Cardiff University School of English, Communication and Philosophy - PhD Opportunities

With its unique mix of disciplines, Cardiff School of English, Communication and Philosophy offers an exciting range of specialised and innovative postgraduate programmes and a dynamic and highly successful research culture. The School specialises in a range of distinctive and complementary approaches to language, texts, cultures, ideas, values, and identities, involving a mix of humanities and social-science methodologies. Its research activity also crosses boundaries with many other disciplines and traditions. For more information on the School's areas of research and access to the individual research profiles of prospective PhD supervisors see https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/english-communication-philosophy/research/themes.

The School has a thriving postgraduate community with approximately 130 research postgraduates. We take the training of research students very seriously and endeavour to provide the facilities and supervisory guidance which will help each student to flourish intellectually and work productively.

The PhD Programme

The School offers opportunities for full-time and part-time study leading to the degrees of PhD for Critical and Cultural Theory, Creative and Critical Writing, English Literature, Language and Communication, and Philosophy. MPhil options are available for some programmes. There are 3 starting points: October, January and April. 

Funding Opportunities

Studentships are advertised on the University web site at https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/funding.  

ESRC funding

The Centre for Language and Communication Research (CLCR) at Cardiff University, School of English, Communication and Philosophy, and the Applied Linguistics - Language Research Centre (AL- LRC) at Swansea University, supported by the ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership for Wales (Wales DTP), invites applications for PhD study, with the possibility of being awarded a fully-funded ESRC DTP General Studentship, available to start in October 2023. We expect to make doctoral studentship awards in the area of Linguistics. Up to 30% of fully funded Wales DTP studentships are available to international students per cohort. Successful applicants will receive a fully-funded Wales DTP studentship and will not be charged the fees difference between the UK and international rate.

To be considered for an ESRC general studentship, applicants should apply to the PhD Language and Communication (https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/programmes/programme/language-and-communication) with an October 2022 start date. In the research proposal section of your application, please specify that you are seeking funding via the ESRC DTP Linguistics Pathway. For further information on eligibility and how to apply please contact encap-pgadmissions@cardiff.ac.uk. Information is available in Welsh on request. Deadline for applications 12 noon on Friday 3 February 2023.

AHRC funding (South, West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership 2)

Cardiff is part of a consortium of 10 universities that form the South, West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership. The application process for the next round of funding via SWW-DTP2 is now open with an application deadline of 23.59 on Monday 16 January 2023. For more information and to access a guide for applicants see https://www.sww-ahdtp.ac.uk/

Across the consortium, up to 30% of fully-funded studentships are available to international applicants, and there is no requirement for the student to make up the fee difference.

How to Apply for a place on a PhD programme in the School 

The School's PhD programmes are listed at https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/english-communication-philosophy/courses/postgraduate-research. Prospective applicants should firstly contact the Postgraduate Office via encap-pgadmissions@cardiff.ac.uk with an indicative research proposal of no more than 500 words, along with an academic c.v.

Web: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/english-communication-philosophy