Join a research community with a strong commitment to good supervision and diversity of thought. We have expertise in all literary periods from the medieval to the present day, as well as creative writing.
We pride ourselves on the quality of our research. The latest national research evaluation, the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, ranked our research in joint 8th position, placing us in the top 10% for research in the country.
You'll have a supervisory team tailored to your research project's specific needs, staffed with researchers who are at the forefront of developments in their fields. These experts will regularly review your work and give detailed feedback to guide you.
You can make use of a rich range of opportunities, such as seminar series and regular formal training events. These will provide you with the wisdom and capabilities to complete your project, enhance your CV, and prepare you for your chosen career.
You'll also have access to a wide range of centres and facilities, including Chawton House library
If you wish to conduct research without travelling to Southampton regularly, you can apply for the programme via distance learning.
A PhD in English or Creative Writing has helped our graduates to establish careers in academic research, publishing, policy work, teaching, project design/management, and a wide variety of roles as writers and researchers in diverse media organisations.
The goal of the PhD is a final thesis of 75,000 words, to be examined by an internal and external examiner. You'll meet with your supervisor about once a month to discuss the progress and direction of your research, as well as receiving feedback from your advisor.
The goal is to submit an extended and original piece of creative work, which takes the form of either:
You can either apply for a structured studentship or propose your own PhD idea.
Taking a structured PhD will give you access to additional training, conferences and secondments.
We offer a wide range of fully funded studentships. We run several of our PhD studentships in partnership with doctoral training centres, meaning you'll benefit from enhanced training and guaranteed funding.
These studentships:
We offer scholarships and teaching bursaries ourselves. Your potential supervisor can guide you on what is available.
If you’re an international student you may be able to apply for a scholarship from your country.
Find out more about scholarships
Once you've found a supervisor, they can help you with potential funding sources. We offer match funding in some cases.
You'll need to state how you intend to pay for your tuition fees when you submit your application.
Find out more about funding your PhD
You may be able to fund your postgraduate research with funding from your current employer or from industry.
You can borrow up to £29,390 for a PhD starting on or after 1 August 2024. Doctoral loans are not means tested and you can decide how much you want to borrow.
Find out about PhD loans on GOV.UK
You may be able to win funding from one or more charities to help fund your PhD.
2023 to 2024 entry
| UK | International | |
|---|---|---|
| Full time | tbc | £18,600 |
| Part time | tbc | £9,300 |
| Full time (distance learning) | tbc | £18,600 |
| Part time (distance learning) | tbc | £9,300 |
2024 to 2025 entry
| UK | International | |
|---|---|---|
| Full time | £4,786 | £19,200 |
| Part time | £2,393 | £9,600 |
| Full time (distance learning) | £4,786 | £19,200 |
| Part time (distance learning) | £2,393 | £9,600 |
2025 to 2026 entry
| UK | International | |
|---|---|---|
| Full time | To be confirmed Spring 2025 | £19,620 |
| Part time | To be confirmed Spring 2025 | £9,810 |
| Full time (distance learning) | To be confirmed Spring 2025 | £19,620 |
| Part time (distance learning) | To be confirmed Spring 2025 | £9,810 |
You're eligible for a 10% alumni discount on a self-funded PhD if you're a current student or graduate from the University of Southampton.
We have an interdisciplinary approach to research. We're active in these research institutes and centres:
Carefully consider the details of your chosen research topic, and how to ensure it meets the standards required for a higher degree. You'll need to demonstrate that you fully understand what a PhD entails before you submit your application.
Your proposal should include:
It's a good idea to get in touch with potential supervisors to discuss the specifics of your project. You can find out more about their research interests by visiting their staff profiles.
It's best to do this well ahead of the application deadline.
We supervise work from the 14th to the 21st century, as well as transhistorical and interdisciplinary projects. We support projects on individual authors and established literary epochs, as well as projects that expand the meaning of 'literature' and redefine 'culture'. We encourage research that combines the study of literature with the visual arts, philosophy, music, history, politics, law, economics and science.
Draw on our expertise to write new works of fiction. Your project might be a collection of short stories or a novel, narrative non-fiction, works for children or young people, or poetry. You'll combine this book-length project with a piece of research exploring the critical considerations needed to contextualise the creative project. The critical component is usually co-supervised by an English literature colleague with relevant expertise.
You'll need to send us:
Our PhDs start in September each year. You’ll need to submit your application for September entry by 1 July of that year.
If you require a visa to study with us, please apply as early as possible and allow plenty of time for visa applications.
You'll need to have a 2:1 honours undergraduate degree and a master's at merit level, or equivalent qualification, in English literature or creative writing.
If you do not have a master's degree, we will consider your application if you can demonstrate:
If English isn't your first language, you'll need to complete an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to demonstrate your competence in English. You'll need all of the following scores as a minimum:
| overall score | 6.5 |
|---|---|
| writing | 6.5 |
| reading | 6.5 |
| speaking | 6.5 |
| listening | 6.5 |
Our English PhD is available to study in person or remotely.
Research degrees have a minimum and maximum duration, known as the candidature. Your candidature ends when you submit your thesis.
Most candidatures are longer than the minimum period.
| Degree type | Full time | Part time |
| English PhD | 2 to 4 years | 3 to 7 years |
