PhD English

In Humanities there are many opportunities for you to study for a research degree at PhD level in your chosen subject area. This can be in defined subjects, such as American Studies, English, History, Journalism, Media Studies or Creative Writing, or in interdisciplinary areas of study that interconnect across these established disciplines. We welcome innovative and original topics of research. If you would like to do research involving the production of creative work or an invention (for examination) alongside a dissertation or thesis then it is possible to do a Theory/ Practice PhD.

Why study for a research degree at Derby?

We are committed to research-led teaching and supporting the professional development of our students and academics at all stages of their career.

By joining our active and growing research community, you will be supported throughout your doctoral journey with our comprehensive training programme and a supervisory team from a relevant discipline allocated to you.

If you are a graduate with a strong interest in a chosen subject, you can undertake original research leading to the award of a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree. Our research degrees are awarded in recognition of a successful period of research training that normally culminates in the production of a thesis.

We offer different routes to a research degree:

PhD and PhD by published works
Full-time and part-time degrees
Online learning opportunities for some of our research degrees
Funded PhDs, which are advertised on our studentships page
We also offer professional doctorates

Studying for a PhD

To achieve your PhD, you will undertake independent research that makes a substantial original contribution to knowledge or understanding in your chosen field.

You will be matched with a minimum of two supervisors, forming your supervisory team, who are experienced in the field of your research interests. They will help you to refine your research project and produce a realistic research plan.

How long will a PhD take?

A PhD usually takes three years full-time and up to six years part-time. A PhD by published works is studied over one year full-time or two years part-time. In either case, you will graduate with the degree title Doctor of Philosophy.

The MPhil (Master of Philosophy) is a postgraduate research masters, which is essentially a smaller-scale PhD. It can be part of a PhD or a step toward one, but you can also study it as a standalone qualification. It usually takes a maximum of two years full-time or three years part-time for students to complete their research and submit their thesis for examination.

We would normally expect you to have a First or Upper-Second (2:1) honours degree - and preferably a masters degree - from a UK university for entry on to our PhD programmes. We also accept qualifications and relevant experience that we consider to be equivalent.