees Sub Committee (HDSC) in their third year, where a submitted portfolio is assessed by a panel of senior academics in the department. A successful performance at the HDSC normally means the student will achieve Completing Research Student (CRS) status. Students who are making good progress will usually be offered opportunities to gain teaching experience from the second year onwards.

The MPhil/PhD degree programme consists of independent research and self-directed study. There are no set contact hours for the programme, but it is expected that your hours of study will mirror that of staff engagement as closely as possible (and this should be pro-rata for part-time study). If you have external funding, you should also ensure that you meet the Terms & Conditions of your funder in this regard. You will typically meet with your supervisory team up to ten times per academic year, and you will also undertake skills training that may take the form of seminars, workshops, and conferences.

Research areas and structure

We offer expertise in a wide range of topics within the field of English literature and language. Some areas in which the department would particularly welcome applications are:

• Old and Middle English literature and manuscript studies
• Relations between English and insular and continental French writings from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries
• Post-medieval bibliography and palaeography
• History of the book, textual and editorial theory and practice in all periods
• Shakespeare studies, including Shakespeare’s London
• The literature of the Elizabethan court
• Women writers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
• Classicism in seventeenth and eighteenth-century literary culture
• Literature and science in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
• Revolutionary Writings in the Romantic period
• Homosexuality and literary history
• Literature and technology in late nineteenth and early twentieth-century literature
• Victorian and Edwardian writings on sexuality and adolescence
• Contemporary poetry
• Postmodern fiction
• London in literature/urban literature
• English grammar
• English language
• The history of the English language
• Corpus linguistics

You can read about our staff research interests on our website .

Research environment

UCL English has, throughout its history, been a pioneer in the study of English language and English literature, from Old English to contemporary texts. The department comprises a dynamic community of scholars with a breadth of expertise across literary periods and topics, as well as in language and linguistics. The comparatively small size of the department creates a friendly, inclusive research environment, with close contact between staff and students and many opportunities for intellectual exchange and collaboration.

Members of the English department have expertise in a wide range of approaches to English literature and language. Many of our literary research activities are organised around the key themes of The City, Editions, and Intercultural Exchanges, while our research in English Language is co-ordinated by the renowned Survey of English Usage. The department hosts regular research seminars at which PhD students, members of staff, and visiting speakers present their work; these include a themed strand of seminars on Race, Power, and Poetics. There are also many more seminars, reading groups and research events, both within the department, at the UCL Institute of Advanced Studies, and at the University of London’s Institute of English Studies. The department’s PhD students organise an annual Graduate Conference, where UCL speakers are joined by others from across the UK and beyond to share their research. They also publish Moveable Type, a peer-reviewed journal of academic articles, poetry and prose fiction.

UCL Library has outstanding physical and digital collections for literary research, as well as specialist materials in its excellent Special Collections department. Among these are the George Orwell Archive; Little Magazines; the Routledge and Kegan Paul Archives (publishing history); the Brougham Papers and papers of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (19th-century liberalism); and the Chadwick Papers (19th-century sanitary reform). UCL Library also has superb holdings in London history. We enjoy unrivalled proximity to the British Library, with its vast collections, and Senate House Library (the library of the University of London), as well as other rich research resources including the Institute of Historical Research, the Warburg Institute, and the Wellcome Collection.

The period of registration for the MPhil/PhD degree programme is 3 years for full-time study. You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transfer to PhD after successful completion of an upgrade review 9-18 months after initial registration.

Throughout your period of registration, you will meet regularly with your supervisory team, receiving feedback on work-in-progress. Regular completion of an online research log will help you and your supervisors to assess your specific training needs. The English Department provides a course in PhD Skills Training; many further training opportunities are also offered by the UCL Doctoral Skills Development Programme and LAHP (the London Arts and Humanities Partnership).

To ensure timely and successful completion of the thesis, the English Department formally reviews each student’s progress at regular intervals (usually the end of each year) by requiring submission of a dossier of work which is discussed in an interview. The most important of these reviews falls during your second year (9-18 months from registration) and will assess your readiness to transfer from MPhil to full PhD student status.

Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration, you may apply for a further period of 1 year as a Completing Research Student (CRS) to prepare your thesis for submission. The final degree assessment takes the form of an oral examination based on the thesis and is conducted by two examiners, usually one internal and one external.

The period of registration for the MPhil/PhD degree programme is 5 years for part-time study. You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transfer to PhD after successful completion of an upgrade review 15-30 months after initial registration for part-time study.    Throughout your period of registration, you will meet regularly with your supervisory team, receiving feedback on work-in-progress. Regular completion of an online research log will help you and your supervisors to assess your specific training needs. The English Department provides a course in PhD Skills Training; many further training opportunities are also offered by the UCL Doctoral Skills Development Programme and LAHP (the London Arts and Humanities Partnership).   To ensure timely and successful completion of the thesis, the English Department formally reviews each student’s progress at regular intervals (usually the end of each year) by requiring submission of a dossier of work which is discussed in an interview. The most important of these reviews falls during your second or third year (15-30 months from registration) for part-time study, and will assess your readiness to transfer from MPhil to full PhD student status.   Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration, you may apply for a further period of 2 years (for part-time students) as a Completing Research Student (CRS) to prepare your thesis for submission. The final degree assessment takes the form of an oral examination based on the thesis and is conducted by two examiners, usually one internal and one external.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team .

Fees and funding

Fees for this course.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees .

Additional costs

Additional costs may include expenses such as books, stationery, printing or photocopying, and conference registration fees.

The Department has some funds which can be applied for, to help offset the cost of travel to conferences or archives in the UK or overseas.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs .

Funding your studies

AHRC grants are available for UK/EU English PhD applicants who are applying to start a research degree in 2024. Applications are made directly to the London Arts and Humanities Partnership, who administer the awarding of AHRC funding at UCL. AHRC funding covers all fees, as well as providing a stipend for living expenses, for three years. If you have any questions about the application process please contact [email protected] .

UCL's Research Excellence Scholarships are available for UK/EU/Overseas applicants starting in 2024 and provides full funding including a stipend for living allowance for the length of the programme.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website .

Quirk PhD Scholarship

Deadline: 26 January 2024 Value: Fees and maintenance (3yrs) Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need Eligibility: UK

We recommend that applicants look at our list of staff on the UCL English website before submitting an application. Whilst potential supervisors are unable to accept a PhD student without a formal application form, we attach great importance to the match between supervisors and students, so please check that we have a member of teaching staff who could potentially supervise your project before applying. Applicants who are interested in applying for AHRC funding via the London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP) must submit completed applications (including references) by 5 January 2024 (you will also need to complete a LAHP application form: see the LAHP website for details).

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2024-2025

Got questions get in touch.

English Language and Literature

[email protected]

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The University of Brighton offers an active, supportive and stimulating environment for English literature PhD study in a range of literary fields.

Successful applicants to the research programme will join a thriving postgraduate community in both literature and the wider School of Humanities and Social Science, with cohorts in specialisms that include modern and contemporary poetry, prose and drama; gender and sexuality; and drama of the Elizabethan age. Current and recent doctoral research includes projects on creative practice, queer performance, contemporary representations of technology, international Bohemia, the lesbian gaze in seventeenth-century Britain, independent black publishers and British travel writing on Montenegro.

As one of our English Literature PhD doctoral students, you will work with dedicated supervisors who will help you through the planning and delivery of your research thesis and will offer guidance on all areas of professional development, including conference delivery, publication and job application.

The University of Brighton has opportunities for doctoral funding through the Doctoral College Award and the AHRC-funded techné studentships. The Techne scheme is a doctoral training programme that offers successful students a fee waiver or a fee waiver and stipend and typically has a January deadline.

Apply to 'humanities' in the applicant portal

Apply with us for funding through the AHRC Techne Doctoral Training Partnership

Key information

As a Literature PhD student at Brighton, you will benefit from:

• a supervisory team comprising two or three members of academic staff. A doctoral researcher may choose to work with members of staff in the Literature team (whose specialisms range from Early Modern literature to twentieth- and twenty-first-century literature) or else work on an interdisciplinary project with supervisors drawn from both literature and one of the cognate disciplines in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences or wider university (including creative writing, autoethnography, linguistics, history, philosophy, psychology, design, art and screen studies).
• desk space and access to a computer in a space specifically designed for research students. There are a range of facilities on the Falmer site include various catering options.
• access to a range of electronic resources via the university’s online library, as well as to the physical book and journal collections in the Falmer Library and other campus libraries in Moulsecoomb and in central Brighton.

Academic environment

Our literature research has a home in the School of Humanities and Social Science, where scholars engage across many disciplines and interests. Students may be aligned with or find colleagues in the university's Centres of Research and Enterprise Excellence (COREs), including: 

• Centre for Applied Philosophy, Politics and Ethics
• Centre for Transforming Sexuality and Gender .

These centres offer postgraduate students a chance to hear talks by staff and guest lecturers, to network and to present their own work-in-progress. 

The Brighton Doctoral College offers a training programme for postgraduate researchers, covering research methods and transferable (including employability) skills, including conference delivery, writing for publication and job application. Literature staff can also advise students on conference organisation, research trips and teaching work (with many of our current doctoral researchers being involved in teaching on our undergraduate courses).

We welcome approaches for English Literature PhD study at the University of Brighton. Current strengths for which our provision is particularly suited include: 

• Early Modern literature (Elizabethan/Jacobean)
• twentieth-century literature
• twenty-first-century / contemporary literature
• women’s writing and feminist theory 
• postcolonial literature 
• British, American and European literatures
• creative writing and autoethnography

Students are able to work on a range of interdisciplinary subjects, combining literary study with one or more of the university's wide range of disciplines, including: creative practice,  graphics design and illustration, education, cultural studies, philosophy, sustainability, sociology, history, film, language, linguistics, media and screen studies.

Some of our supervisors

Dr liam connell.

I currently supervise PhDs on twentieth and twenty-first century literature. I would be happy to talk to students about PhD projects in literary and cultural studies on contemporary fiction or visual culture. I have specific interests in the economic humanities around work, especially precarious and reproductive labour, and on the concept of politics, specifically the political nature and potential of literature.

Specific areas within literary and cultural studies might include:

• the cultures of work
• social reproduction
• globalization and culture
• border studies
• representations of migration
• contemporary fiction
• postcolonialism
• contemporary visual culture

My current supervision includes the following PhD projects:

Nigel Foxcroft

Nigel supervises PhD students in three main fields: modernist/postmodernist, postcolonial and contemporary fiction; Russian literature and film; and the history of Anglo-Hungarian cultural contacts. He is very happy to be contacted by prospective students, especially those who can see themselves contributing to the Centre for Memory, Narrative and Histories.

Specific areas of literary analysis might include:

Modernist, Postmodern, Postcolonial, and Contemporary Fiction

• The influence of cultural, anthropological, and shamanic forces on human psychology: the psychogeographic impact of Aztec and Zapotec civilizations on Malcolm Lowry
• The Mexican Day of the Dead: anthropological, cosmic, and shamanic perspectives
• Alienation, survival, and regeneration in Toni Morrison
• Verbal and non-verbal identity in J. M. Coetzee
• The representation of cultural identities and memory

The Golden Age of Russian Literature and Culture

• The influence of socio-political alienation on human psychology in the works of A. P. Chekhov, M. Yu. Lermontov, and A. S. Pushkin

History of Anglo-Hungarian Cultural Contacts

• British visitors to Hungary and Hungarian travellers to the British Isles in the early modern period onwards
• British attitudes and perceptions of Hungary (and vice-versa) and their reflection in the genre of travel writing

PhD Students Supervised: 

Nabila Ahsan, The Representation of Young Adult Women in Angela Carter’s Work

Elisa Gray, Decadence and the Grotesque Body: The Effects of Decadent Literature on Female Identity in the Late 1800's

Piamaria von Konow, A Study of the Shamanically-Inspired Imaginary: A Cross-Cultural Study of Shamanic/Shamanistic Imagery

Mayukh Saha, The Representation of Transnationalism and Diasporic Cognition in Selected Literature of West Bengal and Bangladesh

Joy Xin, Observing the City via Novel and Film

Ana Zivkovic-Snowley, Constructions of Montenegro in the Works of British Authors from the Nineteenth Century to the Present

Dr Vicky Margree

She is particularly interested in supervising research projects in the areas of feminist philosophy, reproductive politics, Victorian and Edwardian fiction, Gothic and supernatural fiction, utopianism and Afrofuturism, and women's writing and the short story.

Dr Jessica Moriarty

One of my key passions is working with PhD students on creative practice, autoethnography and creative writing pedagogy. I have supported doctoral students working on transdisciplinary projects and work that seeks to challenge conventional academic discourse. At the moment, I am honoured to be working with students who are looking at queering the colonial, creativity and Bronte, Santiago de Cuba as moving archive, diverse narratives from Brexit, feminist romance, autoethnographic arts-based work, stories from care, autoethno-drag, identity and hybridity in fiction, and queer bodies in performance.

Dr Aris Mousoutzanis

My supervisory interests include the study of popular media genres (science fiction, horror); the relations between media, memory and trauma; and media and politics (specifically imperialism, (post)colonialism and globalisation. Interdisciplinary projects on media, literature and culture are most welcome.

A more detailed indicative list of supervisory interests includes the following areas:

• the study of popular media genres (science fiction, horror/Gothic, utopia/dystopia, (post-)apocalyptic fiction).
• the relations between screen media, trauma theory and memory studies - with a more recent interest in nostalgia studies.
• the historical and discursive relations between screen media and imperialism, globalisation and (post)colonialism.

Students with an interest in an interdisciplinary approach that extends across English studies and Film and Television studies are most welcome. I have also researched, taught and published on the late Victorian period ('fin de siecle') and postmodern theory, literature and culture.

Dr Vedrana Velickovic

I would be happy to talk to students about PhD projects in contemporary literature, cultural and queer studies.

Specific areas might include:

• Black British Literature and Culture
• European Literature
• Postcolonialism
• Postcommunism
• Literary and media representations of migration and specifically 'Eastern European' migration
• LGBTQ+ Literature

(COMPLETED) Kadija George, Raising the voice and visibility of independent Black publishers (TECHNE-funded) http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/techne/for-students/techne-students/techne-students/techne-students-2016/george

Najma Yusufi, "Leave To Remain” (novel) and Hybridity in British Asian writing post-Brexit, https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/persons/najma-yusufi

Amanda Holiday, 'Poetry, Race and Art' (TECHNE-funded), https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/persons/amanda-holiday

Veneta Neale, 'This is our History: Diasporic Feminist Black British History'.

Hanna Komar (TECHNE-funded), 'Supporting Belarusian women to share experiences of gender-based violence and patriarchy using poetry: an autoethnographic approach' 

Dr Aakanksha Virkar

Aakanksha is happy to supervise postgraduate work on late Victorian and modern literature. She has specific interests in literary modernism and would particularly welcome projects exploring literature and the arts (music and visual culture).

Specific areas within literary studies (1850-1950) might include

• Victorian/modern transitions
• philosophy, aesthetics and politics in modern literature
• poetry and poetics
• literature, music and visual culture
• aestheticism, decadence and desire

 For further supervisory staff including cross-disciplinary options, please visit  research staff on our research website.  

Making an  application

You will apply to the University of Brighton through our online application portal. When you do, you will require a research proposal, references, a personal statement and a record of your education.

You will be asked whether you have discussed your research proposal and your suitability for doctoral study with a member of the University of Brighton staff. We recommend that all applications are made with the collaboration of at least one potential supervisor. Approaches to potential supervisors can be made directly through the details available online. If you are unsure, please do contact the Doctoral College for advice.

Please visit our How to apply for a PhD page for detailed information.

Sign in to our online application portal to begin.

Fees and funding

 Funding

Undertaking research study will require university fees as well as support for your research activities and plans for subsistence during full or part-time study.

Funding sources include self-funding, funding by an employer or industrial partners; there are competitive funding opportunities available in most disciplines through, for example, our own university studentships or national (UK) research councils. International students may have options from either their home-based research funding organisations or may be eligible for some UK funds.

Learn more about the funding opportunities available to you.

Tuition fees academic year 2024–25

Standard fees are listed below, but may vary depending on subject area. Some subject areas may charge bench fees/consumables; this will be decided as part of any offer made. Fees for UK and international/EU students on full-time and part-time courses are likely to incur a small inflation rise each year of a research programme.

Contact Brighton Doctoral College

To contact the Doctoral College at the University of Brighton we request an email in the first instance. Please visit our contact the Brighton Doctoral College page .

For supervisory contact, please see individual profile pages.

• Italiano| English

Phd in STUDIES IN ENGLISH LITERATURES, LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION

• STUDIES IN ENGLISH LITERATURES, LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION

Presentation

© Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza" - Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma

English Literature

The PhD programme in English Literature offers the opportunity for postgraduate students to make an original contribution to knowledge in their chosen field of study and to become part of a thriving, internationally-renowned research community.

• Career prospects
• Fees and funding
• Entry requirements
• How to apply

We welcome applications for research across the chronological and theoretical range of English Literature.

Successful applicants will be supervised by academic staff working at the forefront of their fields and leading debate in the ever-changing environments of the discipline.

Doctoral students are encouraged to push beyond the boundaries of critical commonplaces, to think differently and to participate fully in the rich intellectual life of the School. As well as working closely with a dedicated supervisor, or supervisors, students are able to develop their projects within the context of a dynamic and well-resourced interdisciplinary research culture.

Programme aims

The culmination of the PhD in English Literature is a sustained piece of written work that makes an original contribution to knowledge and understanding in a chosen field of study. Successful PhD students are trained in the most sophisticated critical and theoretical practices in preparation for a career in Higher Education or professional employment requiring advanced research skills and subject knowledge at the highest level.

Distinctive features

• A dynamic and supportive interdisciplinary research culture that connects the vibrancy of Cardiff’s literary and cultural location to the broader international contexts of the discipline.
• Access to a diverse range of research training and professional development opportunities, including: a weekly thesis workshop; a student-led annual postgraduate research conference; a residential conference for students in their first year of study at Gregynog Hall , a country house with a distinguished artistic heritage set in glorious countryside in mid-Wales.
• We offer teaching opportunities on the undergraduate degree and PhD students can undertake the School’s unique ‘Learning to Teach’ programme, accredited by the Higher Education Academy.
• The School provides a dedicated suite for research students with computing facilities, networked information and access to email and Internet.
• Postgraduate research students can apply for School funding to attend academic conferences and/or undertake archival/library visits.

Skills developed

In addition to working closely with a supervisor, doctoral students attend a weekly thesis workshop, which offers discipline-specific research training as well as opportunities to share work-in-progress with other students.

The workshops run alongside the integrated research and professional skills training programme, which includes career management skills, offered by the Doctoral Academy.

The PhD is assessed by submission of a thesis of 80,000 words and a viva voce examination.

The MPhil is assessed by submission of a thesis of 50,000 words and a viva voce examination.

'I’m particularly struck by our communal interest in what goes on at the interface of different traditions, methodologies, theoretical approaches, disciplines and practices. It gives Cardiff a particular entry into cutting-edge research that continually engenders new and exciting questions both for our staff and, through our PhD supervision and our research-led teaching, also for our students at all levels' (Professor Ann Heilmann, Director of Research in the School of English, Communication and Philosophy).

The School’s research is recognised internationally for its excellence and was ranked in the top ten for the quality of its English Language and Literature research (which includes Critical and Cultural Theory and Creative and Critical Writing), in the latest  Research Excellence Framework (REF2014).

Cardiff University recently joined the world's top 100 universities for the study of English Language and Literature in the  2016 QS World University Rankings .

Research environment

The School’s commitment to the intellectual and professional development of its postgraduate students is underpinned by the provision of a high-quality supervisory experience, advanced-level research training and access to the resources necessary to help each student flourish intellectually and work productively.

The vitality of the English Literature research community is evidenced by the diverse range of reading groups, research centres, visiting speaker series and public engagement platforms in which staff and students participate, including: Assuming Gender, the Centre for Editorial and Intertextual Research (CEIR), the Cardiff Romanticism and Eighteenth-Century Seminar (CRECS), the Medieval and Early Modern Research Initiative (MEMORI), the Modern and Contemporary Research Group (MoCo), as well as Cardiff BookTalk and the Cardiff Poetry Experiment.

In addition, the School runs a student-led annual research conference for postgraduates working in English Literature, Creative and Critical Writing, Critical and Cultural Theory and Philosophy, the aim of which is to foster interdisciplinary conversations and to enhance students’ individual research and employability skills.

The Arts and Social Studies Library contains substantial collections in all our subject areas, together with extensive electronic resources. It is also home to Special Collections and Archives, which holds specialist collections, such as Cardiff Rare Books (a collection of over 14,000 items ranging from fifteenth-century incunabula to twentieth-century fine press books), as well as materials relating to Devolution, Eastern and Central Europe, the First World War, Illustrations, Labour history, Welsh literature and culture, Witchcraft, Women’s History and Gender Studies, the History of Medicine and Science—and much more.

Students on the PhD in English Literature programme are able to take advantage of an extensive programme of training, including the opportunity to enrol on the School’s unique Learning to Teach in Higher Education programme, a Master’s-level module accredited by the Higher Education Academy.

They also have access to a dedicated suite of research rooms with excellent computing facilities, networked information and access to email, a generous research allowance, a contribution to photocopying costs and use of free printing facilities. Our Home, EU and International students are encouraged to develop and enhance transferable skills that will increase their employability, both inside and outside of Higher Education, in an increasingly competitive jobs market.

Research projects

We offer expert supervision across the chronological and theoretical range of the discipline, with particular strengths in the following areas:

• African American literature
• book history
• children’s literature
• critical and cultural theory
• cultural history
• digital humanities
• editing theory and practice
• experimental writing
• film and adaptation
• gender and sexuality studies
• historicism (new-Elizabethan, neo-Medieval, neo-Victorian, counter-Romantic)
• illustration studies
• literary history
• literature of the long eighteenth century
• literature and the environment
• literature and law
• literature and science
• literature and slavery from 1760 to the present
• manuscript culture
• medical humanities
• medieval literary and cultural studies (including medieval afterlives)
• modern drama
• modernist literature
• Old Norse-Icelandic and Old English literature
• postcolonial literature
• postmodernist literature
• renaissance literature
• romantic literature
• Shakespeare
• Victorian and neo-Victorian literature
• visual culture
• Welsh writing in English
• women’s writing and women’s literary history.

More information about staff and their fields of expertise .

Job roles: Lecturer, Researcher, Editor, Head Teacher, English Teacher, EFL Teacher, PR Officer.

Employers: Universities from Cork (Ireland) to Wisconsin State (USA), Oxford University Press, Penguin Random House, Palgrave MacMillan, London Film School, Virgin Media, Literature Wales, Visit Wales.

Employers: Oxford University Press, London Film School, Palgrave MacMillan, Universities from Cork (Ireland) to Wisconsin State (USA), Virgin Media, Literature Wales, Visit Wales.

UK government postgraduate doctoral loans

Candidates for the Professional Doctorate programme may be eligible to apply for a UK government postgraduate doctoral loan.

The School welcomes enquiries from applicants who are considering applying for funding for a PhD in English Literature from the South, West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership .

See our latest PhD studentships and projects and find out more about other funding opportunities .

Tuition fees

Students from the uk.

Get the latest information on postgraduate fees.

Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland

Students from the rest of the world (international).

A step by step guide to the application process .

Research proposal

Applications for research degrees should be accompanied by a research proposal of around 1,000 words maximum. This should include a draft title and establish key objectives in terms of the basic research questions you intend to address.

The proposal should additionally situate your work in relation to the wider field of existing scholarship; give an initial sense of the original contribution you hope to make and provide an indication of your intended research methodology. A preliminary bibliography of expected key sources should also be appended.

In addition to the research proposal, application form and supporting documents, we also require an essay on a literary topic of your choice (around 4,000 words, in English).

You are recommended to email the postgraduate administrator at [email protected] with your research proposal prior to making a formal application.

Find out more details on how you write your research proposal .

Admission process

The Director of the Postgraduate Research Programme in English Literature assesses all applications, taking into consideration the quality and viability of the research project, as well as the capacity of staff to supervise it. This will include consultation with potential supervisors. Applicants who pass this initial stage of assessment will then be invited for interview.

Applications are welcome from graduates with at least a 2.1 in English Literature (and/or relevant discipline) and an MA in English Literature (and/or relevant discipline).

English language requirements

The School welcomes applications from students outside the United Kingdom. For non-native speakers of English, an IELTS overall score of 7.5 with at least 7.0 in each sub-score is essential.

Please read our English language requirements for more details.

Administrative contact(s)

Encap postgraduate admissions.

Administrative contact

• Email [email protected]
• Telephone +44 029 2087 0322

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• DOCTORAL SCHOOLS DIRECTORY DOCTORAL SCHOOLS
• SUBJECTS (PHD, MASTER'S & POSTDOC TRAINING) SUBJECTS
• CALLS FOR PROJECTS CALLS

Academic specialties

Language science and didactics Comparative literature Applied foreign languages Ancient languages and literature History of books and publishing Languages, literatures and intermedialities French language, literatures and francophone literatures European and international literatures Anglophone languages, literatures and civilizations, Irish and American studies, cultural studies Germanic languages, literatures and civilizations Slavic languages, literatures and civilizations Romance languages, literatures and civilizations (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese) Chinese languages, literatures and civilizations Arabic languages, literatures and civilizations Breton language, literature and culture Applied arts Plastic arts Performing arts (cinema, theater, dance) Archaeology Architecture Aesthetics and philosophy of art Musicology Art sciences History of the arts (ancient, medieval, modern, contemporary, contemporary, architecture)

• Total number of PhD students registered in the school : 222
• Number of foreign PhD students : 53
• Possibility to write the dissertation in English
• English as Working language
• Methodological courses in English
• Courses and conferences in English
• Apply to predefined thesis subjects
• Required level French : B2
• Before applying, candidates need to contact a thesis supervisor
• The thesis application form is available in June
• It is submitted to the doctoral school and examined by the doctoral school council
• candidates are notified of results
• Optional funding
• Contact for registration & informations Mrs Valérie MARIE-COHIER +33299141143 [email protected]

Center for international mobility Rennes

• Doctoral college Collège doctoral de Bretagne
• Description
• Laboratories

Presentation

International, application, welcome services, art history and criticism - ea 1279, arts: practices and poetics - ea 3208, center for breton and celtic research - ea crbc, center for the study of ancient and modern languages and literature - ea 3206, center for the study of correspondance and diaries of the 19th and 20th centuries - ea 7289, center for the study of languages, territories and cultural identities - brittany and minority languages - ea 202224, english-speaking countries: communities and writing - ea 1796, heritages and constructs within the text and the image - ea 4249, interlingual research center: memories, identities, territories - ea 4327, research group on the invention and evolution of forms - ea grief, number of phd students 222, internationalization of the doctoral school.

• Schools & departments

PhDs in European Languages and Cultures

Choose from a range of PhD programmes in European Languages and Cultures.

What can I study?

Phd in french .

Our research expertise covers a wide range of areas, including: adaptation studies; contemporary politics and institutions; film studies; theatre studies; intermediality studies; Black studies; women's and gender studies; Francophone and post-colonial studies; French thought; literature from the Middle Ages to the present day; self-writing; translation studies; word and image.

Full-time, three years (all students) ꟾ part-time, six years (eligibility criteria apply)

Before making a formal application to this PhD on the University of Edinburgh Degree Finder, you are strongly advised to read our guidelines on writing a PhD proposal.

Take me to the guidelines

PhD in German 

Our research expertise includes: 18th century and Romanticism studies; Bertolt Brecht; censorship studies; contemporary German literature; cultural and political studies and literary theory; Film Studies; Gender Studies; identity studies; LGBTQI+ representation; literature and culture of the Weimar Republic and the National Socialist era;  translational (incl. migrant literature) in German; palaeography and Medieval textual studies; post-Holocaust literature; post-war West and East German literary and cultural studies; the Medieval German epic; theatre and performance studies; Translation Studies; travel writing; Turkish-German literature; working-class representation on film and television.

PhD in Italian

Our expertise covers most areas of Italian cultural studies from the Middle Ages to the present, including literary history and theory, comparative studies, translation, film studies, philology and philosophy.

PhD in Russian

Our research expertise covers a wide range of areas, including social, political and cultural perspectives on Russian language, transnational Russian culture, Russian literature, media, film studies, theatre studies and comparative literature.

PhD in Scandinavian Studies

Our research expertise includes: 19th and 20th century literature; cultural relations and transfer; language history and dialectology; literary translation; onomastics; place and identity; Scottish–Scandinavian historical relations; Viking studies.

PhD in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies (Hispanic Studies)

We specialise in the major areas of Spanish, Spanish-American and Portuguese literary and cultural studies, including Brazil and Lusophone Africa. We have particular strengths in Latin American poetry, narrative and film, especially in Chile and Argentina from the 19th to 21st centuries, the Spanish Golden Age, Modern Spanish narrative, Indigenous filmmaking, Cuban post-1959 culture, Lusophone African literatures, Portuguese contemporary culture, and diasporic and Latin American documentary and avant-garde moving image practices .

PhD in Comparative Literature

This cross-disciplinary PhD programme enables you to compare literary works from different languages and cultures, and the relationship of the written word to other arts including image, music, and film. With expertise spanning Europe, North America, South America and Asia , we can offer you supervision in a wide range of literary themes, genres and historical periods  from the perspective of comparative study.

PhD in European Theatre

Designed to support you in making a definite and original contribution to Theatre Studies, our PhD programme comprises independent research under the supervision of one or more of our expert staff, with optional training in research skills and methods. Our expertise covers British, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Scandinavian theatre studies, as well as drama and performance theory. 

PhD in Intermediality

Intermediality is the study of the interrelations between different art forms and their signification. Join our community and undertake a specialised research project under the guidance of knowledgeable and well-published supervisors. In the course of your research, you will explore interactions between different media. As well as European literature, film, visual culture, theatre and performance we have particular strengths in literature and the arts from East Asia, South America, Lusophone Africa, and the Middle East, and literature written in English from around the world.

You may also be interested in... 

Phd in film studies .

Designed to support you in making a definite and original contribution to Film Studies, our PhD programme comprises independent research under the supervision of one or more of our expert staff, with optional training in research skills and methods. Our expertise covers film theory, film and philosophy, various national cinemas, the work of individual filmmakers, and cinema in relation to other art forms. 

There's lots more information about our PhD, and what to do in advance of applying, on our website. You are strongly advised to read this information and follow our guidelines before making a formal application on the University of Edinburgh Degree Finder.

Take me to more information about the PhD and guidelines on what to do in advance of applying

PhD in Medieval Studies

Home of the cross-disciplinary Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, the University of Edinburgh has one of the largest communities of medieval and Renaissance specialists in the world. Join our community and undertake a specialised research project under the guidance of experienced and well-published supervisors.

Our research interests are wide-ranging and global, and include Asian history, languages and literatures, history of art and architecture, music, divinity, archaeology, and law.

Find out more on the University of Edinburgh Degree Finder

PhD in Translation Studies

One of the most flexible doctoral programmes in Translation Studies in the UK, our PhD enables you to enhance your translation practice while gaining an intellectual and philosophical perspective on the activity of translation, developing you as a self-reflective and theoretically-minded translator. Our expertise covers a wide range of research areas and languages, of which you can choose to work with two. Under supervision, you can opt to produce an independent thesis or an extended scholarly translation with commentary.

Entrance requirements, fees, funding and more...

You can find out about entrance requirements, start dates, fees and scholarship opportunities for all our PhD programmes on the University of Edinburgh’s Degree Finder. Degree Finder links straight through to EUCLID, the online system for applying to postgraduate programmes at the University of Edinburgh. 

Applications to start a PhD programme in September 2024 will open in October 2023.

Before making a formal application to any PhD in European Languages and Cultures, you are strongly advised to read our guidelines on writing a PhD proposal.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. 

Email us about PhD programmes

Are you currently studying with us?

There’s lots more information on our pages for continuing PhD students.

Take me to content for continuing PhD students

Where to next?

Take me to all postgraduate study options in European Languages and Cultures

Take me to all PhD options in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

Department of English and Related Literature

PhD in English with Creative Writing

Join a thriving community of researchers to develop a substantial research project alongside an original piece of creative writing.

Join a passionate and intellectual research community to explore literature across all periods and genres.

Your research

Our PhD in English with Creative Writing encourages distinctive approaches to practice-based literary research. This route allows you to develop a substantial research project, which incorporates an original work of creative writing (in prose, poetry, or other forms). As part of a thriving community of postgraduate researchers and writers, you'll be supported by world-leading experts with a wide range of global and historical specialisms, and given access to unique resources including our   letterpress printing studio  and   Writer in Residence.

Under the guidance of your supervisor, you will complete a critical research component of 30-40,000 words and a creative component written to its natural length (eg a book-length work of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction). A typical semester will involve a great deal of independent research, punctuated by meetings with your supervisor who will be able to suggest direction and address concerns throughout the writing process. You will be encouraged to undertake periods of research at archives and potentially internationally, depending on your research.

Throughout your degree, you will have the opportunity to attend a wide range of research training sessions in order to learn archival and research skills, as well as a range of research and creative seminars organised by the research schools and our distinguished Writers at York series. This brings speakers from around the world for research talks, author conversations, and networking.

Applicants for the PhD in English with Creative Writing should submit a research proposal for their overall research project, along with samples of creative and critical writing, demonstrating a suitable ability in each, as part of the application. Proposals should include plans for a critical research component of 30-40,000 words and a creative component written to its natural length (eg a book-length work of poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction), while demonstrating a clear relationship between the two.

Students embarking on a PhD programme are initially enrolled provisionally for this qualification until they pass their progression review at the end of their first full year of study. 

[email protected] +44 (0) 1904 323366

Related links

• How to apply
• Research degree funding
• Accommodation
• International students
• Life at York

You also have the option of enrolling in a PhD in English with Creative Writing by distance learning, where you will have the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world. You will attend the Research Training Programme online in your first year and have supervision and progression meetings online.

You must attend a five-day induction programme in York at the beginning of your first year. You will also visit York in your second and third years (every other year for part-time students).

Apply for PhD in English with Creative Writing (distance learning)

World-leading research

We're a top ten research department according to the Times Higher Education’s ranking of the latest REF results (2021).

35th in the world

for English Language and Literature in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2023.

Committed to equality

We're proud to hold an Athena Swan Bronze award in recognition of the work we do to support gender equality in English.

Writers at York series

We host a series of hugely successful seminars, open to everyone, where a stellar cast of world-famous contemporary writers deliver readings and workshops.

Explore funding for postgraduate researchers in the Department of English and Related Literature.

Supervision

Explore the expertise of our staff and identify a potential supervisor.

Research student training

You'll receive training in research methods and skills appropriate to the stage you've reached and the nature of your work. In addition to regular supervisory meetings to discuss planning, researching and writing the thesis, we offer sessions on bibliographic and archival resources (digital, print and manuscript). You'll receive guidance in applying to and presenting at professional conferences, preparing and submitting material for publication and applying for jobs. We meet other training needs in handling research data, various modern languages, palaeography and bibliography. Classical and medieval Latin are also available.

We offer training in teaching skills if you wish to pursue teaching posts following your degree. This includes sessions on the delivery and content of seminars and workshops to undergraduates, a structured shadowing programme, teaching inductions and comprehensive guidance and resources for our graduate teaching assistants. Our teacher training is directed by a dedicated member of staff.

You'll also benefit from the rich array of research and training sessions at the Humanities Research Centre .

Course location

This course is run by the Department of English and Related Literature.

You'll be based on  Campus West , though your research may take you further afield.

We also have a distance learning option available for this course.

Entry requirements

For doctoral research, you should hold or be predicted to achieve a first-class or high upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualification) and a Masters degree with distinction. 

The undergraduate and Masters degrees should be in literature and/or creative writing, or in a related subject that is related to the proposed research project. 

Other relevant experience and expertise may also be considered:

• Evidence of training in research techniques may be an advantage.
• It would be expected that postgraduate applicants would be familiar with the recent published work of their proposed supervisor.
• Publications are not required and the Department of English and Related Literature does not expect applicants to have been published before they start their research degrees.

Supervisors interview you to ensure a good supervisory match and to help with funding applications.

The core deciding factor for admission is the quality of the research proposal, though your whole academic profile will be taken into account. We are committed to ensuring that no prospective or existing student is treated less favourably. See our  admissions policy  for more information.

Apply for the PhD in English with Creative Writing

Have a look at the supporting documents you may need for your application.

Before applying, we advise you to identify potential supervisors in the department. Preliminary enquiries are welcomed and should be made as early as possible. However, a scattershot approach – emailing all staff members regardless of the relationship between their research interests and yours – is unlikely to produce positive results. 

If it's not clear which member of staff is appropriate, you should email the   Graduate Chair .

Students embarking on a PhD programme are initially enrolled provisionally for that qualification. Confirmation of PhD registration is dependent upon the submission of a satisfactory proposal that meets the standards required for the degree, usually in the second year of study.

Find out more about how to apply .

English language requirements

You'll need to provide evidence of your proficiency in English if it's not your first language.

Check your English language requirements

Research proposal

In order to apply for a PhD, we ask that you submit a research proposal as part of your application.

When making your application, you're advised to make your research proposals as specific and clear as possible. Please indicate the member(s) of staff that you'd wish to work with

You’ll need to provide a summary of between 250 and 350 words in length of your research proposal and a longer version of around 800 words (limit of 1000). The proposal for the MA in English (by research) should be 400–500 words.

Your research proposal should:

• Identify the precise topic of your topic and communicate the main aim of your research.
• Provide a rigorous and thorough description of your proposed research, including the contributions you will make to current scholarly conversations and debates. Creative Writing proposals should include plans for a critical research and a creative component.
• Describe any previous work you have done in this area, with reference to relevant literature you have read so far.
• Communicate the central sources that the project will address and engage.
• Offer an outline of the argument’s main claims and contributions. Give a clear indication of the authors and texts that your project will address.
• Include the academic factors, such as university facilities, libraries resources, centres, other resources, and / or staff, which have specifically led you to apply to York.

What we look for:

• How you place your topic in conversation with the scholarly landscape: what has been accomplished and what you plan to achieve. This is your chance to show that you have a good understanding of the relevant work on your topic and that you have identified a new way or research question to approach the topic.
• Your voice as a scholar and critical thinker. In clean, clear prose, show those who will assess your application how your proposal demonstrates your original thinking and the potential of your research.
• Your fit with York, including the reasons for working with your supervisor and relevant research schools and centres.
• Above all, remember that there isn’t one uniform way to structure and arrange your research proposal, and that your approach will necessarily reflect your chosen topic.

Careers and skills

• You'll receive support in applying to and presenting at professional conferences, preparing and submitting material for publication and applying for jobs.
• You'll benefit from training in handling research data, various modern languages, palaeography and bibliography. Classical and medieval Latin are also available. The   Humanities Research Centre   also offers a rich array of valuable training sessions.
• We also offer training in teaching skills if you wish to pursue a teaching post following your degree. This includes sessions on the delivery and content of seminars and workshops to undergraduates, a structured shadowing programme, teaching inductions and comprehensive guidance and resources for our graduate teaching assistants.
• You'll have the opportunity to further your training by taking courses accredited by Advance HE:   York Learning and Teaching Award (YLTA)   and the   York Professional and Academic Development scheme (YPAD) .

Find out more about careers

Discover York

We offer a range of campus accommodation to suit you and your budget, from economy to deluxe.

Discover more about our researchers, facilities and why York is the perfect choice for your research degree.

Graduate Research School

Connect with researchers across all disciplines to get the most out of your research project.

Find a supervisor

Explore our staff expertise

Find out all you need to know about applying to York

Find funding to support your studies

• Opportunities

PhD in English Literature

A PhD in English will help you to develop research skills that support professional practice, research and/or academic careers. You will work closely with a team of specialist academics in your chosen field, and receive excellent support tailored to your individual needs.

A PhD enables you to follow a programme of self-directed, independent study, supported by experienced supervisors who are experts in their area.  You will also be supported by the wider research community in the Faculty and you will have regular opportunities to attend research seminars, conferences and symposia.

The School of English supervises doctoral work in a range of areas within English Studies, primarily:

• Creative writing
• English linguistics
• English literature
• Drama and theatre studies

You may also be interested in

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Phd positions with full scholarships in computer science.

One-hour free webinar 'Research design with the Idea Puzzle software'

Study programmes

• English Language and Linguistics (master's two years)
• English Literature, American and British Studies (master's two years)
• All courses offered in English
• Doctoral degree: PhD in the Humanities

Find courses

Find reading lists, lecture times and notes from all courses  from the department.

Find staff and students

Services and tools.

Many climate campaigns use both verbal and visual metaphors. According to new research, this can give them particularly persuasive power.

A hundred years ago, the Ukrainian author Isaac Babel wrote about grotesque acts of violence in the Polish-Soviet war. Today, authors like Babel are important when a new war rages in the same region.

Researchers are now trying to solve something they are calling a scientific word mystery.

New research suggests that short breaks help you think more critically and creatively about what you are reading.

LCE – Centre for Literature, Cognition and Emotions

An interdisciplinary centre that brings together diverse fields such as literary studies, linguistics, psychology and neurosciences in a new conversation about literature.

Centre for Slavic and Eastern European Studies

The centre promotes in-depth knowledge of Russia and the post-Soviet states, Central Europe, and the Balkans.

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Course closed:

English is no longer accepting new applications.

Cambridge is an outstanding place to work on Anglophone literature. Students and scholars benefit from world-class libraries, and from each other. The PhD cohort is diverse and large in number. No particular area or approach is preferred. Faculty members who act as supervisors and advisors for doctoral theses work on a great variety of topics and in varied ways. Proposals of all kinds are therefore welcome: on little-known as well as canonical authors; from innovative and interdisciplinary as well as from more traditional thematic, theoretical, cultural and literary-historical perspectives. Regular postgraduate training sessions offer guidance at every stage of the process - from first-year assessment to learning to teach to applying for jobs. In addition to the formal training, there are excellent opportunities for the sorts of enriching conversations and collaborations that emerge informally, between fellow PhDs, MPhils and Faculty members. Some of these take place under the auspices of the student-run Graduate Research Forum.  Regular Research Seminars focus on particular periods and fields (for instance, Medieval, Nineteenth Century, Postcolonial and Related Literatures); these combine internal and invited speakers, and encourage discussions and relationships between the entire research community.  The Faculty also puts on occasional conferences on all manner of topics; like the research seminars, many of the most successful and exciting ones are conceived of and run by PhD students.

The Postgraduate Virtual Open Day usually takes place at the end of October. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges virtually, and to find out more about courses, the application process and funding opportunities. Visit the  Postgraduate Open Day  page for more details.

See further the  Postgraduate Admissions Events  pages for other events relating to Postgraduate study, including study fairs, visits and international events.

Key Information

3-4 years full-time, 4-7 years part-time, study mode : research, doctor of philosophy, faculty of english, course - related enquiries, application - related enquiries, course on department website, dates and deadlines:, michaelmas 2024 (closed).

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Lent 2025 (Closed)

Easter 2025 (closed), funding deadlines.

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2024, Lent 2025 and Easter 2025.

Similar Courses

• English Studies MPhil
• European, Latin American and Comparative Literatures and Cultures by thesis MPhil
• European, Latin American and Comparative Literatures and Cultures by Advanced Study MPhil
• Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Korean Studies) MPhil
• Asian and Middle Eastern Studies by Research (Korean Studies) MPhil

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2734 Study programs

Study English Literature in Germany: 15 Universities with 18 English Degree Programs

All important info for international students in germany (2024/2025).

English Literature is a rich field that delves into the vast array of written works in the English language. This discipline encompasses the study of prose, poetry, drama, and narrative texts, ranging from classic to contemporary literature. Students explore themes, literary techniques, historical contexts, and the diverse voices that have shaped English literature over centuries. The field includes literary criticism, theory, and analysis, encouraging a deep appreciation of texts and their cultural significance. Students develop critical thinking, analytical writing, and creative interpretation skills. Career paths include education, writing, publishing, and academia, ideal for those with a passion for storytelling and a love of the written word.

Study Programs in English

Universities

Universities in International Rankings

€ 0 (18 programs for EU citizens, 16 programs for Non-EU citizens)

€ 1,500 per semester (18 programs for EU citizens, 2 programs for Non-EU citizens)

Winter Semester

between May 31 and September 30

Summer Semester

Top-ranked German Universities in English Literature

public University

No. of Students: approx. 36,000 students

Program Fees: € 0 (per semester)

No. of Students: approx. 38,000 students

No. of Students: approx. 37,000 students

No. of Students: approx. 27,000 students

Program Fees: € 0 - € 1,500 (per semester)

Tuition Fees

3 english degree programs for english literature in germany.

University of Göttingen Göttingen

English: language, literatures and cultures.

Trier University Trier

Anglophone literatures and media.

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Mainz

English literature and culture, application deadlines.

Winter Semester 2024/2025

Summer Semester 2025

Winter Semester 2025/2026

Open Programs

16 programs

Application Modes

Application process.

Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Düsseldorf

Comparative studies in english and american language, literature and culture.

Saarland University Saarbrücken

English: linguistics, literatures, and cultures.

Universität Regensburg Regensburg

British literature and cultural studies (british studies).

TOEFL Scores

Cambridge Levels

6 (1 program )

80 (1 program )

B2 First (FCE) (2 programs )

8 (1 program )

110 (1 program )

C2 Proficiency (CPE) (6 programs )

Freie Universität Berlin Berlin

English studies: literature, language, culture.

Kiel University Kiel

English and american literature, cultures, and media, english language, linguistics and literature.

4-6 semesters

→ View all programs with online courses

Master of Arts

Bachelor of Arts

Winter intake

Summer intake

Winter & Summer intake

List of all German Universities offering English-taught Study Programs in English Literature

Freie Universität Berlin

Program Fees: € 0

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Goethe University Frankfurt

Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

B.A. (Bachelor of Arts)

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Postgraduate Courses in English Literature in Europe - 350 Courses

• Refine your search:
• Medieval English literature
• Shakespeare studies

Swansea University English Language and Literature

• English Literature Doctor of Philosophy - PhD MA MA (Res) Master of Philosophy - MPhil

University of Aberdeen School of Divinity, History, Philosophy and Art History

• Medieval and Early Modern Studies MLitt

University of Aberdeen School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture

• English Language and Literature MLitt
• Literatures, Environments and Places MLitt

Aberystwyth University Department of English and Creative Writing

• Literary Studies MA

Bangor University School of English Literature

• English Doctor of Philosophy - PhD Master of Philosophy - MPhil
• English Literature MA Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip

Birkbeck, University of London School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication

• Contemporary Literature and Culture (2000-present) MA
• Medieval Studies MA
• Modern Literature and Culture (1900-present) MA

University of Birmingham Department of English Literature

• English Literature Doctor of Philosophy - PhD MA (Res)

University of Birmingham School of English, Drama, and Creative Studies

• English Literature MA
• Shakespeare MA
• Shakespeare and Creativity MA

Canterbury Christ Church University School of Language Studies and Applied Linguistics

• English Literature Doctor of Philosophy - PhD Master of Philosophy - MPhil

Cardiff University School of English, Communication and Philosophy

University of chichester humanities - english and creative writing.

• English and Creative Writing (Including Literature) Doctor of Philosophy - PhD Master of Philosophy - MPhil

Coventry University School of Humanities

University College Dublin UCD School of English, Drama and Film

• Literature & Culture MA

Durham University English Studies

• English Literary Studies MA

The University of Edinburgh School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

• Comparative Literature Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
• English Literature Doctor of Philosophy - PhD MSc (Res)
• English Literature: Literature and Modernity: 1900 to the Present MSc
• English Literature: Literature and Society: Enlightenment, Romantic and Victorian MSc

University of Glasgow School of Critical Studies

• English Literature MLitt
• English Literature: American Modern Literature MLitt
• English Literature: Fantasy MLitt
• English Literature: Modernities - Literature, Culture, Theory MLitt

Goldsmiths, University of London English and Creative Writing

• English Master of Research - MRes
• English, Comparative Literature or Linguistics Doctor of Philosophy - PhD Master of Philosophy - MPhil

University of Helsinki Faculty of Arts

• English Studies MA

Keele University Keele (Central)

• Humanities (English) Master of Research - MRes

Keele University School of Humanities

• English Literatures MA

University of Kent Paris School of Arts and Culture

• English and American Literature (Canterbury and Paris) MA

University of Kent School of English

• Creative Writing (Canterbury) MA
• English Doctor of Philosophy - PhD MA (Res)
• English and American Literature (Canterbury) MA
• English and American Literature (Paris) MA
• Postcolonial Studies (Canterbury and Paris) MA
• Postcolonial Studies (Canterbury) MA

Kingston University Humanities

Lancaster University English Literature and Creative Writing

• Creative Writing (modular) MA
• Creative Writing with English Literary Studies MA
• English Literary Studies with Creative Writing MA
• English Literature Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
• English Literature and Creative Writing Doctor of Philosophy - PhD

University of Lincoln School of English and Journalism

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Best Universities for Literature in Europe

Updated: February 29, 2024

• Art & Design
• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Environmental Science
• Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
• Mathematics

Below is a list of best universities in Europe ranked based on their research performance in Literature. A graph of 9.3M citations received by 703K academic papers made by 1,036 universities in Europe was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

Please note that our approach to subject rankings is based on scientific outputs and heavily biased on art-related topics towards institutions with computer science research profiles.

1. University of Oxford

For Literature

2. University of Cambridge

3. University College London

4. University of Manchester

5. University of Edinburgh

6. King's College London

7. University of Birmingham

8. University of Leeds

9. University of Glasgow

10. University of Amsterdam

11. Catholic University of Leuven

12. University of Bristol

13. University of Warwick

14. University of Sheffield

15. University of Nottingham

16. Utrecht University

17. Durham University

18. Pierre and Marie Curie University

19. Lund University

20. University of Exeter

21. University of Helsinki

22. Imperial College London

23. Lancaster University

24. University of Sussex

25. University of Southampton

26. University of Copenhagen

27. Aarhus University

28. University of Oslo

29. London School of Economics and Political Science

30. University of London

31. University of Liverpool

32. University of York

33. Queen Mary University of London

34. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

35. Radboud University

36. University of Groningen

37. Newcastle University

38. University of St Andrews

39. Cardiff University

40. Leiden University

41. University of Bologna

42. Uppsala University

43. Stockholm University

44. University of Vienna

45. University of Liege

46. Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

47. Sapienza University of Rome

48. Ghent University

49. Complutense University of Madrid

50. Heidelberg University - Germany

51. University of Zurich

52. University of Milan

53. University of Leicester

54. University of Reading

55. Loughborough University

56. Free University of Berlin

57. University of Padua

58. University of Barcelona

59. University of Kent

60. University of Pisa

61. University of East Anglia

62. University of Gothenburg

63. Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main

64. University of Munich

65. Royal Holloway, University of London

66. Delft University of Technology

67. University of Geneva

68. Technical University of Munich

69. Free University Amsterdam

70. University of Turin

71. Moscow State University

72. Autonomous University of Barcelona

73. University of Warsaw

74. University of Cologne

75. University of Florence

76. Queen's University Belfast

77. National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

78. Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin

79. University of Aberdeen

80. University of Hamburg

81. University of Tubingen

82. KTH Royal Institute of Technology

83. University College Dublin

84. University of Lisbon

85. University of Surrey

86. University of Wales

87. Linkoping University

88. Birkbeck, University of London

89. Keele University

90. Tilburg University

91. Goldsmiths, University of London

92. Erasmus University Rotterdam

93. Humboldt University of Berlin

94. University of Stirling

95. Aalborg University

96. University of Granada

97. University of Bergen

98. University of Essex

99. Autonomous University of Madrid

100. University of Valencia

Art & Design subfields in Europe

Doctoral Programme in Language Studies

The Doctoral Programme in Language Studies covers a wide range of linguistic fields, including various synchronic and diachronic approaches to language, translation studies and language technology.

25 new doctoral researchers are admitted each year. We're an international community, and the programme is multilingual: you can complete a degree in either Finnish, Swedish or English.

Want to know more? Visit our profile & activities page to learn more about the key research areas and activities in the programme.

The University of Helsinki (UH) annually allocates funding to doctoral programmes for salaried positions (employment contract). These doctoral candidate positions are designated as full-time work. The aim is that doctoral candidates employed by the University will pursue a post-graduate doctoral degree, which should be completed within four years.

Both current University of Helsinki doctoral candidates and new applicants planning doctoral studies are eligible to apply for these positions. 

Please read the application instructions carefully before applying. If you are also planning to apply for the right to pursue a post-graduate doctoral degree, remember to read the instructions related to applying for a doctoral study right .

Salaried doctoral candidate positions are aimed at enabling full-time work on dissertations and postgraduate studies, with the goal of completing a doctoral degree in four years. The exact duration of employment, its’ start and end dates are determined in the employment contract. 

The salary and other further details concerning the employment relationship are available in the call for applications .

Applications for a salaried position in a doctoral programme are submitted by completing an electronic form and enclosing the required attachments. 

If you already have the right to pursue a post-graduate doctoral degree at the University of Helsinki and you are applying for a salaried position in your doctoral programme:  

• Read the application instructions regarding salaried positions
• Complete the electronic application form 

According to the guidelines of the University of Helsinki, individuals recruited to salaried doctoral candidate positions must gain admittance to doctoral studies (doctoral study right) within the six-month trial period of the employment. 

If you already have the right to pursue a post-graduate doctoral degree at the University of Helsinki, you may apply for a salaried position from another doctoral programme that suits your research profile. If you receive a salaried position from another doctoral programme, you will need to change your doctoral programme. Please note that you may need to reapply for post-graduate study rights if your faculty or target degree change in relation to an awarded salaried position. This application should be made in the spring at the latest, but please note that this may affect the start date of your potential employment. 

If you are applying for a salaried position in more than one doctoral programme, please complete a separate application form for each one.