Cambridge is an excellent place to study the literature of the United States, both on its own or in combination with other literatures.  You will join a thriving and international academic community, supported by outstanding research facilities. American literature is one of the most popular options at undergraduate level, and every year our M.Phil. in American Literature attracts a cohort of outstanding students from all around the world, some of whom go on to join our Ph.D. programme. In addition to a fortnightly American research seminar with internal and invited speakers, the faculty hosts an annual American literature symposium organised by and for postgraduates. 

As a Ph.D. student, you will be part of a large and intellectually stimulating community. Your research will be well-supported by the opportunity to participate in the full range of seminars run by the English faculty, interdisciplinary seminars at CRASSH, and American teaching and resources at the adjacent faculty of History. Through such organised events and formal training you will find many occasions for enriching discussions and collaborations.

Your Ph.D. proposal can be on any topic that includes American or transatlantic literature, and on canonical or non-canonical authors. Faculty members’ research interests are many and varied, spanning the colonial period to the present day, in poetry, prose and drama, and embracing a wide range of critical approaches. To find out more about the research interests and publications of individual faculty members, and about American literature at Cambridge, please visit our website, especially the pages belonging to the American Research Group and the American M.Phil.  

Feedback

In addition to supervision meetings each student should also receive a supervision report at the end of each term via the online Cambridge Graduate Supervision Reporting System.

Assessment

Thesis

Submission of an 80,000 word dissertation and an examination, conducted orally, on the subject of the dissertation.

• Magistr (Master's Degree) at Pass level. Diploma Specialista (completed post-1991) with a minimum overall grade of good or 4/5 Bachelor's from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and other prestigious institutions with an overall grade of 4/5 Bologna Bachelor's from other institutions with an overall grade of 5/5, Excellent
• Diploma Specialista (completed post-1991) with a minimum overall grade of Excellent or 5/5 Bachelor's from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and other prestigious institutions with an overall grade of 5/5
• IELTS (Academic) 7.5
• TOEFL Internet Score 110
• £50 application fee
• First Academic Reference
• Second Academic Reference
• Transcript
• Sample of Work. This can be an extract from a dissertation or one or two long essays amounting to 5,000 -7,000 words.
• Research Proposal. This should be 800-words long and include a simple, descriptive title. Please see the following website for more information and examples of previous, successful research proposals.
• Personal Reference

• Global Education
• Gates Cambridge Scholarships