PhD Linguistics (Modern Languages)

What if your passion for linguistics could help improve the way we understand international history, culture and politics? Follow your intercultural research interests to a deeper level in a department ranked 6th nationally in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021.

A Linguistics (Modern Languages) PhD allows you to research a linguistic topic related to one or more modern languages. You may research any modern language but the school has particular expertise in French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian-Croatian, as well as expertise in Italian and Chinese.

Our areas of expertise in linguistics include the following:

"We have a very active and dynamic research community where students and academics work on projects across many disciplines. This interdisciplinary environment offers students the opportunity to communicate and exchange ideas which can be very inspiring." Jean-Xavier Ridon, Director of Postgraduate Studies - read full conversation

Find out more about research in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures.

Contact us to discuss a possible match between your research ideas and our supervisory expertise.

Before you start your research degree you will have completed a research-preparation masters degree in a related discipline and have agreed your research topic with a main supervisor and co-supervisor. You will work with this team closely for the duration of your study and are welcome to consult any other member of the department whose research seems of relevance to your own work.

You are required to attend all departmental research seminars and special lectures and deliver at least one paper of your own each year, usually at the annual Postgraduate Forum or at a work-in-progress seminar.

At the end of three years’ full-time registration, plus one year optional writing-up, you will have written a thesis of between 80,000-100,000 words on a topic which makes a significant contribution to research in linguistics.

We offer research students: