PhD English at University of Kent

Programme overview

A research PhD in English at Kent's School of English, Canterbury. Kent's School of English has a strong international reputation, with expertise ranging from medieval to postmodern literature, including British, American and Irish literature, postcolonial writing, Shakespeare, early modern culture, Victorian studies, modern poetry, critical theory and cultural history. The School was rated 100% for research environment and impact in REF 2021.

Department: School of English | Duration: 3 to 4 years full-time, 6 to 7 years part-time | Intake: September, January, April | Study mode: full-time or part-time (Canterbury) | Location: Canterbury, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

Doctoral research with regular supervision, informal reading groups, research seminars and a research skills seminar series; students are encouraged to organise and take part in a summer-term postgraduate conference.

Career pathways

Graduates have gone on to work in academia, journalism, broadcasting and media, publishing, writing and teaching, as well as banking, marketing analysis and project management.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Typical offer: 2.1 or above. A first or upper-second class honours degree in a relevant subject (or equivalent) and, normally, a taught MA qualification. International applicants: English language level Good (CEFR B2), for example IELTS 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each component, or PTE Academic 63 with at least 59 in each sub-test; a degree from a UK university or a majority English-speaking country is also accepted.

Domestic applicants: GBP 5,238 a year (2026/27). Full-time. Guide figure for new and returning UK postgraduate research courses; the 2027/28 UK research rate had not been set by the Research Councils UK Source

International applicants: GBP 21,950 a year (2027/28). Full-time annual tuition fee from the 2027/28 fee table Source

Intake: September, January, April

Duration: 3 to 4 years full-time, 6 to 7 years part-time

Apply through the official page: https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply

Explore more study programmes

Arts & Humanities