We normally offer supervision in the following areas:

• Medieval literature
• Renaissance and early modern literature
• Eighteenth century and Romantic period literature and culture
• Victorian literature
• Fin-de-siècle and modernism
• Postcolonial literatures
• American literature and culture
• Children’s literature
• Theatre studies

You can see the range of research topics our current students are working on.

We encourage the use of the archival opportunities offered by our various partner institutions, including the Seven Stories Centre for the Children's Book, the Wordsworth Trust (Dove Cottage), and the Keats-Shelley House in Rome.

Our Postgraduate Speaker Series, lunchtime Postgraduate Forum seminars, and annual postgraduate conference organised by our postgraduate students all offer you opportunities to network with fellow students and staff and become part of our School research community. You can also take part in a range of university and regional research groups and centres.

Newcastle University is third in the UK for English Language and Literature, 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF).

Quality and Ranking

We rank in the top 150 for English Language and Literature - QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019

Delivery

Your work will focus on a single, sustained piece of writing and research. The MPhil thesis is a maximum of 50,000 words and the PhD thesis is a maximum of 100,000 words. You will be assigned a supervisor or a supervisory team who you will meet on a regular basis. Your supervisor will be able to give you advice on reading, research training, help you use our research facilities and support you in the development of your work. Our research training programme will support you with researcher development training throughout the programme.

You will be taught and based on our Newcastle campus, although there are opportunities to carry out work with our partner institutions.

You will receive a tailored package of support from the University to ensure you maximise your research and future career. There are also opportunities to undertake your research at Newcastle within a Doctoral Training Centre, Centre for Doctoral Training or Doctoral Training Partnership.

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Research Training Programme and Student Support

Our Faculty Research Training Programme is a community made up of postgraduates from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

It is recognised by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) as a sound foundation for doctoral studies.

Our aim is for you to develop a broad range of research and project management skills that will support you in your career ahead. Staff and students from across a range of disciplines can come together and share their research experiences. You can also choose to register for a Postgraduate Certificate in Research Training.

You will study in our Doctoral Training Suite, a purpose-built facility for lectures, workshops, seminars and computer access to specialist software. Each year we have two student-led research postgraduate conferences. There are also a variety of prizes and awards to celebrate the successes of our students.

Postgraduate Research Student Support

Our Research Student Support Team will provide support and advice throughout your studies. The team can help you on a variety of issues from registration to producing your transcripts.

Doctoral training centres and partnerships

Being part of a Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) or Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) means that you can benefit from the research expertise and training of a number of leading universities, academic schools and academics. You'll also be studying alongside a cohort of other PhD students.

These centres are often interdisciplinary, combining expertise and training from multiple subject areas. You may also be able to collaborate with an industrial or commercial organisation.

Your PhD will be funded. Normally the fees are covered and you'll receive a tax-free stipend or living expenses. Additional funding is sometimes available to cover things such as conference attendance and research materials.

The centres/ partnerships below may have PhD opportunities available in your subject area.

Find out more about our tuition fees, including how to pay them and available discounts.

EU students starting at Newcastle in 2020 will pay the UK (Home) tuition fee for the full duration of their course.

Funding opportunities

If you have lower English Language scores, you may be accepted onto a pre-sessional English course. 

You need to submit a research proposal and a writing sample (ideally an MA essay or dissertation) with your application. Read our guidelines for producing a research proposal (PDF: 41.5KB) from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science Graduate School.

Start dates

There are usually two possible start dates, although in some circumstances an alternative start date can be arranged:

• January
• September

 There is no application closing date for this course, but specific deadlines for funding may apply.

We suggest international students apply at least two months before the course starts. This is so that you have enough time to make the necessary arrangements.

Deposit

If you live outside the UK/EU you must:

• pay a deposit of £1,500
• or submit an official letter of sponsorship

The deposit is payable after you receive an offer to study at Newcastle University. The deposit is non-refundable, but is deducted from your tuition fees when you register.

Connect with us