Literary and Cultural Studies PhD

Research in literary and cultural studies brings together researchers from across the School of Literature and Languages to examine pressing social and cultural issues. These include:

• Social and cultural networks
• Cities and urban culture
• Embodiment and the practice and politics of movement
• Post-humanism
• Queer studies and subversive space
• Medical humanities
• Transnationalism and its limitations.

We’re part of the interdisciplinary School of Literature and Languages, which has research-active staff in English literature, creative writing, film studies, translation studies, theoretical and applied linguistics, and literary and cultural studies.

We’re a member of TECHNE, an Arts and Humanities Research Council AHRC)-funded doctoral training partnership, which provides access to comprehensive academic and professional training programmes, as well as the possibility of funding for your studies.

Our projects have examined areas such as the international reception of British artists, publishing and activism networks in Latin America, and French migration and anarchist movements.

Here at Surrey, you’ll join a cosmopolitan, multilingual and multicultural community of students and scholars, and we see our research students as being a core part of the School.

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 ranked the School of Literature and Languages 10th in the UK for research impact, with 75% of our case studies rated as having outstanding impacts, in terms of reach and significance (4*). Our submission to REF included contributions from the Guildford School of Acting (GSA).

This is a programme which will take you on a research journey across cultures. You will develop your own research methodologies to navigate contemporary or historical cultural issues relevant to your project. This might involve archival study, action-based research or field work, as well as literary and cultural analysis.

Research in areas such as gender and sexuality, medical humanities, mobilities and urban studies, creative collaborations and the visual arts, contemporary and historic film, and environmental or political activism, will be supported by expert academics working at the cutting edge of fields such as these. Your research may focus on the intersections between different cultures and languages, or it may take a deep dive into a particular cultural or literary phenomenon.

As a researcher in literary and cultural studies you will become an expert in your project area through in-depth research and advanced analytical skills. You will be fully supported by academic supervisors to engage with current research and to advance the importance of cultural understanding in our globally networked world.

You’ll be assigned two supervisors, who you’ll meet with monthly to discuss your progress. Your supervisors will guide you through your PhD and will give you feedback and advice on your work.

As a doctoral student in the School of Literatures and Languages, you’ll receive a structured training programme covering the practical aspects of being a researcher, including grant-writing, publishing in journals, and applying for academic jobs.

It normally takes three to four years of full-time study or six to eight years of part-time study to complete our PhD in Literary and Cultural Studies. You’ll take a confirmation viva at 12-15 months (or 24-30 months part-time) and then be assessed by a thesis and viva examination.

Your final assessment will be based on the presentation of your research in a written thesis, which will be discussed in a viva examination with at least two examiners. You have the option of preparing your thesis as a monograph (one large volume in chapter form) or in publication format (including chapters written for publication), subject to the approval of your supervisors.

The professional development of postgraduate researchers is supported by the Doctoral College, which provides training in essential skills through its Researcher Development Programme of workshops, mentoring and coaching. A dedicated postgraduate careers and employability team will help you prepare for a successful career after the completion of your PhD.