Program Overview

Overview of the University of Kent

The University of Kent has a strong international reputation and global perspective, with expertise in various areas of English and associated studies. The School of English has a lively, confident research culture, sustained by a vibrant, ambitious intellectual community.

English MA, PhD Program

The English MA, PhD program at the University of Kent offers research opportunities in most areas of English and associated studies. The program has expertise in the following areas: theory, modernism and postmodernism, 18th and 19th-century studies, women’s writing, literature and visual arts, Shakespeare and the Renaissance, early modern literature and culture, medieval studies, American literature, postcolonial literature, and modern poetry.

Key Information

• Study mode: Full-time or part-time
• Duration: MA 1 year full-time, PhD 3 to 4 years full-time
• Start date: MA: September, PhD: September, January, April
• Location: Canterbury

Entry Requirements

• MA: A first or second class honours degree in a relevant subject (or equivalent)
• PhD: A first or upper-second class honours degree in a relevant subject (or equivalent) and, normally, a taught MA qualification
• International students: Please see the International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information

English Language Entry Requirements

• This course requires a Good level of English language, equivalent to B2 on CEFR
• Examples: IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component, PTE Academic 63 with a minimum of 59 in each sub-test

Fees and Funding

• The 2025/26 annual tuition fees for this course are:
  • English - MA at Canterbury: £5,006 (UK), £19,300 (EU), £19,300 (International)
  • English - PhD at Canterbury: £2,503 (UK), £9,650 (EU), £9,650 (International)
• For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see the Student Finance Guide
• Tuition fees may be increased in the second and subsequent years of your course

Funding Opportunities

• Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities
• Scholarships specific to the academic school delivering this programme

Research Areas

• Eighteenth Century: The particular interests of the Centre for Studies in the Long Eighteenth Century converge around gender, class, nation, travel and empire, and the relationship between print and material culture
• Nineteenth Century: The 19th-century research group's interests include literature and gender, journalism, representations of time and history, sublimity and Victorian poetry
• American Literature: Research in North American literature is conducted partly through the Centre for American Studies
• Creative Writing: The Centre for Creative Writing is the focus for most practice-based research in the School
• Medieval and Early Modern: The Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies has a distinctive brand of interdisciplinarity, strong links with local archives and archaeological trusts
• Modern Poetry: The Centre for Modern Poetry is a leading centre for research and publication in its field
• Postcolonial: The Centre for Colonial and Postcolonial Research has acquired an international reputation for excellence in research

Staff Research Interests

• Dr Bashir Abu-Manneh: Reader in Postcolonial Literature, Global English and Literatures of the Middle East, Literary Realism & Modernism, Literary and Cultural Theory (Marxist and Postcolonial)
• Dr Lars Atkin: Lecturer in Victorian Literature, Nineteenth Century British literature, Victorian studies, British Romanticism, Victorian literature, Romantic literature, colonial print culture, race theory, history of science
• Dr Stella Bolaki: Reader in American Literature and Medical Humanities, Co-Director of the Centre for Health and Medical Humanities, Multi-ethnic American literature, medical humanities, illness narratives, disability studies, Black studies, contemporary women's writing, material culture and health
• Dr Rosanna Cox: Lecturer in Early Modern Studies, 17th century, particularly topics relating to political identity, gender and rhetoric

Your Future

Many career paths can benefit from the writing and analytical skills that you develop as a postgraduate student in the School of English. Our students have gone on to work in academia, journalism, broadcasting and media, publishing, writing and teaching; as well as more general areas such as banking, marketing analysis and project management.