English Literature MPhil, PhD

Program Overview

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You’ll be allocated two supervisors, with additional staff members available if necessary. Our supervisors are experienced in most areas of English literature, with a strong focus on Renaissance literature, Shakespeare, Romantic and Victorian studies; modernism; women's writing; science and the creative imagination; classical reception; film and theatre; and popular culture.

You’ll conduct your research in a collaborative environment with strong links to research networks in our University and the wider community. We host and take part in many research oriented events for staff and postgraduate students, including our regular Faculty and departmental research seminars, international conferences and the bi-annual Skinner Young lecture on Shakespeare and Renaissance literature. Our seminars will give you the chance to present papers in a supportive setting, and you’ll have the chance to attend

graduate research seminars

at the University of Cambridge’s Faculty of English.

These events, along with our online environment, will help you connect with other research students from a range of disciplines.

You could also benefit from financial support – we allocate a substantial sum every year towards postgraduate travel and conference expenses, as well as some bursaries.

All your subject-specific studies will be enhanced and supported by our University-wide training sessions, where you’ll gain important research expertise in areas like ethics, presentations, intellectual property and digital scholarship.

Completion times

MPhil: full-time 1-3 years, part-time 2-4 years.

PhD via progression from MPhil, including that period: full-time 2.5-5 years, part-time 3.5-6 years.

PhD: full-time 2-4 years, part-time 3-6 years.

For further guidance on the duration of research degrees please refer to the

Research Degrees Regulations

.

Program Outline

At the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, we believe in thinking critically about the past, present and future to challenge perceptions and better understand communities and people.

With expertise from gender issues to literary analysis to exploring how the past has shaped our modern world, all our staff members are active researchers. This is reflected in our teaching, allowing us to support our students with the latest theories and practices, as well as essential employability advice.

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