Modern Languages

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Undertaking doctoral research allows you to develop in-depth knowledge, while making a meaningful contribution to your chosen field.

With guidance from our expert supervisors, you'll carry out extensive independent research culminating in a thesis of up to 100,000 words. Broadly speaking the area covered by the Institute’s expertise is French, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese studies; Literature; Cultural studies; and, Comparative and interdisciplinary studies are also available in a number of subject areas.

This degree presents the opportunity to gain expertise in your area of interest while also honing a range of transferable skills. On completing this course, you'll be well prepared for specialist career paths both within academia and beyond.

Subject Areas and Supervision

The Institute of Modern Languages Research offers doctoral research supervision in the following broad areas:

• French, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese studies
• Literatures in a Modern Language
• Cultural studies (especially migration and 'belonging' or translingual and transcultural creative practice)

Comparative and interdisciplinary studies are available in:

• Borders
• Cities and cultures
• Comparative/World literature
• Exile writing
• Film and cultural studies
• French and Francophone studies
• Gender and sexuality
• German philosophy
• German studies
• Iberian and Latin American studies
• Italian studies
• Jewish writing
• Literary translation
• Memory studies
• Photography and memory in Latin America
• Women's writing

Before submitting an application you are advised to contact a member of the Institute's academic staff who has interests in your proposed field of study to discuss your proposal. A list of academic staff and their interests can be found here.