The Department of English and Related Literature is a world-leading department. One of the UK's largest graduate schools, we are proud to have built a welcoming, international community with a global outlook.
Our diversity of research interests means we are well-positioned to supervise research in any field of literature from the Middle Ages to the present day, including literatures in languages other than English. We are also proud to offer our PhD in English with Creative Writing.
Our staff are leaders in their fields, and we provide exceptional supervisory support, as well as a dynamic and supportive environment in which to pursue your studies. You'll have access to outstanding research resources, including our superb library and archive facilities, our custom-built Humanities Research Centre, our renowned interdisciplinary research centres, and our innovative Thin Ice Press.
Why us?
- Our research is ranked 6th in the UK according to the Times Higher Education’s ranking of the latest REF results (2021)
- Ranked 28th in the world by QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022
- Rich and comprehensive research resources, including the Borthwick Institute for Archives, King's Manor Library, York Minster Library and the nearby British Library Document Supply Centre at Boston Spa
- Our wide-ranging expertise encompassing genres from drama, prose and poetry to film, television, Instapoetry, computer games and material culture
- Our distinctive interdisciplinary ethos, with numerous opportunities for collaboration within and beyond the Department
- Many of our PhD graduates have gone on to successful academic careers, or pursued alternative career paths which make the most of their skills as researchers, writers, and critics
Research in the Department is split into four schools covering Medieval, Renaissance, Eighteenth Century/Romantic and Modern time periods, though we welcome research that disrupts these period divides. We possess significant research expertise in the literature and language of other cultures, from ancient Greece to contemporary Pakistan, and our theoretical commitments take in everything from disability studies to theology, and from narrative studies to ecocriticism and animal studies.
We offer:
- A diverse programme of research seminars, conferences and public lectures from world-leading academics and writers, from within the department and across the globe
- Dedicated research training for all research students, which includes planning and writing your thesis, using resources (both electronic and printed), handling research data, delivering conference presentations, preparing and submitting material for publication and career development
- The opportunity to undertake skills classes in modern languages, palaeography, bibliography, and classical and medieval Latin
- Funding through the White Rose College of the Arts and Humanities (WRoCAH), as well as university and departmental bursaries and scholarships
What next?
Check that your research interests align with the expertise of a member of our staff. Once you've identified a potential supervisor, please contact them before applying to discuss your application and potential research areas.
Complete an application:
PhD in English
PhD in English with Creative Writing
PhD in English (Distance Learning)
PhD in English with Creative Writing (Distance Learning)
Contact us
english-enquiries@york.ac.uk
+44 (0)1904 323366
Research degrees in the Department of English and Related Literature
Research in the Department of English and Related Literature
Department of English and Related Literature
Funding
Postgraduate funding in the Department of English and Related Literature
Funding for research degrees