English Literature (PhD, MPhil) at University of Bristol

Research in the Department of English brings the core values of our discipline-textual scholarship, critical and theoretical analysis, and contextual knowledge, to the dynamic and changing field of English literary studies. We cover the full chronological range, from the medieval to the contemporary period, with many colleagues engaged in interdisciplinary research. We are proud of our expertise in medieval and early-modern literature, in Romantic and Victorian literature, in modernism, and in contemporary writing in English.

Faculty: Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences  |  Duration: MPhil: one year full-time, two years part-time. PhD: up to four years full-time, up to eight years part-time  |  Study mode: full-time, part-time  |  Intake: January 2027, September 2027, January 2028.  |  Location: Bristol, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

MPhil: a stand-alone, one-year (full-time) research degree. Students will undertake their own research project, concluding with the submission of a 25,000-word dissertation. Students will benefit from a programme of skills and training workshops and may have the option to audit units from our taught master's programmes if they are relevant to their research.

Career pathways

A large number of graduates from this programme develop careers in higher education or work on high-level research projects in the field of English Literature. Some graduates take up careers in freelance writing and editing.

Official programme page