English PhD

The School of English at Nottingham is renowned internationally for its research expertise across the subject, and hosts a number of thriving Research Centres.

A PhD in the School of English will comprise mainly independent study, with supervision meetings spread throughout the year. There are no taught credits attached to a PhD, although it is compulsory for full-time students to attend the Arts Faculty Researcher Skills training programme. Some PhD students also choose to audit masters modules taught by their supervisors where appropriate, however this is not compulsory, and would not involve any formal assessment.

Annual review

All PhD students take part in annual review assessments to ensure they are progressing satisfactorily. This usually consists of the submission of a written report. For full-time students, the first year is probationary (first two years for part-time students), and the first year annual review involves a viva with an independent internal assessor.

Distance learning 

The School of English does not have a formal distance learning provision for PhD study. If you are applying to undertake doctoral research in the school without being based on campus, we would ask that you let us know at the earliest opportunity, so that we can discuss whether you will be able to meet the school and University's requirements for research students.

Research areas

We offer research supervision in the following areas:

Literature, 1500 to the present

Individual authors may include: Richard Brome, Jonathan Swift, Robert Southey, Charles Dickens, Henry James, Rudyard Kipling, Oscar Wilde, DH Lawrence, Seán O’Casey, Virginia Woolf, J. M. Coetzee, Ian McEwan, James Joyce, David Dabydeen, and Caryl Phillips.

Modern Literary Studies

• the Renaissance
• the Long Eighteenth Century
• Romanticism
• the Nineteenth Century
• Modernism
• the Contemporary

Postcolonial literatures including the literature of British India.

Regional literature and culture

• Irish Writing
• Scottish Writing
• Literary Geographies 

Medieval Language and Literature

• Old English language and literature
• Middle English and Older Scots language and literature
• Old Norse and Viking Studies
• Historical language study including place-names 

Drama and Performance

• Shakespeare and early modern drama with a focus on historical and contemporary performance histories
• 19th, 20th and 21st century theatre, including modernism and the avant-garde
• Audience and reception studies
• Theatrical place and space
• Theatre history and historiography
• Playwriting and digital performance
• Collaborative research with creative economy partners

Applications for Drama and Performance PhDs involving an element of practice as research assessment are welcomed: in this case the thesis submission may include a performance work or works and a critical evaluation in which this performance practice is discussed and analysed.

Staff in the School of English also have significant expertise in text-editing (all periods from the Anglo-Saxons to the present day).

See the full list of supervision areas in the school of English. 

Dedicated office space

Research students have their own dedicated shared office space with access to networked PCs and printers. This enables students to work alongside other research students in the school and take part in postgraduate life.

Social and meeting space

A Graduate Centre for postgraduate students in the Arts and Social Sciences is available on the first floor of Highfield House on University Park Campus. Accessible 24/7, the Centre provides computer stations, a social area with informal seating and areas where students can work individually or in groups. Students can also access a seminar room and kitchen facilities.

Postgraduate research students also have access to the student common room space shared with the School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies (CLAS) on the lower ground floor of the Trent Building. There is also a café on the lower ground floor of the Trent Building, as well as a number of food outlets and coffee shops just a short walk away from the research student offices.

Library facilities

The Hallward Library has excellent provision of books, periodicals and online resources in all aspects of English studies, with some notable special collections relating to the school’s research, and manuscripts and special collections in custom-built premises. The school also has new laboratory space to support areas of research in applied linguistics.

The school is home to the English Place-Name Society library and archive, and to the five-million CANCODE corpus of spoken English. This is also a rich library of resources at the University of Nottingham, including:

• a large collection of manuscripts from the 12th to 15th centuries
• extensive holdings in Old and Middle English, Old Icelandic, Viking Studies and runology
• DH Lawrence archive
• Portland Library Collection
• Cambridge Drama Collection
• a rich collection of 1930s theatre materials
• access to locally held Byron collections

Eye tracking equipment

One of the key facilities in the School of English is our eye tracker. The eye tracker is an integral part of the research of the Centre for Research in Applied Linguistics and many of our students use this equipment in their research.

Graduate School

The Graduate School supports all postgraduates and early career researchers at the University, with dedicated study spaces, training courses and placement opportunities.

Our students join a lively, diverse and international body of researchers, one in which an exceptionally wide range of specialist interests is combined with a close-knit sense of community.

Regular supervision

Each postgraduate research student in the school will have a team of at least two supervisors. Full-time students will meet with their supervisory team at least 10 times each year (six times for part-time students).

Your supervisors will help you to realise your research project and to guide you through your research to completion. Many students will also attend conferences and publish papers in conjunction with their supervisors, to gain valuable experience and contacts in the academic community.

Researcher training

Alongside regular supervision, all students in the school are required to attend the Arts Researcher Skills Programme, provided by the University's Graduate School. This programme is delivered at key stages throughout your research; in addition to the core programme a range of optional courses will support you to become effective, well-organised researchers, deliver your proposed project on time, and become highly employable in the sector.

In addition to the Arts Researcher Skills Programme, a wealth of other optional training courses are available in a variety of formats to enable you to achieve your potential whether you are on-site or further away.

Professional development

Research students benefit from a research and mentoring culture which includes:

• opportunities to teach in the school and develop related skills
• student-led fortnightly research seminars and annual symposium
• research networks created by the research centres and individual research projects
• research council-funded international research exchange visits with leading universities
• co-authorship with members of staff
• dedicated staff-postgraduate reading groups
• interdisciplinary research seminars
• support for participation in international conferences and seminars

Postgraduate seminars and conference attendance

A fortnightly seminar series is run by and for the postgraduate students in the school during term time. The seminars provide a forum for students to share work in progress with staff and peers, to hear from invited speakers, and to explore key academic and career topics in a supportive and sociable atmosphere.

Student services

The University provides a range of support and information to enhance your student experience.

You will have access to:

• academic and disability support
• childcare services
• counselling service
• financial support
• visa and immigration advice
• welfare support

Researcher training and development

The Graduate School training and development programme empowers postgraduate students and early career research staff to develop the skills required in their research and future careers.

You may find it helpful to get in touch with a member of academic staff about your research proposal before submitting an application. They may be able to help you with your proposal and offer support to find funding opportunities in your area.

Details of research supervisors can be found on the school website.

Careers

The school plays an important part in the career progression of its postgraduates, who benefit from a research and mentoring culture which includes:

• opportunities for postgraduates to teach and to develop a teaching profile and teaching-related skills
• postgraduate-led research seminar series and annual conference
• provision of infrastructural support for postgraduate-organised international conferences
• research networks created by the Research Centres, Institute, and individual research projects
• research council-funded international research exchange visits with leading universities
• co-authorship with members of staff
• interdisciplinary research seminars
• postgraduate participation in international conferences/seminars

There are also:

• dedicated staff-postgraduate reading groups such as the Landscape Space and Place Reading Group

Those who take up a postgraduate research opportunity with us will also benefit from their access to discipline- and stage- specific expertise from dedicated careers staff for the Faculty of Arts in the University’s Careers and Employability Service.

Conducting postgraduate work in the School of English fosters many vital skills and may give you a head start in the job market. Studying at this level allows you to develop qualities of self-discipline and self-motivation that are essential to employment in a wide range of different fields.

We will help you develop your ability to research and process a large amount of information quickly, and to present the results of your research in an articulate and effective way. A postgraduate degree in English from an institution like the University of Nottingham shows potential employers that you are an intelligent, hard-working individual who is bright and flexible enough to undertake any form of specific career training.

Teaching opportunities

The School of English offers opportunities for some of our research students to teach at undergraduate level. Research students normally apply to be a part-time teacher from their second year of PhD registration onwards.

Average starting salary and career progression

For postgraduates from the School of English, six months after graduation:

• 96.6% were in employment or further study
• the highest salary was £34,000
• the average salary was £21,875.

Source: known destinations and salary data for full-time, home, postgraduates extracted from the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education Survey 2016/17.

Careers support and advice

Whether you are considering a career within or outside academia, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

You can access our Careers and Employability Service during your studies and after you graduate.

Expert staff will work with you to explore PhD career options and apply for vacancies, develop your interview skills and meet employers. You can book a one-to-one appointment, take an online course or attend a workshop.