Applying for a PhD

How you can join our thriving research community

We welcome research enquiries from prospective students.

To begin with, please consult the staff profiles below to identify members of our staff whose research interests and specialisms match your own and who might be interested in being a potential supervisor. Once you have identified a colleague or colleagues, then you should send them an email with the following:

  • A 1,500-word research proposal
  • An academic CV listing relevant educational and professional experience
  • A 3,000 – 5,000-word sample of recent critical writing – this is required of all applicants, as each of our PhDs is based on independent research and requires candidates to operate at an advanced critical level
  • If relevant, a recent substantial sample of your creative writing, life writing, or literary translation.

If you cannot locate a suitable member of staff, then please contact the School’s Director of Postgraduate Research, Dr Will Rossiter, who will be able to direct you to relevant colleagues. You should also contact Dr Rossiter with any general or preliminary enquiries you might have about our PhD programmes in Literature, Creative-Critical Writing, or Life Writing.

If your enquiry is about the PhD in Literary Translation, please send it to Prof Duncan Large, the Academic Director of the British Centre for Literary Translation.

Our Graduate School has information on deadlines, application procedures, funding and studentships.

For admissions enquiries and general information, please email the Postgraduate Research Service Office or call them on 01603 591709

See our Latest PhD and studentship opportunities

Research Supervisors