Program Overview

Overview

The Modern Languages MPhil and PhD programs at Newcastle University offer research-based degrees that allow students to specialize in topics related to the languages of Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American studies. The programs provide expert supervision in various areas, including literature, film, culture, and society, as well as translating and interpreting.

Research Areas

The School of Modern Languages has a range of research areas, including:

• Chinese: ethnicity, identity, Islam, and Han settler colonialism, film, media, and celebrity status, gender studies
• French: contemporary women's writing, French cinema, French labor history, French and Francophone literature, history and culture, French empire, 19th/20th century, decolonization, gender studies, language learning and teaching in higher education, medical and health history, performance, dance, and music, postcolonial cultures, feminist translation, trauma and culture, urban humanities, visual culture
• German: literature, film, culture, and society in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in the 20th and 21st centuries, literary multilingualism, gender and the body in literature, space and environment in literature, German-language poetry, cultural and critical theory, German-speaking theatre and performance studies, morphology and morphosyntax of German and Dutch
• Japanese: film and animation, literature, gender studies, 1980s Japan, popular culture, media, and representation
• Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American Studies: Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American cultural history and popular culture, historical and contemporary discourses of race and identity in Latin America, Luso-Afro-Brazilian literature and film, history of education in 19th and 20th century Latin America, youth cultures and social movements, music and politics, 20th and 21st century Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American literature, Spanish and Latin American graphic narrative, intermediality, and contemporary cultural production, political, social, and intellectual history of Latin America in the 19th and 20th centuries, language endangerment and revitalization in Latin America, language policy and planning in Latin America and Spain, diachronic Spanish syntax, Old Spanish, language change, and quantitative historical linguistics, Catalan nationalism, film, literature, and popular culture of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean and its diasporas, environmental humanities, Latin American art, cultural policies, museums, and material culture, indigenous cultures, Amazon, and Andes, territory, place-making, and cities in Latin America, contemporary Catalan culture, Latin American feminisms and reproductive justice, aesthetics, politics, and authoritarianism, post-authoritarian cultures of memory and democracy, Latin American theatre, film, and performance
• Translating and Interpreting: interpreting, psycholinguistics of interpreting and translating, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis in translation and interpreting, linguistic diversity and social justice, translation and gender studies, translating literature, translation and culture, translation and ethics, ideology, and power, translation and emotions/wellbeing, translation and reception, translation products, processes, and strategies, institutional translation, translator and interpreter training and assessment, reflective/autonomous learning and educational psychology, audiovisual translation studies, game translation, translation and localization of digital products, translation technology and translator agency, legal translation and legal and medical interpreting, migration and multilingualism, respeaking or translation voice to text

Qualifications Explained

The MPhil and PhD programs are available in all subject areas. The MPhil is a research training degree that involves original research leading to the completion of a 40,000-50,000 word thesis. The PhD is a doctorate or doctoral award that involves original research that makes a significant contribution to the knowledge of a specific subject, resulting in a substantial piece of work (80,000-100,000 words) in the form of a supervised thesis.

How You'll Learn

The Modern Languages MPhil and PhD programs are delivered by the School of Modern Languages, with the possibility of joint supervision with other schools. Students will carry out research to write a thesis on a topic proposed by them, working under the supervision of two members of research staff. The School is located in the heart of Newcastle University's city-center campus, and attendance is flexible, agreed upon between the student and their supervisors, depending on the requirements of the research project.

Assessment Methods

Students will be assessed through a combination of:

• Thesis
• Viva

Your Development

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS) researcher development program is designed to help students perform better as researchers, boost their career prospects, and broaden their impact. The program includes workshops and activities that build transferable skills and increase confidence, covering techniques for effective research, methods for better collaborative working, and essential professional standards and requirements.

Your Future

The Careers Service at Newcastle University is one of the largest and best in the country, with strong links to employers. The University also supports EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships.

Quality and Ranking

Newcastle University is ranked among the top universities globally, with 42% of its research classified as 4* world-leading research, according to the Research Excellence Framework 2021. The University is also ranked among the top 140 universities globally, according to the QS World University Rankings 2026.

Facilities

Students will have access to a dedicated quiet study space, as well as use of a common room with kitchen facilities. The School also houses the Language Resource Centre, which has an extensive range of language learning facilities and resources, including language learning software and resources for over 100 languages, access to over 15,000 feature films and documentaries via the World TV & Film streaming platform, and access to 25 satellite television channels from around the world.

Fees and Funding

The tuition fees for the MPhil and PhD programs are as follows:

• MPhil (full-time): £24,400 (international students)
• MPhil (part-time): fees not set (home students)
• PhD (full-time): £24,400 (international students)
• PhD (part-time): fees not set (home students) The University offers a range of scholarships, including the Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships, to support EU and international students.

Entry Requirements

The entrance requirements for the MPhil and PhD programs are:

• A 2:1 honors degree and normally a good master's degree in a subject related to one of the discipline areas covered by the School of Modern Languages
• English language requirements: IELTS 6.5-7.0, Pearson 62-76, Duolingo 105-120, TOEFL 90-100
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) may be available for students with relevant university-level knowledge, skills, and experience.

How to Apply

To apply for the MPhil or PhD program, students should submit a 1,000-word research proposal, along with a list of modules and marks for previous degrees. Students should discuss their research proposal with a potential supervisor in the School of Modern Languages before submitting their formal application. The application portal has instructions to guide students through the application process, and students can choose to start their application, save their details, and come back to complete it later. If students are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA, or Switzerland and need a visa to study in the UK, they must pay a deposit of £1,500 or submit an official letter of sponsorship. The deposit is non-refundable but will be deducted from tuition fees when the student registers.