PhD in English Literature

Class Profile

Class Size

25

Average Age

28

Average Work Experience

2 Years

Diversity

Europe:

10%

North America:

5%

Others:

5%

North East England:

40%

Yorkshire and The Humber:

30%

Others:

20%

International students:

100%

Career Outcomes

Median Earnings After Graduation

$1,10,000 / year

Graduation Rate

98%

Job Placement

94%

Top recruiters

BBC

The Guardian

The Times

The Independent

The Telegraph

Penguin Random House

HarperCollins

The Economist

British Council

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Oxford University Press

Cambridge University Press

Gallup

YouGov

Kantar Public

Fees and Funding

Tuition Fees

$24,500 / year

Overall Cost

$39,500 / year

FAQs

• Who can I contact for more information?
  
  The Postgraduate Administrator can be reached at [email protected] or +44 (0) 1904 323369
• What is student life like for PhD researchers?
  
  Students join a vibrant, supportive research community, with opportunities to attend research training, seminars, and the "Writers at York" series featuring leading contemporary writers. There are opportunities to propose and organize research events and participate in interdisciplinary research centres.
• Is distance learning available?
  
  Yes, the PhD is available via distance learning. Students must attend campus at least twice per year for training and supervision milestones, including induction and the annual PhD Festival. Justification for distance learning must be provided and assessed as part of the application.
• What are the main research strengths and areas?
  
  The department covers the full spectrum of English literary studies, from the Middle Ages to the present, including literature in translation and works in other languages. Major research schools: Medieval, Renaissance, Eighteenth Century and Romantics, and Modern. Interdisciplinary research centres include the Centre for Eighteenth Century Studies, Centre for Indigenous and Settler Colonial Studies, Centre for Medieval Literature, Centre for Modern Studies, and more. The department is highly ranked in the UK and globally for research excellence.
• What is the structure and duration of the PhD?
  
  The PhD in English and Related Literature at York is offered as a full-time (3 years) or part-time (up to 6 years) programme. There is also a distance learning option for those unable to be on campus regularly. The thesis should be up to 80,000 words for the standard PhD, or for the Creative Writing route, a critical component of 30–40,000 words and a creative component written to its natural length (such as a book-length work). Supervision is provided throughout, with regular meetings and a formal progression review at the end of the first year.
• What does the application process looks like?
  
  The selection process is made up of 4 formal steps: Central preselection Departmental preselection Interview with supervisor PhD committee final decision Below is a more detailed description of the application and selection process, broken down into more steps. If you have any questions, or if your specific circumstances mean that it is impossible for you to follow these steps, please email [email protected]. Given you fulfill basic requirements, your research idea is what matters most. What are you interested in? Why? Have you identified a gap in a research area? Has this intuition come from practice? Once you have a clear idea of what you would like to research, here's what your application process is likely to look like: 1) Try to identify a supervisor in our department who could supervise your project You might want to look at our Research Centre pages, staff pages and the Education Department PURE page. This should help you get a sense of whether your research interests would be a good fit for our department or not. Before applying, you may email prospective supervisors in the department directly. Please note that they are not obliged to reply to you until you have formally applied for the PhD programme. 2) Apply formally for the PhD programme, with a full proposal and required documentation You will find plenty of information about what a research proposal should look like on our FAQ page. 3) Your application will now be reviewed by central admissions At this stage, if it fails, it is because basic entry requirements are not fulfilled. If your application is accepted at this stage, then... 4) Your application will then be reviewed by PhD programme leaders At this stage, the most common reasons for an application being rejected are: your project is not aligned with anyone's research expertise here. It does not necessarily mean your proposal is not of good quality! It is not in your interest to be supervised by someone who does not have the expertise, so do look for a better fit elsewhere. there is someone in the department who could supervise your research project, but they are currently at maximum capacity for PhD supervisees. Supervisors cannot take too many PhD supervisees at one time, so they sometimes have to regretfully decline good applications. If your application is accepted at this stage, then... 5) Your prospective supervisor will contact you to arrange an interview At the interview (which is likely to be online), there will be your prospective supervisor and another researcher, who may or may not be in your research area. The interview will be conversational and relaxed, but it is a formal part of the selection process. You will doubtlessly be asked to talk about your proposal, to give an idea of your familiarity with the field, to justify your planned methodology, etc. It is perfectly normal at this stage to be unsure about what your PhD will look like exactly, so don't worry about emitting doubts or asking for your interviewers' opinion about your planned methods. The two interviewers will also use this opportunity to evaluate your overall profile as a potential researcher with us, including personal and contextual characteristics. You should feel absolutely free to ask them questions about the Department and what it would be like to work with us. At the end of the interview, it is quite common for interviewers to ask candidates to revise and resubmit their proposal. This helps them assess the candidate's receptiveness to feedback and should not be taken as a sign that your proposal isn't good. Following the interview, your prospective supervisor will let you know whether or not you have passed this stage of the selection process. If your prospective supervisor supports your application after the interview, then... 6) Your application will be considered at the next PhD committee There are three panels a year, normally in January, April and July. The committee reviews all applications supported by supervisors, and makes a final decision acceptances. You will be notified after the panel whether or not an offer is made to you. If you accept our offer, then... 7) Thank you, and congratulations! We will be very pleased to welcome you among our research community when you join us!
• Is there is any application fee?
  
  No