English PhD

Brunel University of London, London, United Kingdom

Official Website

Shortlist

36 monthsProgramme duration

22,320 GBPTuition Fee/year

17 Jul, 2026Application Deadline

English Language and LiteratureMain Subject Area

Shortlist

Programme overview

Main Subject

English Language and Literature

Degree

PhD

Study Level

PHD

Study Mode

On Campus

English at Brunel has gone from strength to strength over the last decade to the point where it is now regularly ranked in the top ten English departments in the UK in the Guardian league tables. We have a thriving graduate community, and welcome PhD applications in any of our particular areas of strength, which include modern and contemporary literature, Shakespeare, Renaissance studies, Victorian literature and culture, and world literature in English.

We have some of Britain’s most celebrated, talented, original, and experienced writers actively publishing in the industry today, including Will Self, Bernardine Evaristo, Christopher Fox, Geoff King, Fiona Templeton and many more, having published over 80 powerfully diverse books between them and written for all the national newspapers.

You’ll benefit from their in-depth knowledge and passion for what they teach as well as their first-hand experience of what it takes to break into the literary and creative fields.

A full description of staff research interests, and the kinds of projects which each staff member can supervise, is now available. Some past research projects undertaken by faculty at Brunel include:

War, heroic masculinity, and the body in the early modern period
Exiles, refugees and migrants in the early modern world
The rise of print and propaganda in the West, c.1450-1750
Writing and rewriting history in early modern Europe
The Reformation in print
Fantasy writing of the 19th and 20th centuries
20th/21st century comparative studies
Mass-Observation and Everyday Life
Working-class and proletarian writing
Modernist and postwar women's writing
Transnational modernist studies
Popular fictions, popular culture and consumption
Radical politics and aesthetics
Gender studies
Queer studies and sexuality studies
The New York School and the avant-garde
Postcolonial literature and theory
Caribbean and migrant fiction
World Literature
World-systems theory, development studies, global capitalism
Postwar science fiction
9/11 and the traumatological
Narrative analysis
Contemporary global fictions
Contemporary British fiction
The break-up of Britain as represented in contemporary fiction

Programme overview

Main Subject

English Language and Literature

Degree

PhD

Study Level

PHD

Study Mode

On Campus

You’ll benefit from their in-depth knowledge and passion for what they teach as well as their first-hand experience of what it takes to break into the literary and creative fields.

A full description of staff research interests, and the kinds of projects which each staff member can supervise, is now available. Some past research projects undertaken by faculty at Brunel include:

War, heroic masculinity, and the body in the early modern period
Exiles, refugees and migrants in the early modern world
The rise of print and propaganda in the West, c.1450-1750
Writing and rewriting history in early modern Europe
The Reformation in print
Fantasy writing of the 19th and 20th centuries
20th/21st century comparative studies
Mass-Observation and Everyday Life
Working-class and proletarian writing
Modernist and postwar women's writing
Transnational modernist studies
Popular fictions, popular culture and consumption
Radical politics and aesthetics
Gender studies
Queer studies and sexuality studies
The New York School and the avant-garde
Postcolonial literature and theory
Caribbean and migrant fiction
World Literature
World-systems theory, development studies, global capitalism
Postwar science fiction
9/11 and the traumatological
Narrative analysis
Contemporary global fictions
Contemporary British fiction
The break-up of Britain as represented in contemporary fiction

Admission Requirements

TOEFL

98+

PTE Academic

64+

IELTS

The general University entrance requirement for registration for a research degree is normally a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree (1st or 2:1).

An interview will be required as part of the admissions process and will be conducted by at least two academic staff members remotely via MS Teams, Zoom, or face to face.

Applicants will be required to submit a personal statement and a research statement.

Please contact your proposed supervisor, where possible, to receive feedback and guidance on your research statement before submitting it. Learn how to prepare a research statement

Application Deadline

17 Jul 2026

Program Duration

3 Years

Starting Month(s)

Jan

Starting Month(s)

Apr

Candidates are required to submit references or letter(s) of recommendation for acceptance

Candidates are required to submit an essay(s) for acceptance

Tuition fees

Domestic

Starts from

5,006 GBP

International

Starts from

22,320 GBP

Scholarships

Selecting the right scholarship can be a daunting process. With countless options available, students often find themselves overwhelmed and confused. The decision can be especially stressful for those facing financial constraints or pursuing specific academic or career goals.

To help students navigate this challenging process, we recommend the following articles:

Brunel University of London, London, United Kingdom

36 monthsProgramme duration

22,320 GBPTuition Fee/year

17 Jul, 2026Application Deadline

English Language and LiteratureMain Subject Area

Programme overview

Main Subject

Degree

Study Level

Study Mode

Programme overview

Main Subject

Degree

Study Level

Study Mode

Admission Requirements

Exam Scores

Important Dates

Application

Tuition fees

Tuition Fee

Domestic

International

Scholarships

Scholarships

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