English Literature PhD

Level: Postgraduate research

Subject: English

Year of entry: 2026

Study options

Part-time
  • PhD | 6 years | Start date: September 2026
Full-time
  • PhD | 3 years | Start date: September 2026

Key facts

School

School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

PhD by Distance

Not available

School location

Central Area

Apply now

19 to 21 November 2025: Postgraduate Virtual Open Days

Join us live to explore postgraduate taught and research study at Edinburgh and gain key insights before you apply.

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About the degree programme

Make an original, positive and lasting contribution to English literature. A PhD is an opportunity to expand upon your interests and expertise as part of an active research community making impact across the globe. Join us at the heart of Scotland’s capital and festival city - a UNESCO World City of Literature.

Having first offered courses on ‘rhetoric and belles lettres’ over 250 years ago, we are the oldest department of English Literature in the world. Our interdisciplinary environment brings together specialists in all periods and genres of English and Scottish literature and literary analysis.

Over the course of your PhD, you will complete an original body of work under the expert guidance of at least two supervisors. Your thesis will be around 80,000 words. 

Given the breadth and depth of our expertise, we are able to support students wishing to develop research projects in any field of Anglophone literary studies. These include:

  • American studies
  • literary and critical theory
  • the history of the book
  • gender and sexuality studies
  • global Anglophone literatures, where our specialisms include Pacific, African, South Asian, and African-American writing

Our research themes include:

  • digital humanities
  • economic humanities
  • environmental humanities
  • literature and medicine

We are a community of writers and readers. Our expert staff include a dedicated Writer-in-Residence, and the University is home to multiple groups and societies dedicated to publishing and performing, as well as to discussion and debate. 

Our programme includes access to skills training, including research methodologies specific to literary studies. Our research collections, resources and facilities are outstanding.

Study options

There are two study options for this programme:

  • full-time
  • part-time - only available if you do not require a Student visa

If you take the full-time study option, you will aim to complete your PhD in three academic years. 

If you do not require a Student visa and opt to take the part-time study option, you will aim to complete your PhD in six academic years. 

Find out if you need a Student visa 

Rankings

  • 100 per cent world-leading research environment in English language and literature (REF 2021)
  • 3rd in the UK for English Language and Literature and Arts and Humanities (QS World Rankings by Subject 2025)*
  • 7th in the world for English Language and Literature (QS World Rankings by Subject 2025)*
  • 10th in the world for Arts and Humanities (QS World Rankings by Subject 2025)*

*QS World University Rankings are based on research citations and the results of major global surveys of employers and academics

Why choose this programme

  • Develop your unique voice in the study of English literature
  • Share your passion and expertise with a supportive community
  • Gain further training in research skills and methods
  • Build a career in research and critical thinking
  • Study at the heart of Scotland's capital city - a UNESCO World City of Literature
  • Explore our fantastic libraries and collections

How to apply

Before you apply

You do not need to approach a potential supervisor before you apply, but it is a good idea to look at the interests and expertise of our research community on the English and Scottish Literature website. This will help you when you are writing your personal statement and research proposal. Both of these:

  • are key parts of the application process
  • ask you to reflect on how we can meet your supervision needs

Explore our research centres, networks and projects in English and Scottish literature

We also invite you to get in touch with the Departmental Postgraduate Research Director for English and Scottish Literature. They have a good overview of all our supervision expertise and can advise you who might be the best supervisory fit for your thesis. 

They will also be able to advise you about supervision expertise beyond English and Scottish literature, for example in film studies, intermediality, comparative literature, and in our departments of:

  • Asian Studies
  • Celtic and Scottish Studies
  • European Languages and Cultures
  • Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies

Contact the Departmental Postgraduate Research Director

When to apply

Due to high demand, the school operates a number of selection deadlines. 

We will make a small number of offers to the most outstanding candidates on an ongoing basis, but hold the majority of applications until the next published selection deadline when we will offer a proportion of the places available to applicants selected through a competitive process. 

There are two windows (Application Rounds) for applying to English Literature; we will let you know the outcome of your application at the end of the Round you apply in.

RoundApplication deadlinePlaces awarded by
121 November 202518 December 2025
230 April 202629 May 2026

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

The application process involves:

  • completing an online form, including a personal statement
  • submitting a number of supporting documents, including a research proposal 

Completing the online form

When completing the online form, you will be asked to provide information on:

  • relevant knowledge/training skills
  • your proposed research topic
  • any published work

There is space to provide us with details of any published work, but please do not worry if you have not published anything to date. We do not expect that you will.

You will also be asked to write a 500-word personal statement, telling us about your academic history so far, and why you want to study with us.

Find out more about writing a personal statement

Submitting your supporting documents

To support your application, you will need to submit a research proposal. This should be a detailed description of your proposed area of study, helping us gain a clearer picture of what you hope to achieve on the PhD in English Literature.

Our guidance on writing a research proposal in English and Scottish literature should be read in conjunction with the University’s general guidance.

Read our guidance on writing a research proposal for this programme

You will also need to submit:

  • a sample of written work of about 3,000 words (this can be a previous piece of work from an undergraduate or masters degree)
  • copies of your degree certificates and academic transcripts that confirm your current or final marks
  • certified translations if your original documents are not in English
  • two references

Finally, you will need to provide evidence that you meet the English language requirements of this programme. If you do not have this evidence now, you can still submit your application and provide it later through the Applicant Hub. Likewise, if you do not have your final marks or degree certificates at this stage, you can provide a current transcript now and supply the final documents later through the Applicant Hub.

See all guidance on the application process and supporting documents 

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

Funding

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee teaching or tutoring positions for our PhD students so you will not be able to partially fund your studies in this way.

Featured funding

There are a number of scholarship schemes available to candidates applying to the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) - the School in the University of Edinburgh where this programme is based.

Some scholarship schemes are for PhDs in any subject in LLC (or the wider University). Others are only open to candidates in specific subjects. See individual scholarship listings for details.

Find out more about scholarships in LLC

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Part-time
Full-time

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Costs

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that you might spend £1,167 to £2,330 per month if you are a single student.

Living costs include:

  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel, clothes, books and stationery
  • recreational costs (for example, TV subscriptions and social events)

Living costs

Accommodation costs depend on where you live while studying and the type of accommodation you choose.

University postgraduate accommodation options and costs

These entry requirements are for the 2026-27 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2027-28 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2026.

Qualifications

A UK masters, or its international equivalent, with a mark of at least 65% in your English literature dissertation of at least 10,000 words.
 
If your masters programme did not include a dissertation or included a dissertation that was unmarked or less than 10,000 words, you will be expected to produce an exceptional research proposal and personal statement to show your ability to undertake research at the level required by this programme.

International qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 8 with at least 7 in each component.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 155 with at least 145 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Trinity ISE
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

Research profile

We have particular strengths in each of the main periods of literature written in English from around the world:

  • Medieval
  • Renaissance/early modern
  • Enlightenment
  • Romantic
  • Victorian
  • Modernist
  • Post-war
  • 21st century
  • Contemporary

Working with colleagues elsewhere in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, and across the wider University, we are able to support PhD theses crossing boundaries between English and Scottish literature and other disciplines.

Be inspired by the range of PhD research in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

Centres for research, teaching and outreach

We are home to the SWINC (Scottish Writing in the Nineteenth Century) project and network, which promotes awareness of the richness and diversity of Scottish writing and culture in the 19th century.

Our collaborative initiative Edition supports new research in all aspects of the history of the book, from traditional forms of bibliography, codicology and textual editing to the latest theoretical and digital innovations.

We are the Scottish base of the Collected Letters of Thomas and Jane Welsh Carlyle, Duke-Edinburgh edition, one of the major editorial projects in Victorian studies of the last half-century.

We are collaborators in the Edinburgh Environmental Humanities Network and Digital Humanities research in the Edinburgh Futures Institute. 

Research Excellence Framework (REF) – 5th in the UK

Based on our performance in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF), over 90% of our research and impact in English Literature is classed as world-leading and internationally excellent by Research Professional.

We are particularly pleased that our research environment has been assessed as 100% world-leading for the support we give to postgraduate and early career researchers, our research facilities, and our partnerships and collaborations within and beyond the University.

In Times Higher Education's REF analysis, English at Edinburgh is ranked fifth in the UK (out of more than 90 institutions) for:

  • the overall quality of our publications and other outputs
  • the impact of our research on people’s lives
  • our supportive research environment

Our REF results are a testament to the incredible hard work and commitment of colleagues in producing research that is not only at the forefront of the discipline, but is also making a major contribution to public understanding and engagement. At Edinburgh, we’re proud of our long history as a centre for the study of Anglophone literature, and this outcome demonstrates that our scholarship and creative practice continue to pioneer new approaches and insights, especially in their increasingly international and interdisciplinary scope. 

Paul Crosthwaite, Professor of Modern and Contemporary Literature REF 2021 Unit of Assessment Coordinator for English Literature - jointly with Dr Sarah Carpenter

Our research community

As part of our research community, you will be immersed in a world of scholarship and knowledge exchange, with lots of opportunities to share ideas, learning and creative work.

Activities range from talks by visiting speakers and work-in-progress seminars, to reading groups, conferences, workshops, performances, online journals and forums, many of which are led by PhD candidates.

Highlights include student reading for the James Tait Black Prizes, Britain's oldest literary awards which typically involve reading submissions across fiction and biography and advising the judges on the shortlists.

Read an interview with James Tait Black reader, Céleste Callen

Our graduates tell us that they value the friendliness of LLC, the connections they make here and the in-depth guidance they receive from our staff, who are published experts in their field.

Go beyond the books

Beyond the Books is a podcast from LLC that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at research and the people who make it happen.

Listen to a mix of PhD, early career and established researchers talk about their journey to and through academia and about their current and recent research.

Series 3 guests include:

  • Episode 1 - Dr Désha Osborne, Chancellor’s Fellow in English Literature - released 30 May 2025; a chat about Désha’s work on the connection between Scotland and the Caribbean, her experience of editing the previously relatively unknown poem Hiroona, and the incredible power of storytelling.
  • Episode 2 - Paul Crosthwaite, Professor of Modern and Contemporary Literature - released 6 June 2025; a dive into speculative fiction and the emerging field of the Economic Humanities.

Browse Beyond the Books episodes and hear our research community talk about their work

Find out the aims and structure for each year of study on this programme.

Part-time
Full-time

We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Support

This programme includes optional training on research skills and methods. For example, depending on prior experience, you might feel you could benefit from further training in:

  • bibliographic skills
  • project development
  • dissertation and thesis writing  

Between LLC, the Careers Service and the Institute for Academic Development (IAD), you will have access to a further range of programmes and resources to help develop your postgraduate skills.

You will also have access to the University's fantastic libraries, collections and worldwide strategic partnerships.

Facilities

The Main University Library holds academic books, journals and databases, films and other media.

It is also the home of the University's Centre for Research Collections which brings together:

  • more than 400,000 rare books
  • six kilometres of archives and manuscripts
  • thousands of works of art, historical musical instruments and other objects

The Centre's literary treasures include:

  • an exceptional collection of early Shakespeare quartos and other early modern printed plays put together by the 19th century Shakespearean scholar James Halliwell-Phillipps
  • the Corson Collection of works by and about Sir Walter Scott
  • the extensive Laing collection of medieval and early modern manuscripts
  • the correspondence of Thomas and Jane Welsh Carlyle
  • the Ramage collection of poetry pamphlets
  • the W.H. Auden collection
  • the libraries of Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Hugh MacDiarmid and Norman MacCaig

... as well as letters and papers by, and relating to, authors including:

  • Christopher Isherwood
  • Rudyard Kipling
  • John Middleton Murry
  • Walter de la Mare
  • Edwin Muir
  • George Mackay Brown
  • Compton Mackenzie

Many of the University's Special Collections are digitised and available online from our excellent Resource Centre, computing labs, and dedicated PhD study space in LLC.

Career opportunities

A PhD in English Literature shows an openness to ideas and perspectives other than your own, an essential attribute in many careers and a global marketplace. Research skills in the subject are in high demand, as they evidence that you:

  • can handle various data sources critically and analytically and are comfortable working in a digital environment
  • have a nuanced understanding of context and can navigate cultural differences and perspectives accordingly
  • excel in articulating complex issues and concepts in a clear and compelling way - opening and changing minds
  • thrive on working independently within a broader community of interest and purpose

While many doctoral graduates aim to develop their skills further within academia, these same assets are widely sought after in a range of careers and across the private, public, not-for-profit, and for-benefit sectors. The discipline, time management, motivation and innovation required to achieve a PhD are also extremely useful primers for self-employment.

Previous graduates of our languages, countries and cultures programmes have gone on to work in:

  • creative writing, publishing, culture, heritage, and the arts
  • communications, marketing, advertising, and public relations
  • journalism, broadcasting, and media
  • business, finance, commerce, and tech
  • politics, policy work, diplomacy, civil service, and law
  • education, outreach, advocacy, and training
  • research, development, consultancy, and venture acceleration
  • translating and interpreting, including literary translation

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

What our students say

Edinburgh is an amazing place to do research, not just for the city’s rich history and beautiful scenery, but also for its vibrant student community and all the city offers outside of academics. Whether you prefer strolling through the Meadows or along Portobello beach, visiting the city’s various museums and galleries, or taking advantage of the city’s connections to the rest of Scotland and beyond, there is truly something for everyone in Edinburgh!

Courtney, Year 2, PhD in English Literature, Masters by Research graduate (2024)

Courtney, who provided us with this quote about her experience of living and studying in Edinburgh, is originally from the US. She is the Postgraduate Research School Representative for the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC). 

Together with Programme Representatives, Postgraduate Representatives are your voice in the university - sharing your feedback to continually improve the student experience for everyone. Their roles are voluntary, and supported by the Edinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA).

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:

  • apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programme
  • accept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 July
  • study at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in September

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

We also offer accommodation options for couples and families.

Accommodation for couples and families

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sport Clubs

The city of Edinburgh

A UNESCO World City of Literature, Edinburgh is a remarkable place to study, write, publish, discuss and perform prose, poetry and drama.

Take a PhD with us and you will be based in LLC in the historic centre of this world-leading festival city.

Our buildings are close to the National Library of Scotland, where collections include the Bute Collection of early modern English drama and the John Murray Archive. We are also near:

  • Edinburgh Central Library
  • Scottish Poetry Library
  • Scottish Storytelling Centre
  • Writers’ Museum
  • a fantastic range of publishing houses, bookshops, and theatres

We have strong links with the Edinburgh International Book Festival, which annually welcomes around 1,000 authors to our literary city.

Find out more about living and studying in Edinburgh

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include: 

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustments

Health and wellbeing support services 

Disability and Learning Support

General enquiries

School of Literatures, Languages & Cultures
50 George Square
Central Campus
Edinburgh
EH8 9LH

llc.pgresearch@ed.ac.uk

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