Course summary
The Department of French is committed to research innovation and excellence in major aspects of French Studies. The department has an exceptionally wide range of expertise, including the medieval period, early modern period, visual-textual relations, 19th, 20th and 21st-century literature, film and drama (including screen and stage adaptations), cultural history, politics, and comparative literature. We collaborate extensively with other departments, especially in the fields of visual and literary cultures, conflict and culture, medieval studies, English, and comparative literature. Each research student is assigned to an academic who works in their proposed area of research or a related field, and benefits from the input of a second supervisor who may be from another department, depending on the interdisciplinary nature of the project. The department is a regional centre for the Group for War and Culture Studies and members of the department are active in a wide range of Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences research centres and groups. A number of our staff members are editors of leading journals and active in subject associations. Postgraduate students can benefit from an exchange agreement with the Ecole Normale Supérieure (rue d'Ulm), or take an exchange lecturer post at the Université de Bordeaux III. Research students often lead the organisation of postgraduate seminar series exploring a theme of their choice.e January 2024, September 2024, January 2025. Please see the programme page on our website for more information.
Assessment method
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/media/postgraduate/admissions-statements/2025/phd-french.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
MPhil: An upper second-class degree or international equivalent. Please note, acceptance will also depend on evidence of your readiness to pursue a research degree. See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| England | £2379 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £2379 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £2379 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £2379 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £2379 | 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 and GTA (Graduate Teaching Assistant) scholarships, please see the Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences funding pages. These pages also provide details of scholarships available for UK-domiciled, Home fee status applicants of Black and mixed-Black heritage, as well as co-tutelle scholarships with Macquarie University, Australia and Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès, France, and a Research Scholarship in association with University of Cape Town, South Africa. Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/support/finances/
Provider information
University of Bristol
Beacon House
Queen’s Road
Bristol
BS8 1QU