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English Literature at University of Bristol - UCAS

There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

Research in the Department of English brings the core values of our discipline - textual scholarship, critical and theoretical analysis, and contextual knowledge - to the dynamic and changing field of English literary studies. We cover the full chronological range, from the medieval to the contemporary period, with many colleagues engaged in interdisciplinary research. We are proud of our expertise in medieval and early-modern literature, in Romantic and Victorian literature, in modernism, and in contemporary writing in English. The department is notable for its breadth of research in English poetry across the periods, and our range of specialist interests includes literary theory, the history of the book, literature and science, literature and medicine, literature and the environment, digital humanities, women's writing and gender studies, queer writing, postcolonial literature, Black British writing, world literatures in English, 20th-century American literature, and Welsh and Anglo-Welsh writing. In these and other areas we foster doctoral research both within the department and in collaboration with other departments at Bristol and beyond, including in art history, medical sciences, philosophy, history, politics, drama, classics, theology and modern languages.

Assessment method

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/media/postgraduate/admissions-statements/2025/phd-english-literature.pdf


How to apply

International applicants

The University of Bristol welcomes applications from international students and accepts a wide range of qualifications for postgraduate study. If you study or have studied at a university outside the UK, please select the relevant page for further information on qualifications, scholarships and education representatives in your country/region: bristol.ac.uk/international/countries

Entry requirements

PhD: A master's qualification, or be working towards a master's qualification, or international equivalent. Applicants without a master's qualification may be considered on an exceptional basis, provided they hold a first-class undergraduate degree (or international equivalent). Applicants with a non-traditional background may be considered provided they can demonstrate substantial equivalent and relevant experience that has prepared them to undertake their proposed course of study. See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.


Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £4850 Year 1
Northern Ireland £4850 Year 1
Scotland £4850 Year 1
Wales £4850 Year 1
Channel Islands £4850 Year 1
EU £21300 Year 1
International £21300 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year. For more information, please view the programme page on our website.

Sponsorship information

The University of Bristol is part of the South, West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership (SWW DTP), which will be offering studentships for September 2025. For information on other funding opportunities, including University-funded studentships, please see the Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences funding pages. Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/support/finances/

English Literature at University of Bristol - UCAS