English PhD

University of Sussex

From Medieval and Renaissance writing to the 18th century to the present, from the novel to poetry to modernism, postmodernism and the contemporary scene – we’re strongly committed to the interdisciplinary study of literature.We’re one of the strongest postgraduate communities in the country, with an outstanding research culture. You’ll benefit from expert supervision, teacher training and research workshops.You have the opportunity to examine literature using a range of critical methods. Your project might examine textual form or literary history through some of the following frames and methods:genre theorypostcolonial theoryfeminist, gay and lesbian, and queer studiespsychoanalysisMarxist criticism and political economyenvironmental and ''blue'' humanitiesscience and technology studies/science and literaturebook history, bibliography and print culturematerial culturedigital criticism and cultural analyticsgames as literaturedisability studiesaffect studies and phenomenologysociology of literature and institutional criticismpoetics.You can choose to study for a PhD or an MPhil. PhD and MPhil degrees differ in duration and in the extent of your research work.For a PhD, your research work makes a substantial original contribution to knowledge or understanding in your chosen field.For an MPhil, your work is an independent piece of research but in less depth than for a PhD. You’ll graduate with the degree title Master of Philosophy. You might be able to change to a PhD while you study for an MPhil.

Faculty of Media, Arts and Humanities