English Language and Intercultural Communication

Program Overview

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English Language and Intercultural Communication MPhil, PhD

Overview

Our PhD research programmes will allow you to join one of our research projects or explore your own interests in English Language and Intercultural Communication, supported by the expertise of our staff.

Full Description

You’ll be allocated two supervisors, with additional staff members available if necessary. Our supervisors are experienced in most areas of English language and intercultural communication, with a strong focus on contemporary European/migrant cinema and literature, second-language acquisition, urban multilingualism, socio-linguistic theory.

You’ll conduct your research in a collaborative environment with strong links to a number of other centres 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 and international conferences. Our seminars will give you the chance to present papers in a supportive setting.

We’re also key contributors to our Faculty's Anglia Ruskin Research Centre for Intercultural and Multilingual Studies (ARRCIMS) who organise many talks you’ll be welcome to attend, or even contribute to. 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.

Supervision and Support

Our permanent supervisory staff are recognised experts in their field, and have produced a number of influential books, journal articles and edited collections. Our research expertise includes:

• Professor Guido Rings, PD, PhD: migrant cinema and literature, questions of identity in postcolonial European narrative or film, contemporary Latin American cinema and literature, intercultural communication.
• Dr Sebastian Rasinger, PhD: second language acquisition and urban multilingualism, with a particular focus on language use and its impact on linguistic development and the emergence of ethnic and cultural identity.
• Dr Bettina Beinhoff, MPhil (Cantab), PhD (Cantab): acquisition of second/foreign language phonology, linguistic and cultural identities (especially attitudes, stereotypes and identity construction in multilingual contexts and dialect contact situations) and sociolinguistic aspects of constructed languages.

Where You'll Research

Your Department and Faculty

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.

Where Can I Study?

• Cambridge: Our campus is close to the centre of Cambridge, often described as the perfect student city.

Specialist Facilities

You’ll have access to our fully-equipped language centre, the British Film Institute, the University of Cambridge Library, and our own campus library. You’ll also be able to use our Faculty’s PhD room, where all our doctoral students can meet up to work and take an active part in our postgraduate student community.

Fees & Funding

Course Fees

• UK students, 2024/25 (per year): £4,786
• UK students, 2024/25 (part-time, per year): £2,392
• International students, 2024/25 (per year): £15,900
• International students, 2024/25 (part-time, per year): £7,950

Bench Fees

In some cases extra costs known as bench fees will be charged for a postgraduate research degree. These are to cover additional/exceptional costs directly related to a specific research project.

Some examples of these costs are (the list is not exhaustive): equipment hire, access costs to specialist equipment/workshops, volunteer expenses, specialist tissue/cell culture, specialist reagents or materials, specialist software, access to specialist databases, data collection costs, specialist media, recording or digital storage needs.

We charge bench fees in bands. They may apply for every year of your course. These bands are the same for full- and part-time students.

If you have to pay bench fees this will be made clear at your interview, and stated in your offer letter.

For 2024/25 the bench fee bands are:

• £500
• £1,200
• £2,200
• £4,500
• £8,900

PhD by Published Work

• Initial registration: £1,500
• Full registration: £4,500

Writing Up Fees 2024/25

• £1,200

How Do I Pay My Fees?

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in instalments – though you won't need to pay until you've accepted an offer to study with us.

Funding

For advice on the Doctoral Loan and other sources of funding, including ARU scholarships, visit our finance guide for postgraduate researchers.

You might also find The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding helpful.

ARU Research

ARU's academic excellence was recognised in 2021, as part of the Research Excellence Framework (REF), an exercise which assesses the quality of academic research. Sixteen areas of our work were classed as generating world-leading research. The results showed that we're making a significant impact on the societies we live in.

Careers

We’ll provide you with many opportunities for career development and training, in areas like writing up a paper for publication; placing an academic article; giving a conference paper; the doctoral writing style; updates on research methods and literature searches; internet training; editing skills for doctoral research; subsequent monograph publication; and dealing with festivals, agents, and publishers. You might also be able to take on teaching responsibilities in the department, or organise research events like seminars and conferences.

In conjunction with the University’s research support, you can request specific support for writing-up, conference papers, general research methods and other research skills if you need it.

Entry Requirements

• MPhil or PhD with progression from MPhil: You’ll need a Bachelors degree or equivalent with first or upper second class honours, in a related subject area.
• PhD: You’ll need a Masters degree or equivalent in a related subject area.

Please note we consider candidates for PhD with progression from MPhil in the first instance. If you want to be considered for direct entry to the PhD route then this can be discussed at interview if you are shortlisted. Please note you’ll also need to provide academic justification for this request.

If English is not your first language, you'll require a minimum IELTS score of 6.5, with a minimum of 5.5 in each component (or equivalent test). If you don't meet our English language requirements, we offer a range of courses which could help you achieve the level required for entry.

Important Additional Notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the programme as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements. Contact our postgraduate research degree team for more information about studying a PhD, MPhil or Professional Doctorate at ARU.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your research programme.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

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Overview:

The English Language and Intercultural Communication MPhil and PhD research programs at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) allow students to pursue their research interests in these fields under the guidance of experienced supervisors.

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Objectives:

• To provide students with the opportunity to conduct original research in English Language and Intercultural Communication.
• To develop students' research skills and knowledge in the field.
• To prepare students for careers in academia, research, or other fields related to English Language and Intercultural Communication.

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Program Description:

Students will be assigned two supervisors, with additional support available if needed. Supervisors have expertise in various areas of English language and intercultural communication, including contemporary European/migrant cinema and literature, second-language acquisition, urban multilingualism, and socio-linguistic theory. Research is conducted in a collaborative environment with connections to other centers within the university and the wider community. Students have opportunities to present their work at seminars and conferences. Financial support is available for travel, conference expenses, and bursaries. Students also benefit from university-wide training sessions in research ethics, presentations, intellectual property, and digital scholarship.

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Outline:

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Content:

• English Language and Intercultural Communication

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Structure:

• MPhil: 1-3 years full-time, 2-4 years part-time
• PhD via progression from MPhil: 2.5-5 years full-time, 3.5-6 years part-time

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Faculty:

• Professor Guido Rings, PD, PhD
• Dr Sebastian Rasinger, PhD

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Careers:

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Potential Career Paths:

• Academia
• Research
• Fields related to English Language and Intercultural Communication

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Opportunities:

• Career development and training
• Teaching responsibilities

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Tuition Fees and Payment Information:

UK students, 2023/24 (per year) £4,712 UK students, 2023/24 (part-time, per year) £2,356 International students, 2023/24 (per year) £15,000 International students, 2023/24 (part-time, per year) £7,500 UK students, 2024/25 (per year) £4,786 UK students, 2024/25 (part-time, per year) £2,392 International students, 2024/25 (per year) £15,900 International students, 2024/25 (part-time, per year) £7,950