phd in english literature cambridge

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English literature

Topic description and stories.

Murder by the Book: a celebration of 20th century British crime fiction

Priceless first editions and Agatha Christie artefacts on display at Cambridge University Library.

The poetry scholar, the Black Atlantic and the Trembling Hand

Mathelinda Nabugodi investigates the impact of colonialism and the slave trade on Romantic poets. Her research has taken her into the archives with...

Memes-field Park? ‘Digital natives’ are flirting with Jane Austen’s vision of the ideal man all over again

Know about the Darcy hand-flex? Remember that lake scene with Colin Firth? For 200 years, audiences have been swooning over different portrayals of...

Submissions open for BBC National Short Story Award and BBC Young Writers’ Award with Cambridge University

Novelist James Runcie and broadcaster Katie Thistleton will chair the judging panels for the 2021 BBC National Short Story Award and BBC Young...

Shakespeare’s mystery annotator identified as John Milton

A Cambridge literary scholar suggests that the handwriting on a Shakespeare First Folio in Philadelphia matches that of the Paradise Lost poet, John...

Submissions open for BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University

Booker Prize shortlistee Daisy Johnson and beatboxer Testament have today been announced as judges of the BBC’s National Short Story Award and Young...

Into the woods with Shakespeare

The Shakespearean Forest reimagines the real forests that our greatest playwright evoked in his works. The final book of renowned scholar, Anne...

Shakespeare goes to East Africa

On the eve of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, Dr Edward Wilson-Lee explores the remarkable ways in which the works of England’s...

The language and literature of chastity

In her debut book, Dr Bonnie Lander Johnson (Faculty of English) shows how deeply the Christian virtue of chastity was embedded into the culture of...

… dot, dot, dot: how the ellipsis made its mark

We avoid them in formal writing but they pepper our emails … In 'Ellipsis in English Literature', Dr Anne Toner explores the history of dots, dashes...

On the eve of the Booker Prize: a sideways look at the literary puff

A literary puff is the promotional blurb that appears on book jackets and publishers’ press releases. Dr Ross Wilson, Faculty of English, discusses...

Alice through the ages: revisiting a classic at 150

A five-day programme of events at Homerton College, Cambridge, will celebrate the publication, 150 years ago, of Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland...

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PhD in Digital Humanities

Requirements.

The PhD in Digital Humanities, run by Cambridge Digital Humanities and based in the Faculty of English, is a research-intensive programme new for 2024 that will enable students to engage at doctoral level with projects demanding the use of digital methods, tools, or adopting critical/theoretical orientations. The programme expands the humanities offering at research postgraduate level at Cambridge by offering a route for cross-disciplinary engagement, responding to the growth of the field of Digital Humanities as a research area.

The programme is designed to enable students from many areas of the arts and humanities to develop practical skills and knowledge and to generate the necessary critical literacy to understand and engage with digital research, and digital cultures, and to respond to questions arise around the ethics of automation, algorithmic analysis, privacy/surveillance, virtual cultures, data sharing, intelligent agency and creativity, archival justice and digital histories, and to explore work in relation to collections and heritage issues. Through supervisions and technical support from a research software engineer, contextualised by a research culture providing research led seminars and lectures, guest seminars, and practice-driven workshops, CDH provides the conditions for original PhD research in Digital Humanities or in other arts and humanities/social science disciplines that make a significant intervention into shaping the field.

Background Digital Humanities is an intrinsically interdisciplinary field: we therefore will consider candidates from almost any academic field. You might have a grounding in History, Archaeology, Literature, Linguistics, Art History, Economics, Computer Science, etc. The degree itself involves working with a range of materials from Cambridge Libraries, Museums and Collections and other disciplines.

Academic qualifications

Applicants for this course should have achieved a UK Masters (Merit) .

If your degree is not from the UK, please check International Qualifications to find the equivalent in your country.

University Minimum Academic Requirements

MPhil students in Digital Humanities from Cambridge who wish to continue to the PhD may apply to do so, subject to meeting certain conditions. The expected standard for continuation to the PhD at Cambridge is normally:

• An overall mark of 70 or more for the MPhil course
• A mark of 70 or more for the dissertation/portfolio submitted as part of the MPhil course
• Other conditions may also be imposed as deemed necessary

General entry requirements for the University of Cambridge: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/application-process/entry-requirements

2024 Home students: £9,387

2024 Overseas students: £28,401

Anyone who applies to a postgraduate course at Cambridge can also apply to be considered for funding.

Every year the University of Cambridge awards over £100m in scholarships to new postgraduate students. This money comes from many generous University and College endowments, as well as government Research Council (UKRI) funds . A lot of our students also fund their studies from external sources such as charities or government schemes and loans.

Our major internal sources of funding are:

• Cambridge Trust
• Gates Cambridge Trust
• Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme (HDPSP)
• Research Councils (UKRI)
• Colleges and departments

General information found at: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/funding-overview

European Funding Guide

The  European Funding Guide  is the largest online-platform in the EU for finding financial aid. The platform contains over 12,000 scholarships, grants and awards across the whole EU worth more than 27 billion Euros per year. Over 4,000 of these are specifically targeted at UK students.

General Enquiries: [email protected]

Postgraduate Administrator (Suzanne Daley): [email protected]

Admissions Enquiries: www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/contact-form

Twitter: twitter.com/camdighum

Applications for the PhD in Digital Humanities open on 4 September 2023.

The deadline for Gates (US) scholarships is 11 October 2023 ( https://www.gatescambridge.org/apply/timeline/ ).

The deadline for all other applications is in 4 January 2024.

For more information and a link to the application portal, look up Digital Humanities in the Postgraduate Course Directory after applications open.

What kinds of methodologies and projects are most popular at CDH? Moving forward, what areas is CDH most interested in developing?

Our aim is to further an expansive form of Digital Humanities that encompasses work with collections, literature as digital humanities, global digital humanities, critical media theorisation, digital media, methodological advancement, future and emerging technologies including AI and machine learning, and much more. You can find out more about our research activities at cdh.cam.ac.uk/research and a general statement about our research areas at cdh.cam.ac.uk/about . Our supervisors cover a range of research areas. Find a potential CDH supervisor here .

Regarding the application, what do you consider to be an eligible ‘sample of work’? Would essays written for master’s study, for example, or a chapter or two from the master’s thesis be accepted?

Both of these suggestions would work. The sample of work can be one long piece or several shorter essays (max. 5) amounting to around 5,000—7,000 words in total. You will also need to provide an 800-word research proposal. To find the full list of materials required for PhD applications, please visit: postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/elelpddgh/apply

Does your PhD programme accept applicants who already hold a PhD?

Yes. Applicants who do not hold a PhD are not at a disadvantage.

If we are currently awaiting results from our MA studies, would it be best to wait for these results to be released before applying, or is it okay to apply beforehand?

You can apply before you have been awarded your marks for your MA, but you will have to have your marks before you are administered to the PhD course. You would simply add a predicted grade to your application form e.g. ‘Merit predicted’.

Are there any specific guidelines or recommendations for creating a research proposal for the PhD programme in Digital Humanities? What should the research proposal look like?

  A PhD research proposal should be 800 words long. It needs to give those assessing your application an impression of the strength and originality of your proposed research, and its potential to make a contribution to knowledge. It should be written in clear, jargon-free, and unexceptionable prose. Grammatical mistakes and typographical errors give a very bad impression. You should make sure you cover the following areas (without explicitly dividing the proposal into headings).

• the research topic briefly outline the area and topic of your research.
• the research context relate your proposed research to other work in its field or related fields, and indicate in what ways your research will differ; you might mention monographs on the subject, as well as important theoretical models or methodological exemplars. This is a chance to show your understanding of the background against which your research will be defined.
• the contribution you will make this is your chance to show how you have arrived at your position and recognised the need for your research, and what it is that makes it both new and important; you should indicate what areas and debates it will have an impact on, what methodological example it sets (if appropriate) – in short how it contributes to knowledge and to the practice of our subject. Give examples of the sort of evidence you might consider, and of the questions it might help you to raise. Show that you are already thinking about the area in detail and not only in outline.
• your methods in some cases there will be little to say here, but if there is something striking about your methodology, you should explain it.
• the sources and resources you will use you should delimit your field of enquiry, showing where the project begins and ends; in certain cases, Cambridge will have unique collections and resources of central relevance to your project, and you should mention these.
• how the project will develop you might indicate some of the possible ways in which the project could develop, perhaps by giving a broader or narrower version depending on what materials and issues you uncover

My research looks at a topic that isn’t fully covered by the supervisory team at CDH. Can I still apply to the programme?

Research proposals that move beyond the specialisms of our supervisory team may still work within CDH, however, you may wish to consider applying to a PhD programme in another department. You will be able to engage with our programme and graduate training opportunities as a Cambridge student even if you aren’t based in CDH.

How can I better evaluate whether my research would fit with Cambridge Digital Humanities?

You can find CDH’s team of supervisors here . If you are unsure whether your intended research fits with the specialisms of our supervisors, please contact us at [email protected]

Can we apply for part-time studies at CDH?

Yes, you can apply for part-time study.

Does the October deadline for the Gates scholarship apply to US students already studying in the UK? Is the early round of the Gates scholarship exclusively for US-citizens?

Please see the Cambridge Gates Scholarship website for more details about application deadlines and eligibility.

Can I submit one of my publications as the writing sample for my application?

Absolutely.

How do I find funding? What does three years of funding usually look like?

The main way to find funding is via the University’s  Postgraduate Funding Search , which contains:

• University funding opportunities
• Funded studentships and research projects
• Research Council (UKRI) studentships

A lot of our students also fund their studies from  external funding sources such as charities or government schemes and loans. Anyone who applies for a postgraduate course at Cambridge can also apply to be considered for funding to help cover their  fees and costs . There are also specific funding opportunities available to applicants from underrepresented backgrounds from both UK households and abroad, including application fee waivers. Normally ‘full’ funding covers everything (including fees and living expenses), but there are sometimes opportunities for partial funding though this is less common.

For general information about postgraduate funding visit: postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/funding

For contextual data and widening participation funding, visit: postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/funding/contextual-data

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please email us with any questions at [email protected]

Is there a difference between funding opportunities for part-time and full-time PhD applicants?

Tuition fees are essentially the same, just divided up into more years. We don’t control funding directly, so you should check with the specific funder you are targeting.

For more information about postgraduate funding, visit: postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/funding

Is it normal to expect to do fieldwork for the PhD project?

It depends on the nature of the project – fieldwork might be appropriate if you are carrying out interviews or observations, but if you are working on archival sources, it wouldn’t be.

Can you provide further information on where applicants can find details relating to the word count and format for the covering letter, the proposal, and writing sample?

To apply for this course, you’ll need to prepare a number of materials. Please see the full list of requirements on the ‘How to Apply’ section of the application portal: postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/elelpddgh/apply .

• Two academic references 
• Transcript 
• Evidence of competence in English  If required – you can  check using our tool
• Covering letter Applicants need to submit a single page covering letter explaining their rationale for wishing to undertake the course and justifying their case for a place.
• Research proposal (M) Please submit a 800-word research proposal
• Sample of work (max. 5) Please submit a sample of work which can be one long piece or several shorter essays amounting to around 5,000–7,000 words in total.

If you wish to be considered for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship you will also need to provide the following:

• Gates Cambridge Reference 
• Research Proposal (PhD applicants only)

See  Gates Cambridge  for more information.

If we have mitigating, contextual circumstances that have impacted our grades (e.g. health issues, family situations), how can we best share this context with the department on our applications?

There is room on the application form to include contextual circumstances.

When is the deadline to apply?

The general deadline for October 2024 entry is 4 January 2024. US citizens, who are based in the US, and are applying for a Cambridge Gates Scholarship must submit their application by 11 October 2023. For more information, including the application link, visit: postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/elelpddgh

Supervisors

Professor Caroline Bassett

Director, Cambridge Digital Humanities; Professor of Digital Humanities

Dr Leonardo Impett

University Assistant Professor in Digital Humanities

Dr Anne Alexander

Senior Research Associate; Learning Director

Dr Hugo Leal

Teaching Associate

Cambridge Digital Humanities

Get in touch.

Cambridge Digital Humanities University of Cambridge 17 Mill Lane Cambridge CB2 1RX

Email: [email protected]

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Physical & Digital Collections

Theses & dissertations: home, access to theses and dissertations from other institutions and from the university of cambridge.

This guide provides information on searching for theses of Cambridge PhDs and for theses of UK universities and universities abroad. 

For information and guidance on depositing your thesis as a cambridge phd, visit the cambridge office of scholarly communication pages on theses here ., this guide gives essential information on how to obtain theses using the british library's ethos service. .

On the last weekend of October, the British Library became the victim of a major cyber-attack. Essential digital services including the BL catalogue, website and online learning resources went dark, with research services like the EThOS collection of more than 600,000 doctoral theses suddenly unavailable. The BL state that they anticipate restoring more services in the next few weeks, but disruption to certain services is now expected to persist for several months. For the latest news on the attack and information on the restoration of services, please follow the BL blog here:  Knowledge Matters blog  and access the LibGuide page here:  British Library Outage Update - Electronic Legal Deposit - LibGuides at University of Cambridge Subject Libraries

A full list of resources for searching theses online is provided by the Cambridge A-Z, available here .

University of Cambridge theses

Finding a cambridge phd thesis online via the institutional repository.

The University's institutional repository, Apollo , holds full-text digital versions of over 11,000 Cambridge PhD theses and is a rapidly growing collection deposited by Cambridge Ph.D. graduates. Theses in Apollo can be browsed via this link . More information on how to access theses by University of Cambridge students can be found on the access to Cambridge theses webpage.   The requirement for impending PhD graduates to deposit a digital version in order to graduate means the repository will be increasing at a rate of approximately 1,000 per year from this source.   About 200 theses are added annually through requests to make theses Open Access or via requests to digitize a thesis in printed format.

Locating and obtaining a copy of a Cambridge PhD thesis (not yet available via the repository)

Theses can be searched in iDiscover .  Guidance on searching for theses in iDiscover can be found here .   Requests for consultation of printed theses, not available online, should be made at the Manuscripts Reading Room (Email:  [email protected] Telephone: +44 (0)1223 333143).   Further information on the University Library's theses, dissertations and prize essays collections can be consulted at this link .

Researchers can order a copy of an unpublished thesis which was deposited in print form either through the Library’s  Digital Content Unit via the image request form , or, if the thesis has been digitised, it may be available in the Apollo repository. Copies of theses may be provided to researchers in accordance with the  law  and in a manner that is common across UK libraries.  The law allows us to provide whole copies of unpublished theses to individuals as long as they sign a declaration saying that it is for non-commercial research or private study.

How to make your thesis available online through Cambridge's institutional repository

Are you a Cambridge alumni and wish to make your Ph.D. thesis available online? You can do this by depositing it in Apollo the University's institutional repository. Click here for further information on how to proceed.    Current Ph.D students at the University of Cambridge can find further information about the requirements to deposit theses on the Office of Scholarly Communication theses webpages.

UK Theses and Dissertations

Electronic copies of Ph.D. theses submitted at over 100 UK universities are obtainable from EThOS , a service set up to provide access to all theses from participating institutions. It achieves this by harvesting e-theses from Institutional Repositories and by digitising print theses as they are ordered by researchers using the system. Over 250,000 theses are already available in this way. Please note that it does not supply theses submitted at the universities of Cambridge or Oxford although they are listed on EThOS.

Registration with EThOS is not required to search for a thesis but is necessary to download or order one unless it is stored in the university repository rather than the British Library (in which case a link to the repository will be displayed). Many theses are available without charge on an Open Access basis but in all other cases, if you are requesting a thesis that has not yet been digitised you will be asked to meet the cost. Once a thesis has been digitised it is available for free download thereafter.

When you order a thesis it will either be immediately available for download or writing to hard copy or it will need to be digitised. If you order a thesis for digitisation, the system will manage the process and you will be informed when the thesis is available for download/preparation to hard copy.

See the Search results section of the  help page for full information on interpreting search results in EThOS.

EThOS is managed by the British Library and can be found at http://ethos.bl.uk . For more information see About EThOS .

World-wide (incl. UK) theses and dissertations

Electronic versions of non-UK theses may be available from the institution at which they were submitted, sometimes on an open access basis from the institutional repository. A good starting point for discovering freely available electronic theses and dissertations beyond the UK is the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) , which facilitates searching across institutions. Information can also usually be found on the library web pages of the relevant institution.

The DART Europe etheses portal lists several thousand full-text theses from a group of European universities.

The University Library subscribes to the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses  (PQDT) database which from August 31 2023 is accessed on the Web of Science platform.  To search this index select it from the Web of Science "Search in" drop-down list of databases (available on the Documents tab on WoS home page)

PQDT includes 2.4 million dissertation and theses citations, representing 700 leading academic institutions worldwide from 1861 to the present day. The database offers full text for most of the dissertations added since 1997 and strong retrospective full text coverage for older graduate works. Each dissertation published since July 1980 includes a 350-word abstract written by the author. Master's theses published since 1988 include 150-word abstracts.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The University Library only subscribes to the abstracting & indexing version of the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database and NOT the full text version.  A fee is payable for ordering a dissertation from this source.   To obtain the full text of a dissertation as a downloadable PDF you can submit your request via the University Library Inter-Library Loans department (see contact details below). NB this service is only available to full and current members of the University of Cambridge.

Alternatively you can pay yourself for the dissertation PDF on the PQDT platform. Link from Web of Science record display of any thesis to PQDT by clicking on "View Details on ProQuest".  On the "Preview" page you will see an option "Order a copy" top right.  This will allow you to order your own copy from ProQuest directly.

Dissertations and theses submitted at non-UK universities may also be requested on Inter-Library Loan through the Inter-Library Loans department (01223 333039 or 333080, [email protected] )

• Last Updated: Dec 20, 2023 9:47 AM
• URL: https://libguides.cam.ac.uk/theses

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PhD Study at MMLL

Which of the faculty's sections offer phd study.

PhD study is offered in each of the Faculty's Sections: French , German , Italian , Slavonic Studies , Spanish & Portuguese ,  Theoretical and Applied Linguistics , and also in the Centre for Film and Screen Studies .

Overview of a PhD course

A PhD (formally known as Doctor of Philosophy) is a substantial piece of original scholarship, for which the research and writing-up can be reasonably expected to be completed in three to four years (or for part-time students, where this is offered, five to seven years).  In MMLL the maximum word limit is 80,000 words. For the purposes of a PhD, the notion of originality means that the thesis should represent a significant contribution to learning, through the discovery of new knowledge, or through the connection of previously unrelated facts, or the development of new theory, or the revision of older views, or some combination of these different criteria. 

During the period of research, students will  work closely with a Supervisor who is a specialist in their research area. Students are additionally assigned an Advisor who acts as a second point of contact for academic advice. In addition to providing specialist supervision, the Faculty runs a programme of professional training for the benefit of all research students.

Requirements

Please see the central prospectus for the exact requirements (you will need to search for the particular PhD course you are interested in).​  It is noted that language skills in a particular area may   be required depending on the specific nature of your research proposal.

How to Apply & Funding

You can apply online at the Postgraduate Admissions website.  Their site also provides detail on the course structure and content, fee rates, information on the College system, and information regarding the application process. 

Please find further information regarding applications and funding on our Applying and funding page and our Applying: PhD page .

Supporting Documents

When you apply online you will be asked to upload your supporting documents:

• Academic transcripts for any degree-level courses you have taken.
• Evidence of your English ability (if you are not a native English speaker).
• A sample of writing, of approx 5,000-10,000 words. The sample can be either an essay produced during master's-level studies or a section of a dissertation, and must be a single-authored work. 
• A research proposal, approx 500-1,000 words, written in English.
• Your curriculum vitae (CV ​ ).

In the applications portal you will be asked to enter details of your nominated referees. They will then be sent an automated email asking them to provide an electronic reference via the applications portal. It is recommended that you allow several weeks before the application/funding deadline to allow time for this process.

Further information on supporting documents can be found on the Postgraduate Admissions website.

Finding a Prospective Supervisor

All those who are admitted to the Faculty will be assigned a Supervisor to work with them and support them in their research. However it is strongly recommended that you informally approach a potential Supervisor in advance of applying. The purpose of this initial contact is to enquire regarding supervisor capacity, to see if there is a good fit between your interests and theirs, and to discuss your proposed research project.  When you contact a supervisor, please be sure to include your CV and your research proposal.  Please try to avoid sending your proposal to more than one staff member at the same time. If you have already sent your proposal to a staff member, please state this in messages to any other staff. 

You should consult the Faculty's Academic staff pages within the relevant Section/Centre (see Which Sections? above and then follow the relevant link to staff pages).  Familiarise yourself with the work conducted by the relevant Section, and projects of potential supervisors.  This will help in identifying a suitable potential supervisor whose expertise aligns with your own research interests. 

When completing the online application for admission, you should nominate a Supervisor with whom you wish to work, and the Faculty will take into account this preference. However please note that this does not guarantee that the Supervisor will be appointed.  It is noted that whilst supervisors play a crucial role, they are not the sole decision-maker for admissions purposes. In June/July each year the MMLL Degree Committee will monitor the supervision load for each member of academic staff in the faculty and in some cases may decide to appoint another suitable Supervisor.

Consideration of Applications

Applicants who apply for US Gates funding by the October funding deadline may normally expect to receive an admissions decision in December.  All other applicants who apply by the funding deadline in January may normally expect to receive a decision before the end of March, and the majority of offers are made in February and March.  Following the funding deadlines, applications are processed on a rolling basis and applicants may normally expect a decision within 12 weeks following the submission of their completed application and required supporting documents.  Occasionally, applicants may not receive a decision within the normal timeframe due to being placed on a reserve list.  If this is the case then the Faculty will be in touch to let applicants know.  Normally the latest date for decisions to be communicated is the end of June.

Consortium in Latin American Cultural Studies 

If you are applying to the Section of Spanish and Portuguese and wish to work on any topic within Latin American literary, visual, or cultural studies, you may wish to read about the  Consortium in Latin American Cultural Studies for PhD students.

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Programmes & Qualifications

Cambridge igcse literature in english (0475).

• Syllabus overview

The syllabus enables learners to read, interpret and evaluate texts through the study of literature in English. Learners develop an understanding of literal meaning, relevant contexts and of the deeper themes or attitudes that may be expressed. Through their studies, they learn to recognise and appreciate the ways in which writers use English to achieve a range of effects, and will be able to present an informed, personal response to the material they have studied.

The syllabus also encourages the exploration of wider and universal issues, promoting learners' better understanding of themselves and of the world around them.

This syllabus replaces Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) (0486) from 2020 onwards. The only change is the title and the syllabus code. Past papers and other resources for are still largely applicable for teaching Cambridge IGCSE Literature in English (0475).

The last series for Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) (0486) will be November 2019.

The syllabus year refers to the year in which the examination will be taken.

• -->2023-2025 Syllabus update (PDF, 128KB)
• -->2026 Syllabus (PDF, 820KB)

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• -->Support for Literature in English (PDF, 1MB)

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Find out more about our range of English syllabuses to suit every level and ambition.

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As the awarding standard has now returned to the pre-pandemic standard, we are working to produce up-to-date grade descriptions for most of our general qualifications. These will be based on the awarding standards in place from June 2023 onwards.

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Course closed:

English Studies is no longer accepting new applications.

• To give students with relevant experience at first-degree level the opportunity to develop a conceptually and historically sophisticated approach to literary study, both in taught seminar groups and individual research; also to carry out focused research under close supervision in their field of interest.
• To enable students to acquire or develop skills in order to practise research in the field in a professional manner; to give students the opportunity to develop a critical and methodological framework, and to acquire relevant bibliographical and electronic skills.
• To prepare students (where relevant) for doctoral research in a range of different research areas with a literary dimension.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

By the end of the course students should have  developed:

• a deeper knowledge of literature and its contexts (critical, cultural, historical), in general, and of their chosen area of research in particular;
• a critical understanding of the material, cultural, theoretical and social contexts which inform their chosen area of research and of the scholarly debates within it.

Skills and Other Attributes

By the end of the course students should have:

• demonstrated independent judgment based on their own research;
• acquired or consolidated the skills of professional discovery, and of recording and presenting scholarly research, including critical, IT, bibliographical and other skills;
• learned how to timetable independent research so as to produce written work of a high standard to a clearly defined timetable;
• learned how to participate articulately and effectively in seminar discussions.

MPhil students may apply to continue to a PhD in English. The minimum academic condition for continuation is an overall mark of 70+ for the MPhil course. Other conditions may be imposed.

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

9 months full-time, study mode : taught, master 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.

Funding Deadlines

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

Similar Courses

• English PhD
• European, Latin American and Comparative Literatures and Cultures by Advanced Study MPhil
• European, Latin American and Comparative Literatures and Cultures by thesis MPhil
• Education (Critical Approaches to Children's Literature) MPhil
• Education (Critical Approaches to Children's Literature) PGCE entry only MEd

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English, BA (Hons)

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English at Cambridge

English at Cambridge gives you a solid foundation in history of English literature, from the medieval period right up to the present day.

Get an introduction to different types of writing, prose, fiction, drama and poetry, as well as the chance to specialise and develop your own interests.  

English at Cambridge 

From its ground-breaking beginnings, the English course has had an ethos of innovation and progress. This continues to shape our teaching and research. 

If you have a passion for literature and the intellectual curiosity to ask probing questions, then this course is for you.  

You’ll get a strong grounding in literary works written in English. This means you can study American and post-colonial literature alongside British literature.  

You’ll also have the chance to specialise, develop your interests, and explore: 

• other art forms, including music and film, in relation to literature 
• literature’s connections to intellectual traditions including philosophy, art history and politics 

By studying this course you'll join some of the most famous writers who studied here in the past. They include:  

• Edmund Spenser 
• John Milton 
• William Wordsworth 
• Samuel Taylor Coleridge 
• EM Forster 
• Sylvia Plath 
• Ted Hughes 
• Kamau Brathwaite 
• Zadie Smith 
• Helen Oyeyemi

Teaching and facilities

You will be taught by some of the world’s most eminent critics and thinkers who have expertise in almost all aspects of literature.

We have no set approach other than to focus on valuable skills of critical thinking, scholarly rigour and good writing.

Our Faculty of English building is home to:  

• the Faculty of English library, a welcoming space with 80,000 books and computer facilities, where you can also have skills training 
• a drama studio, where we have plays and poetry readings 

Along with all other students at Cambridge, you'll also have access to: 

• our impressive Cambridge University Library, one of the world’s oldest university libraries

Course costs

When you go to university, you’ll need to consider two main costs – your tuition fees and your living costs (sometimes referred to as maintenance costs).

Your living costs will include costs related to your studies that are not covered by your tuition fees. There are some general study costs that will apply for all students – you can find details of these costs here .

There are no compulsory additional course costs for English. If you have any queries about resources/materials, please contact the Department.

Your future career

When you graduate, you'll have a variety of transferable skills that employers are looking for. You'll have the opportunity to choose from a range of different career options. 

In recent years, our English graduates have gone on to successful careers in: 

• publishing 
• journalism 
• theatre and film 
• the charity sector 
• civil service 

Teaching is provided through lectures, seminars, and small-group supervisions and classes. 

You can usually expect to have 6 hours of lectures or seminars, and 2 to 3 hours of individual, paired or small-group supervision each week.  

You will usually write one or two short essays per week, which you then discuss with your supervisor.

Assessments take place through examinations. It is possible to replace a small number of specific examinations with coursework. Prizes are awarded for the best work in each year. 

You won't usually be able to resit any of your exams.

Year 1 (Part IA) 

You take two compulsory papers: 

• Practical Criticism and Critical Practice 
• Shakespeare (assessed by a portfolio of essays submitted in Easter Term) 

You also start work on two of the period papers, which will be examined in your second year. 

Year 2 (Part IB) 

You take one compulsory paper (English Literature and its Contexts 1300 to 1550) and a further three papers from the following list: 

• Early Medieval Literature and its Contexts 1066 to 1350 
• 1500 to 1700 
• 1660 to 1870 
• 1830 to 1945 
• 1870 to Present. 

One of these papers, except Early Medieval Literature and its Contexts 1066 to 1350, can be replaced by a dissertation. 

Year 3 (Part II) 

• Practical Criticism and Critical Practice II 
• Tragedy, which ranges from ancient Greek drama to contemporary writing 

You also write a compulsory dissertation of 6,000 to 7,500 words. 

You will then either submit a second dissertation of 6,000 to 7,500 words and take one optional paper or choose two optional papers instead. 

The optional papers change regularly. The following are examples of recent papers:

• Medieval English Literature 1066 to 1500: The Medieval Supernatural 
• Material Renaissance 
• Prose Forms 1936 to 1956 
• The Ethical Imagination 
• American Literature 
• Postcolonial and Related Literatures 
• History and Theory of Literary Criticism 
• Visual Culture 
• Contemporary Writing in English 
• Early Modern Drama 1588 to 1642 
• Special Period of English Literature 1847 to 72 
• Love, Gender, Sexuality 1740 to 1824 

It may be possible for you to take papers from these undergraduate courses: 

• Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic 
• Modern and Medieval Languages 

For further information about this course and the papers you can take see the Faculty of English website.

Changing course

It’s really important to think carefully about which course you want to study before you apply. 

In rare cases, it may be possible to change course once you’ve joined the University. You will usually have to get agreement from your College and the relevant departments. It’s not guaranteed that your course change will be approved.

You might also have to:

• take part in an interview
• complete an admissions test
• produce some written work
• achieve a particular grade in your current studies
• do some catch-up work
• start your new course from the beginning 

For more information visit the Faculty website .

You can also apply to change to:

• Management Studies at the Judge Business School

You can't apply to this course until you're at Cambridge. You would usually apply when you have completed 1 year or more of your original Cambridge course.

You should contact your College’s Admissions Office if you’re thinking of changing your course. They will be able to give you advice and explain how changing courses works.

Minimum offer level

A level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level Other qualifications : Check which other qualifications we accept .

Subject requirements

To apply to any of our Colleges for English, you will need A levels/IB Higher Levels (or the equivalent) in: 

• English Literature OR English Literature and Language. 

If you apply to the following Colleges they will usually require an A*/7 in English Literature or English Language and Literature: 

• Lucy Cavendish 

This may also be a condition of your offer at other Colleges. 

Some Colleges will only accept English Literature: 

• Corpus Christi 
• Robinson College 

These subject requirements are provisional for 2025 entry. Please check back in April 2024 for confirmed details.

What English students have studied

Most English students (who had studied A levels and started at Cambridge in 2017-19) achieved at least A*A*A (62% of entrants).

Most had studied English Literature (97%).

Other common subjects were:

• Mathematics
• Drama & Theatre Studies

The majority of students who studied IB achieved at least 43 points overall.

Check our advice on choosing your high school subjects . You should also check if there are any required subjects for your course when you apply.

Admission assessment

If you’re shortlisted for interview, you may need to take a written assessment. Please check back in April 2024 for details. If an assessment is required, you will not need to register in advance and the Colleges will provide details directly to you. 

If you applied for 2024 entry in the March application round , please check the College Admission Assessments page for more information and example papers.

Submitting written work

Applicants to all Colleges are required to submit 2 pieces of written work prior to interview. 

Offers above the minimum requirement

The minimum offer level and subject requirements outline the minimum you'll usually need to achieve to get an offer from Cambridge.

In some cases, you'll get a higher or more challenging offer. Colleges set higher offer requirements for a range of reasons. If you'd like to find out more about why we do this,  check the information about offers above the minimum requirement  on the entry requirements page.

Some Colleges usually make offers above the minimum offer level. Find out more on our qualifications page .

All undergraduate admissions decisions are the responsibility of the Cambridge Colleges. Please contact the relevant  College admissions office  if you have any queries.

Discover your department or faculty

• Faculty of English - Explore English in more detail on the faculty website.

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• Find out how Colleges work - Our admissions process is slightly different to other universities. We’ve put together a handy guide to tell you everything you need to know about applying to study at Cambridge.
• How to choose a Cambridge College that's right for you - If you think you know which course you’d like to study, it’s time to choose a College.

Visit us on an open day

• Book an open day - Get a feel for the city and the University.
• Find an event - We offer a range of events where you can find out more about Cambridge, Colleges, and your course. Many of our events have hybrid options so you can join us virtually.

Find out how to apply

• Find out how to apply and how our admissions processes work - Our admissions process is slightly different to other universities. We’ve put together a handy guide to tell you everything you need to know about applying to study at Cambridge.
• Improve your application - Supercurricular activities are a great way to engage with your chosen subject outside of school or college.

Discover Uni data

Contextual information.

Discover Uni allows you to compare information about individual courses at different higher education institutions.  This can be a useful method of considering your options and what course may suit you best.

However, please note that superficially similar courses often have very different structures and objectives, and that the teaching, support and learning environment that best suits you can only be determined by identifying your own interests, needs, expectations and goals, and comparing them with detailed institution- and course-specific information.

We recommend that you look thoroughly at the course and University information contained on these webpages and consider coming to visit us on an Open Day , rather than relying solely on statistical comparison.

You may find the following notes helpful when considering information presented by Discover Uni.

• Discover Uni relies on superficially similar courses being coded in the same way. Whilst this works on one level, it may lead to some anomalies. For example, Music courses and Music Technology courses can have exactly the same code despite being very different programmes with quite distinct educational and career outcomes. Any course which combines several disciplines (as many courses at Cambridge do) tends to be compared nationally with courses in just one of those disciplines, and in such cases the Discover Uni comparison may not be an accurate or fair reflection of the reality of either. For example, you may find that when considering a degree which embraces a range of disciplines such as biology, physics, chemistry and geology (for instance, Natural Sciences at Cambridge), the comparison provided is with courses at other institutions that primarily focus on just one (or a smaller combination) of those subjects.You may therefore find that not all elements of the Cambridge degree are represented in the Discover Uni data.
• Some contextual data linked from other surveys, such as the National Student Survey (NSS) or the Destination of Leavers in Higher Education (DLHE), may not be available or may be aggregated across several courses or several years due to small sample sizes.  When using the data to inform your course choice, it is important to ensure you understand how it has been processed prior to its presentation. Discover Uni offers some explanatory information about how the contextual data is collated, and how it may be used, which you can view here: https://discoveruni.gov.uk/about-our-data/ .
• Discover Uni draws on national data to provide average salaries and employment/continuation data.  Whilst starting salaries can be a useful measure, they do not give any sense of career trajectory or take account of the voluntary/low paid work that many graduates undertake initially in order to gain valuable experience necessary/advantageous for later career progression. Discover Uni is currently piloting use of the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data to demonstrate possible career progression; it is important to note that this is experimental and its use may be modified as it embeds.

The above list is not exhaustive and there may be other important factors that are relevant to the choices that you are making, but we hope that this will be a useful starting point to help you delve deeper than the face value of the Discover Uni data.

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Course type

Qualification, university name, phd degrees in english literature.

31 degrees at 27 universities in the UK.

Customise your search

Select the start date, qualification, and how you want to study

About Postgraduate English Literature

A PhD in English literature in the UK offers an in-depth academic programme tailored for individuals dedicated to deepening their exploration of literary analysis, history and cultures. Graduates of this programme are well-suited for diverse professional paths, including roles as academic scholars, published authors, literary analysts and researchers in literary studies, contributing substantially to the field of literary criticism and theory.

For advanced academic pursuits in English literature, there are more than 30 PhD options in the UK. These programmes appeal to candidates with a strong foundation in English literature, demonstrated through a master's degree or equivalent in humanities disciplines. The focus of these programmes is to develop critical analysis, research expertise and literary analysis.

What to Expect

English literature PhD programmes involve a significant focus on independent research, encouraging students to delve into specialised areas such as specific literary periods, genres, works of individual authors, or theoretical frameworks.

The core of the programme is the doctoral dissertation, a comprehensive original research project that makes a significant contribution to the study of literature. Evaluation is predominantly based on the doctoral thesis, with candidates also engaging in academic seminars and conferences, contributing to scholarly publications, integral for developing their academic profiles and networking opportunities.

Graduates of these PhD programmes emerge as experts in English literature, equipped with the skills to critically analyse and interpret literary works, contextualise literature within their cultural and historical milieus and contribute new perspectives to literary discourse. Graduates are prepared for impactful academic and research roles in publishing, cultural institutions and various sectors where advanced analytical and interpretative skills are valued.

Related subjects:

• PhD English Literature
• PhD Shakespeare

• Course title (A-Z)
• Course title (Z-A)
• Price: high - low
• Price: low - high

PhD in Creative Writing and English Literature

Manchester metropolitan university.

RESEARCH CULTURE We are a leading centre for the study of literature and culture. We host a large and vibrant community of renowned Read more...

• 3 years Full time degree: £4,850 per year (UK)
• 6 years Part time degree

PhD English

Aberystwyth university.

PhD English Literature The English Department provides an excellent environment for postgraduate study, research, and creative work. The Read more...

• 3 years Full time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)

University of Hull

About our programmes English at Hull is friendly, inclusive and supportive, and characterised by the internationally excellent research Read more...

• 5 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

English Literature and Language MPhil/PhD

University of worcester.

We welcome applications to undertake research towards MPhil and PhD degrees in English Literature and Language. Research at Worcester has Read more...

• 3 years Full time degree: £4,950 per year (UK)
• 5 years Part time degree: £2,475 per year (UK)

English PhD

Bangor university.

The MPhil is awarded for a dissertation of not more than 60,000 words and the PhD for a dissertation normally of not more than 100,000 Read more...

• 6 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

English Literature PhD

University of surrey.

Why choose this programme We perform innovative and world-leading research across literature, writing and linguistics. We’re part of the Read more...

• 4 years Full time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)
• 8 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

University of Glasgow

By choosing to embark on postgraduate research study in English Literature at Glasgow, you will be joining a thriving, dynamic, and Read more...

English Literature MPhil, PhD

Newcastle university.

The research-led English Literature MPhil and PhD enable you to study a specialist area of literature. Join our thriving School with an Read more...

• 36 months Full time degree
• 72 months Part time degree

University of Nottingham

Develop original research into literature and language, from the medieval period to the present day, guided by our expert staff. Our Read more...

• 48 months Online/Distance degree: £5,100 per year (UK)
• 96 months Online/Distance degree

PhD Postgraduate research in English Language and Literature

University of wolverhampton.

The School of Humanities offers a vibrant environment for MPhil/PhD students, who will have the opportunity to work with enthusiastic, Read more...

Anglia Ruskin University

PhD research programmes will allow you to explore your own interests in English literature, supported by the expertise of our Read more...

• 2 years Full time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)
• 2.5 years Full time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)
• 3 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)
• 3.5 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

University of West London

The London School of Film, Media and Design offers a PhD in English Literature by individual research within the areas of expertise of Read more...

• 4 years Full time degree: £3,995 per year (UK)
• 6 years Part time degree: £2,000 per year (UK)

English Literature PhDs and MPhils

University of portsmouth.

If you want to take your expertise in the written word into a postgraduate research degree in English Literature, Portsmouth is the perfect Read more...

English literature PhD

University of brighton.

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

• 7 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

Shakespeare Studies PhD (On-Campus or by Distance Learning)

University of birmingham.

In the heart of Shakespeare’s Stratford, with access to the theatres of the Royal Shakespeare Company and extraordinarily rich libraries Read more...

• 3 years Distance without attendance degree: £2,389 per year (UK)
• 3 years Full time degree: £4,778 per year (UK)

English Literature, PhD

Swansea university.

A PhD or MPhil in English Literature enables you to undertake a substantial independent research project, which should be of a Read more...

If you take this English Literature you will experience One-to-one teaching and supervision by established writers and academics. The Read more...

English Literature PhDs and MPhils (Distance Learning)

• 6 years Distance without attendance degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

English Literature PhD (On-Campus or by Distance Learning)

By pursuing research in English Literature at Birmingham, you will be joining a vibrant and dynamic research community thanks to the Read more...

University of Hertfordshire

A University of Hertfordshire research degree is an internationally recognised degree signifying high levels of achievement in research. Read more...

• 3 years Full time degree: £5,925 per year (UK)
• 6 years Part time degree: £2,960 per year (UK)

1-20 of 31 courses

Course type:

• Distance learning PhD
• Full time PhD
• Part time PhD

Qualification:

Universities:.

• Cardiff University
• University of Buckingham
• The University of Edinburgh
• University of Sussex
• University of Reading
• University of Lincoln
• Lancaster University
• Queen's University Belfast
• University of Liverpool
• University of Bristol

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Access to Cambridge theses

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How do I find a Cambridge thesis?

Ph.D., M.Litt., M.Sc., and Divinity M.Phil. theses approved after 1970 are catalogued in iDiscover, as are M.D. and M.Chir. theses approved after May 2006. Earlier theses are listed in a card catalogue in the Manuscripts Reading Room and are gradually being added to iDiscover.

Since 1 October 2017, all PhD theses are being deposited in electronic form to the University repository Apollo . Many earlier theses are also in the repository, but if they are not yet in digital form it is possible to request access to these theses. There is more information on how to request a copy of a printed thesis further down this page.

Gaining access to electronic copies of theses

The author of a given thesis in Apollo can choose whether their thesis is available to be downloaded, available on request or unavailable. While many of the theses in Apollo are openly available for download, s ome theses in the repository are not open access because they have either been embargoed by the author or because they are unable to be made openly available for copyright or other r easo ns.   For an explanation of the different theses access levels,  see this page .

Open Access theses

Theses that have been made available Open Access can be downloaded from Apollo as a PDF file without any restrictions other than the license under which they have been made available . Just click on the document file in the thesis record to download a copy.

Embargoed theses

Theses with an embargo are shown in Apollo with a padlock icon over the PDF file are not open access but can be requested. If you wish to access the full thesis, click on the padlock icon on the PDF and you will be redirected to the repository’s ‘ Request a Copy ’ function. Requests for embargoed theses will be passed on to the author so they can choose to grant or refuse the request at their discretion.

Controlled theses

Theses under controlled access remain unpublished because they are not made available on the internet via the Apollo repository and as such, the rules for unpublished works in UK copyright law will apply to these theses. Controlled access theses are provided by the University Library in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents act 1998. Theses under controlled access are shown in Apollo with a padlock icon over the PDF file are not open access but can be requested. If you wish to access the full thesis, click on the padlock icon on the PDF and you will be redirected to the repository’s ‘ Request a Copy ’ function. For further information on copying by librarians or archivists see: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/section/43

If a thesis has been digitised by the Digital Content Unit's image request service in the library it will be deposited in Apollo under controlled access and can be requested via the thesis record in Apollo.

Requesting a copy of a printed thesis

Researchers can order a copy of an unpublished thesis which was deposited in print form through the Library’s  Digital Content Unit via the image request form . Copies of theses may be provided to researchers in accordance with the  law  and in a manner that is common across UK libraries.The law allows us to provide whole copies of unpublished theses to individuals as long as they sign a declaration saying that it is for non-commercial research or private study. The agreement used for access to theses at Cambridge has been drafted using the guidance by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).

Theses are not available for borrowing or inter library loan. The copyright of theses remains with the author. The law does not allow us to provide a copy for inclusion in a general library collection or for wider distribution beyond the individual receiving the copy, without the explicit permission of the author or copyright holder. Where someone approaches us asking for a copy for their library or wider distribution, they must obtain the explicit permission of the author or copyright owner.

Please note any periods of access restriction requested by the author apply to both electronic and print copies.

Open Research Newsletter sign-up

Please contact us at  [email protected]   to be added to the mailing list to receive our quarterly e-Newsletter.

The Office of Scholarly Communication sends this Newsletter to its subscribers in order to disseminate information relevant to open access, research data management, scholarly communication and open research topics. For details on how the personal information you enter here is used, please see our  privacy policy . 

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UCL English

MPhil/PhD in English Literature and Language

One of the highest-ranking English Departments in the UK, UCL provides fantastic 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 topics. 

Note that you should identify a prospective supervisor yourself (see our list of staff ) and contact them before you make your formal application, to check that they are in a position to support the project that you are proposing.

Dr Julia Jordan ( [email protected] ) is the English Department's Graduate Tutor. Application enquiries can also be directed to Natasha Clark ( [email protected] ), Senior Education Administrator.

With access to a vast collection of archival materials, and world-leading supervision in a wide range of literary periods and topics, UCL is one of the best universities in which to study for an English PhD.     

There are normally about 45 students undertaking research degrees in the department. Graduate students initially register for the MPhil degree, but usually in the second year, when a realistic and workable thesis has been confirmed, and work-in-progress and a future plan have been discussed, students are upgraded from MPhil to PhD status.

Students accepted for admission are given a principal supervisor with whom the student will work closely during the course of the degree. A secondary 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. The Department is eager to ensure PhD completion rates within four years, and therefore reviews each student's progress by means of an interview at the end of each year. When completed and submitted, the thesis is defended in an oral examination. 

Students are expected to complete the PhD within three or four years of registration, and the minimum period of registration is two years. Part-time students complete the degree within five to seven years of registration. 

The Department offers MPhil/PhD supervision in a wide range of topics, including English and English-related language and literature from Old English to the present day. Information on the research interests of staff can be found here (click on the name of each member of staff to access their personal profile). 

Research Resources

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. For language topics the Department is especially well placed, as it houses the world-renowned Survey of English Usage.

Other London archives with manuscript and rare book resources relevant to the Department’s research interests include (but are by no means limited to):

• British Library
• University of London Library (Senate House Library)
• Guildhall Library
• London Library
• Library of the London School of Economics
• Dr Williams’s Library
• Bishopsgate Institute Library
• Library of the Victoria and Albert Museum
• Archives of the Royal Society
• The Women’s Library at London School of Economics

Research is expected to take students into numerous libraries and archives, not only within London, but also throughout Britain, and often internationally. 

Research Environment

The Department places great emphasis on opportunities for students to discuss their work and participate in the exchange of knowledge and ideas. There is a programme of regular departmental Research Seminars at which PhD students are invited to present their work; speakers may also include members of the department’s academic staff and invited guests. The department also hosts a seminar series on Race, Power, and Poetics , and a wide range of informal discussion groups and reading groups.

The Institute of Advanced Studies (part of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities) hosts an exciting programme of research events and activities. UCL students also have access to the abundance of seminars and conferences available across London, including those of the Institute of English Studies  at the University of London.

The English Department’s graduate students organise a one-day conference each year; many of the papers delivered at the conference are published in  Moveable Type , the Department's graduate-led online journal. There is a Graduate Common Room in the English Department. Many PhD students spend much time working at the British Library, to which UCL has unrivalled proximity, which also functions as a hub for academic networking.

Details of current PhD students and their projects can be found here . 

Your research proposal does not need to be long (typically somewhere between 800-1000 words). The most important things we are looking for you to explain are:

1) What primary literature/texts will you be studying?

2) What is your idea/approach to this literature?

3) How does your project fit in to the secondary literature/criticism on this topic?

4) Practical details, like which archives you will use, roughly how long you will spend on each chapter, what each chapter may be about, etc

5) That you have considered how the chosen project will work within a 100,000 word limit (so it's clearly not something so small that it's 20,000 words maximum, nor have you chosen something so big that you couldn't possibly do it justice in 500,000).

Proposals and intentions often change a little/quite a lot once they are on the course, but the important thing is just to demonstrate that you have thought about the practicalities and you have a clear, viable research topic that we could supervise in the Department, and which you could complete within three years.

Applicants should usually expect to begin their studies in September at the start of an academic year (although in some cases, a January start can be discussed). UCL’s application process usually opens in mid-October, and you are encouraged to apply as early as possible, as there are a number of stages to the process.

It is essential to understand that your application for a place must be fully processed, and an offer of a place at UCL secured, before you can apply to any of the various funding schemes (see under ‘Applying for Funding’ below). You should allow time for this, and for us to advise you on your funding application(s). For this reason your full, formal application for a place via UCL’s online system must be submitted by Friday 5 January 2024 at the latest . This is an internal departmental deadline and supersedes any dates given on external websites.

We strongly recommend that all candidates should apply for funding; but those candidates who intend to self-fund may apply for entry in September 2024 at any time up to 31 March 2024.

The steps for applying for a place take some time, and are as follows:

1. Contact a member of staff in the English Department to establish whether they are available and interested in supervising your project. They may ask to see your CV and a brief research proposal (see above, ‘The Research Proposal’). You can find details of the research interests of individual members of staff here (click on each name to see the staff member’s profile). If you are not sure who to approach, you may consult the English Department’s Graduate Tutor, Dr Julia Jordan ( [email protected] ) .

Please be aware that members of staff cannot give detailed advice on how to improve your research proposal. This is because evaluation of the proposal is an important part of the process for the selection of candidates, so it must be your own independent work. If we invite you for interview (step 3 below) this will be an opportunity for you to discuss your proposal with your prospective supervisor. If we offer you a place (step 4 below), we will then advise you on how to make your research proposal as strong as possible for your funding application(s).

2.   If you have been encouraged to make a full, formal online application, please do so, following the instructions here . Your application must include a research proposal, two references, a CV, and transcripts from your previous academic courses. If you intend to proceed to funding applications, your application for a place must be submitted by 5 January 2024 . When you submit your application, please also send your research proposal and academic CV directly by email to the English Department’s Graduate Tutor, Dr Julia Jordan ( [email protected] ) .

Applying as an international student  

Further information about English language requirements and applying as an international student can be found here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/applying-international-student . 

3.   The English Department will consider the strength of each applicant’s proposed research project, the applicant's grades in undergraduate and Masters level study, and the suitability (and availability) of academic staff in the Department to supervise the proposed project. If we decide to proceed with the application, the applicant will be invited to a short interview to discuss the research proposal in more detail. This will normally be with the applicant's proposed primary supervisor, a potential secondary supervisor, and/or the Tutor for Graduates. UK applicants will normally be interviewed at UCL; international students, or those who are unable to attend for other reasons, will be interviewed online. Please try to ensure that you are available for interview from November to January.

4.  If your interview is successful, we will offer you a place. You can now proceed to funding applications (see ‘Applying for Funding’ below). PLEASE NOTE: it is your responsibility to be aware of the deadlines for different funding schemes, and to ensure that there is time for your application for a place to be fully processed before you proceed to funding applications.

Scholarships for which you may be eligible to apply are listed here .  

Studentships for PhDs in English at UCL are available from LAHP (the London Arts and Humanities Partnership), funded by the AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council). LAHP is a consortium of Higher Education Institutions in London. More information, including eligibility for a studentship and how to apply, is available from their website . Around 10% of applications for studentships are successful.

Applicants who are interested in LAHP funding must also have submitted a completed PhD application to UCL by Friday 5 January 2024. Once we have confirmed your offer of a place, you must then submit a completed LAHP application form,  including the supervisor statement,  by their  deadline   ( 26th January 2024 at 5pm ).  Your prospective supervisor will advise you on how to make your LAHP application as strong as possible. It is your responsibility to allow sufficient time for all of these processes.

If you have any further questions about the LAHP application procedure, please email Ms Natasha Clark ( [email protected] ) 

Research Excellence Scholarship (RES)

UCL Research Excellence Scholarships aim to attract high-quality students to undertake research at UCL. Up to 40 UCL  Research Excellence Scholarships (RES) are available to prospective and current research students from any country.

More details about the application process for the Research Excellence Scholarships, including deadlines, can be found here .

Wolfson Scholarships

The Wolfson Foundation is offering six postgraduate research awards in the humanities for 2024/25. These will be for three areas in history, literature and languages.

Details about the award scheme and the application process can be found here . 

Applicants should send the mandatory documents to Natasha Clark ( [email protected] ) by the end of 12 January 2024.

UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship

UCL's Research Opportunity Scholarship (UCL-ROS) supports UK BAME postgraduate research degree students. Details about eligibility, the award and the application process can be found here .

Each student works closely with their supervisor to develop research skills specific to their project. Regular completion of an online research log helps the student and supervisor to assess training needs.

The English Department provides a course in PhD Skills Training. The first term is on Research Skills and Methods, and is aimed at first-year students, who are required to attend. The second term is on Professional Academic Skills, and is open to all PhD students.

Across UCL, PhD training is co-ordinated by the Doctoral School . The Doctoral Skills Development Programme is delivered via the Inkpath platform, and benefits from participation by the Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network , a consortium of leading Higher Education Institutions.

Training courses and events are also available from LAHP (the London Arts and Humanities Partnership). LAHP-funded students are given priority for booking, but places may also be available to other students.

Teaching opportunities for research students

PhD students who are making good progress with their research project are offered teaching opportunities. Those in their second year are normally offered experience in teaching one-to-one tutorials. Those in their third year are normally offered experience in teaching seminars.

PhD students in English also work with UCL’s Access and Widening Participation team to deliver a highly successful Summer School for Year 12 school students.

Employment Prospects

PhD graduates from the Department have an excellent record of securing employment in institutions of higher education. In recent years PhD alumni have progressed to academic positions here at UCL, as well as at Oxford and Cambridge, in the wider University of London, and at other universities across the UK. Others have successfully gained international appointments, in destinations including the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. Our PhD graduates 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.

UCL prospectus page for the MPhil/PhD programme.

For further information, please email Natasha Clark ( [email protected] ).

Apply Online

You can find a link to the online application form on the main UCL website at the bottom of this page: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/apply

We do accept some visiting students, if there is a suitable academic to act as supervisor. The first step is to identify someone who looks like a suitable supervisor by looking through the list of academic staff yourself:  https://www.ucl.ac.uk/english/people/academic-staff  . Then, you should contact them with your research proposal to see if they think they would be well-positioned to supervise and will be available to do so over the period of time you’d like to visit. If they are happy to supervise you, you must submit an application via our online system. Further details about this and the link for applying can be found on this page: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/international/study-abroad-and-exchange/visiting-research-students .

Student Views

"I am currently completing my PhD on Shakespeare. The English department at UCL is a very special place: the academic staff are dedicated, supportive. I would whole-heartedly recommend applying to study English at UCL."

Shani Bans, PhD Candidate

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The MPhil in English Studies

Our plenary mphil, comprehensive in scope, offers you the chance to be a part of a single, integrated mphil community whilst also providing unparalleled opportunities for specialisation and self-definition., about the mphil.

The Cambridge English Faculty’s collaborative MPhil in English Studies is a nine-month taught course which offers a uniquely wide-ranging and innovative approach to the study of literature, criticism and culture in the Anglophone world.

1st edn, available in seven Cambridge college libraries. King’s College holds the copy Woolf gave to E. M. Forster.

This plenary MPhil unites all our Masters students in a single graduate community under one unified course. Our versatile modular structure presents a multitude of Specialist Seminars , as well as both a Medieval and a Renaissance Textual Studies course. Together, these cater for a high degree of individual self-definition across an unrivalled range of research fields. Students studying on this programme can:

• prioritise a specific period, be that Medieval, Renaissance, 18th-century, Romantic, Victorian, Modernist, Post-war, or Contemporary; or move between periods
• emphasise regional, national, or international interests from across the Anglophone world
• concentrate on thematic, theoretical, conceptual, and philosophical concerns
• or fuse these different elements in creative combinations.

At the same time, our Research Frameworks seminars cut across these specialist emphases. They bring together students with diverse research interests, encouraging them to work collaboratively on cross-period methodological and inter-disciplinary topics. Students taking this programme thus find themselves working in two very different kinds of teaching group and reap the benefits of that breadth of provision.

In the MPhil as a whole depth, diversity, the historical, and the conceptual are each available in equal measure, and all this is underpinned by a sense of involvement in common intellectual endeavours shared between everyone taking the course. This blend of variety and unity will offer you a truly distinctive context in which to develop as a thinker, writer, and researcher.

The course is supported by first-class teaching delivered by a Faculty with a distinguished international reputation; and because that teaching is research-led we are also able to offer you a cutting-edge view of the discipline. Both small-group teaching and one-to-one supervision are established strengths here, having been foundational to the Faculty’s identity since its inception a century ago. Our lively, supportive seminars will allow you to learn from people with interests very different from your own. At the same time, your individual supervisor will help you plan a coherent programme of personal study and will oversee both your research for and writing of your dissertation (your own unique research project). In addition, a programme of focused training on research methods will assist you in developing practical study skills.

These qualities make our MPhil in English Studies an ideal preparation for further research in English and associated disciplines. Equally, the course can serve as the basis for success in a wide range of non-academic careers.

Life in the Faculty

Carsten Höller’s ‘Crocodile’, courtesy of Kettle's Yard, the University’s modern and contemporary art gallery.

The Cambridge Faculty of English has a long-standing reputation for excellence in both historical and conceptual work. Members’ interests span the full range of literature in English, from medieval to contemporary. Specialisms include environmental humanities; lyric and the history, theory and practice of poetic forms; editing and textual scholarship; histories of the book and media institutions; world literature; post-colonial literature; philosophy and literature; Marxist literary theory; critical theory more widely; psychoanalysis and literature; the cognitive humanities; the digital humanities; performance theory; and visual culture. To learn more about particular members’ interests search our list of academic staff .

The Faculty is home to a vibrant research culture in which all MPhil students are encouraged to take part. Groups of students and Faculty staff with shared interests can participate in the Faculty's research 'Centres' (for example, the Centre for Material Texts , or the Judith E Wilson Centre for Poetics ). Students and staff also participate in Research Seminars (for example, ‘Medieval’, ‘Post-colonial and Related Literatures’, ‘Queer Cultures’, ‘Eighteenth-Century and Romantic’) which welcome speakers both from within Cambridge and from other universities. Interdisciplinary seminars and reading groups take place at the nearby Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities (CRASSH). There are also a number of research groups based in the Faculty.

MPhil students are free to attend the Faculty’s undergraduate lectures, and to consult the excellent resources and staff of the English Faculty Library . Students can also draw on the University’s language-learning facilities, including an ab-initio Latin course run annually, just prior to the MPhil course itself, and exceptional library resources and special collections, for example, at the University Library , one of only five copyright libraries in the UK.

Related Links

• MPhil in Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic
• MPhil in Digital Humanities
• Part-time PhD
• MSt in Creative Writing
• MSt in Writing for Performance
• MSt in Crime and Thriller Writing
• Funding for home students
• Funding for overseas students
• Research proposals
• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity

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