Program Overview

Overview of the PhD in Linguistics

The PhD in Linguistics is a research-based program that enables students to undertake a substantial piece of supervised research in the subject, making an original contribution to knowledge and worthy of publication. The program is offered by the Department of English Language and Linguistics at the University of Kent.

Key Information

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

Entry Requirements

• A first or upper-second class BA honors degree or equivalent in a relevant subject
• A distinction or merit in an MA in Linguistics or a closely related field
• International applicants for whom English is not their first language must have IELTS overall 7.0 with at least 6 for each component

Fees and Funding

• The 2025/26 annual tuition fees for this course are:
  • Full-time: £5,006 (UK), £19,300 (EU), £19,300 (International)
  • Part-time: £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 the course

Research Areas

The Department of English Language and Linguistics has a wide range of research areas, including:

• Experimental and theoretical linguistics
• Quantitative and experimental research in speech and language processing
• Variation and acquisition
• Formal areas such as syntax
• Literary stylistics
• Language teaching

Staff Research Interests

The department has a number of academic staff with expertise in various areas of linguistics, including:

• Dr Laura Bailey, Senior Lecturer in English Language and Linguistics
• Dr Eleni Kapogianni, Lecturer in Linguistics
• Dr Christina Kim, Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, Director of Recruitment and Admissions
• Dr Jeremy Scott, Senior Lecturer in Film and Media Practice

Career Support

The University of Kent provides career support to its students, including:

• Workshops focused on research, specialist and transferable skills
• The Researcher Development Programme for research students
• Career guidance and advice

Accommodation

The University of Kent offers a range of accommodation options for its students, including:

• On-campus accommodation
• Off-campus accommodation
• Accommodation for international students

About the Department of English Language and Linguistics

The Department of English Language and Linguistics is a dynamic and growing department with a vibrant research culture. The department specializes in experimental and theoretical linguistics, and has links with research networks outside Kent, and is involved with national and international academic associations.

Postgraduate Resources

The department provides its students with excellent library facilities and a linguistics laboratory equipped for research in speech acoustics, speech and language processing, and acquisition. The department also organizes seminars with local and invited speakers, and has a number of reading groups that meet regularly to discuss recent research papers and draft research papers written by individual members of each group.

Training

The department provides its research students with training in research skills, including:

• Statistics
• The peer-review system
• Experimental techniques in linguistics
• Presentation of their research at LingLunch and the annual Research Day
• Participation in training seminars covering statistics, the peer-review system, experimental techniques in linguistics

Centre for Language and Linguistics

The Centre for Language and Linguistics is a research centre that seeks to promote interdisciplinary linguistic research. The centre welcomes members of the School of European Cultures and Languages that have an interest in the study of language, as well as researchers in philosophy, computing, psychology, and anthropology.

Your Future

Postgraduate work in English Language and Linguistics prepares students for a range of careers where an in-depth understanding of how language functions is essential. These include:

• Speech and language theory
• Audiology
• Teaching
• Publishing
• Advertising
• Journalism
• Public relations
• Company training
• Broadcasting
• Forensic and computational work
• The civil or diplomatic services

Fees for Linguistics - PhD at Canterbury

• Full-time: £5,006 (UK), £19,300 (EU), £19,300 (International)
• Part-time: £2,503 (UK), £9,650 (EU), £9,650 (International)