The Department of English supervises research degrees in a broad range of areas, from classical literature to contemporary writing and theory. We have particular expertise in enabling students to locate their chosen topic of literary research within an interdisciplinary framework.
Find a supervisor
All doctoral candidates within the Department benefit from a system of co-supervision, meaning that you will be offered the advice and input of two supervisors, one of whom may take the lead in guiding your research. We are also able to arrange co-supervision English and in collaboration with staff from other departments at Queen Mary. All members of the Department of English are established scholars in their fields, and many have achieved international standing and repute.
As well as working closely on a one-to-one level with leading academic researchers, reading for a PhD at Queen Mary will involve you in the wider intellectual community of the Department. Of particular note is the long-running Queen Mary Research Seminar, a fortnightly event that is convened and chaired by doctoral students and hosts speakers from Queen Mary, as well as from UK and international universities. In addition, members of the Department organise and participate in a host of reading groups and seminars both in the College and across London. For further information about postgraduate life in the Department of English, visit our Graduate Life at Queen Mary pages; find out about seminars and reading groups in the Research area of our website.
All those studying full-time for a PhD will be expected to submit within four years. Recent PhD graduates in English from Queen Mary have successfully entered a variety of employment areas, and many now have prestigious posts at universities in the UK and overseas.
For details of how to apply to become a PhD student in the Department please see our section on Applying to Queen Mary.For guidance on completing your Research Proposal and gathering references, see our Making an Application page.