Overview

Over the duration of the PhD, you produce an original piece of research of up to 100,000 words, in English or in French.

Previous doctoral theses have included ‘Deleuze and Anti-Humanism: The Sense of Deleuze's Spinozism’, ‘Haptic Experience in the Writings of Georges Bataille, Maurice Blanchot and Michel Serres’, ‘Le Livre Fermé: The Fortune of Rousseau's Educational ideas in the Primary Schools of England and France during the 1960s’, ‘Photobiographies: pour une écriture de notation de la vie (Roland Barthes, Denis Roche, Annie Ernaux)’, and ‘De l'abject et du sublime: Georges Bataille, Jean Genet, Samuel Beckett’.

The Department of Modern Languages offers supervision from world-class academics with expertise in a wide range of disciplines, able to support and guide you through your research. Your progress is carefully monitored to ensure that you are on track to produce a thesis valued by the academic community. Throughout your programme, you are able to attend and contribute to research seminars, workshops, and research and transferable skills training courses.

Careers

A PhD, also known as a doctorate, is a requirement for a career as an academic or researcher. In addition, it has become a qualification valued by many employers who recognise the skills and commitment a PhD requires. Employers also recognise that a PhD indicates excellent research capabilities, discipline and communication skills.

A French programme from University of Kent is an extremely versatile qualification that can open the door to exciting career opportunities in many professions. Our graduates have gone on to work in the IT industry, academic administration, cultural management and to further postgraduate training and academic careers at UK and overseas universities.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Staff interests broadly fit within the parameters of French literature and thought from the 18th century to the present, with research clusters organised around the following areas: the European Enlightenment and Counter-Enlightenment; Ekphrasis; Franco-Japanese relations; Life Writing; Medical Humanities; Philosophy and Critical Theory; French Surrealism; Cubism; the Avant-Garde; the interface between visual arts and text.
Recent publications have focused on authors, artists and thinkers including the following: Apollinaire; Artaud; Badiou; Barthes; Blanchot; Cocteau; Crébillon fils; Deleuze; Diderot; Djebar; Flaubert; Foucault; Garréta; Houellebecq; Lacan; Maupassant; Mérimée; Nimier; Perec; Picasso; Proust; Roubaud; Sade; Voltaire; Yourcenar; Zola.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 36 months
Part-time
- 60 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2025-05-06 00:00:00
- Apply before 2025-02-06 00:00:00 , International
Starting 2025-09-25 00:00:00
- Apply before 2025-06-03 00:00:00 , International
Starting 2026-01-15 00:00:00
- Apply before 2025-10-15 00:00:00 , International

More details

Although there is no fixed closing deadline for applications to research degrees, we strongly recommend that you apply as soon as possible

Language

English

IELTS

6.5

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TOEFL^® IBT

90

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Delivered

On Campus

Disciplines

French studies View 14 other PhDs in French studies in United Kingdom

Academic requirements

GPA

Upper Second Class

English requirements

IELTS

6.5

Schedule an IELTS test!

TOEFL^® IBT

90

Pass IELTS with Swoosh English! Sign up for a free writing masterclass or claim your exclusive 25% Studyportals discount and accelerate your preparation by taking a course designed by experts to get you the results you need.

Student insurance

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
Liability
Home contents and baggage
Accidents
Legal aid

We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at University of Kent and/or in United Kingdom, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Other requirements

General requirements

A first or upper-second class BA honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject, and a distinction or merit in an MA programme or equivalent in a relevant subject and the appropriate language skills.
All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

19300 GBP/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 19300 GBP per year during 36 months.
National

4786 GBP/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 4786 GBP per year during 36 months.

Living costs for Canterbury

660 - 1140 GBP /month

Living costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for French.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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