English

The School of English offers excellent supervision for postgraduate research in an array of subjects in English Literature, English Language and Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Literary-Linguistics, Creative Writing, and Theatre and Performance.

The School has over forty staff, each of them internationally renowned in their field of expertise and with many years of experience in research supervision.

As well as being given the opportunity to develop teaching skills and acquire teaching experience, postgraduate researchers in the School of English also participate in the Doctoral Development Programme in order to refine and build on their research skills and subject-specific knowledge. In consultation with their supervisors, students formulate a programme of research training and support which is tailor-made to their needs.

Our graduates go into higher education, teaching, management and consultancy, advertising, writing, and all branches of the arts – especially theatre, film and publishing. We will equip you with the necessary analytic, evaluative, and presentation skills to succeed in your chosen field.

A PhD is a piece of original research, which makes significant contributions to scholarly debates. What our research degrees offer, in other words, is a truly exciting opportunity for you to push forward the boundaries of knowledge, and to become an authority in your chosen field.

The PhD is usually examined by a thesis of around 75,000 words, the research and writing of which usually takes a minimum of three years (six years part-time), and an oral examination (a viva) on this work. Some of our PhD programmes, such as those in the area of Theatre and Performance, also offer the possibility of a practice component to the PhD examination.

As a research student in the School of English, you will be assigned two supervisors (one primary and the other secondary) to guide you through your project. In addition, you can expect regular meetings co-ordinated by the Director of Graduate Studies to help you assess your progress and to see what the School can do to help make your research more productive. All postgraduate research students are eligible to apply for financial assistance to help them attend conferences and carry out other research-related activities outside the University.

Requirements

• We normally expect that an applicant for our PhD programmes has passed, or is currently completing, an MA or equivalent.
• Our standard English language requirements for all PhD applicants are set at the University’s Advanced level tariff: an overall IELTS grade of 7.5 with a minimum score of 6.5 in each component. 
• Draft your PhD research project proposal
• Proof of your previous qualifications.
• Academic references (Two).
• English language certificate (EU and Overseas applicants).
• A supporting statement.
• Curriculum vitae/Resume.

Scholarships

• White Rose AHRC scholarship