PhD Postgraduate research in English Language and Literature

Why choose this course?

The School of Humanities offers a vibrant environment for MPhil/PhD students, who will have the opportunity to work with enthusiastic, experienced and internationally renowned members of staff. The English team has a well-established and proven track record of research, and research supervision in literature, language, and creative writing, covering areas from medieval drama to 21st-Century fiction. Recent and current PhD projects include the cognitive non-conscious and the nouveau roman, exploring new ontologies in fiction and video games in the light of augmented reality, the production and consumption of Shakespeare films, translation in the work of Helen Maria Williams, 1789-1827; Zelda Fitzgerald and modernist American women’s writing; and youth and femininity in paranormal romance genre fiction. We also offer a specialist trajectory for literary engagements with the Black Country.

Our MPhil/PhD students play a key role in our research community and it is our mission to support your development into researchers, academics or whatever career you aspire to. We have a growing, and active postgraduate community, which run their own seminar series. Funding is available to attend conferences and undertake field trips. The Department prides itself on the levels of support provided to postgraduate research students in the course of their MPhil/PhD journey: our academics are strongly committed to their subject areas and meet regularly with their supervisees to work closely with them at all stages of the project, from inception to completion, putting their knowledge and experience in service of your research career.

Postgraduate research students are encouraged to present their research to University academics and fellow PhD students through hosting research seminars, which play a key role in the development of your project and academic skills. You will be given the opportunity to develop your research skills through participation in training events organised by the Faculty of Arts and the University’s Doctoral College.

Career Paths

Successful completion of your PhD opens up a range of career opportunities and demonstrates your proven skills as a researcher. In Linguistics, having a PhD is now an essential element for those looking to develop a career in lecturing or research within higher education. A PhD will also assist in accessing research opportunities within government, commercial and international organisations. As well as demonstration of your research skills, a PhD shows your extensive knowledge of a particular field demonstrated in a rigorous manner, which is attractive to employers.