Overview

We actively foster the creation of a lively graduate intellectual community and our students' professional development. A large number of our recent PhD graduates have successfully obtained permanent academic posts in leading universities in Britain, the United States and other countries.

Highlights

With more than 100 students undertaking research for PhDs in English and Humanities, Birkbeck has a large and thriving postgraduate community - the largest body of graduate students in English studies in the University of London.
Supervision is available in literature from Old Icelandic to contemporary writing, and we are also well regarded for our work on interdisciplinary research topics in cultural history and theory.
Birkbeck, University of London places great emphasis on ensuring that graduate supervision is thorough, professionally conducted and leads to the successful completion of a thesis.

Programme Structure

We welcome applications for research in all areas of English, cultural studies and related areas, including:

Old English
Old Norse
medieval literature and culture
the Renaissance and early modern periods
the Enlightenment
Romantic and Victorian studies
the modern and contemporary periods
literary and cultural theory
gender studies
theatre studies
poetics and creative writing (including practice-based research)

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months
Part-time
- 84 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2025-04-28 00:00:00

Apply anytime.
Starting 2025-09-30 00:00:00

Apply anytime.
Starting 2026-01-13 00:00:00

Apply anytime.

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

94

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Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

London, United Kingdom

Disciplines

Language Studies Liberal Arts Literature View 37 other PhDs in Liberal Arts in United Kingdom

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

94

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Other requirements

General requirements

A good honours degree and preferably an MA in literary, historical or other disciplines of cultural studies.
Prior to interview you will need to submit a research proposal of 2000 words.

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 Birkbeck, University of London and/or in United Kingdom, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

14885 GBP/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 14885 GBP per year during 48 months.
National

4786 GBP/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 4786 GBP per year during 48 months.

Living costs for London

1137 - 2157 GBP /month

Living costs

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

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for English and Humanities.

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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