Doctor of Philosophy in German at University of Cambridge

The German Section is one of the very few departments in the UK that can offer postgraduate supervision in literary and cultural topics across the full historical range from the medieval period to the present day. It also has significant coverage of topics in intellectual, social, and political history and the history of the German language. Many members of the Section also have comparative and interdisciplinary interests, and combinations of German studies with other disciplines are welcomed.

Faculty: School of Arts and Humanities  |  Department: Department of German  |  Duration: 3-4 years full-time; 4-7 years part-time  |  Study mode: full-time  |  Intake: January 2027, October 2027, January 2028  |  Location: Cambridge, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

The Section has a dynamic research culture, with lecture and seminar series, frequent invited speakers, and a lively postgraduate research seminar. In British universities, the PhD (Doctorate of Philosophy) is traditionally awarded solely on the basis of a thesis, a substantial piece of writing in English that reports original research into a closely defined area of enquiry. Thesis / Dissertation The thesis typically has a limit of 80,000 words (including footnotes and appendices but excluding the bibliography).

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