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Intermediality at The University of Edinburgh - UCAS

Course options

2025 - 2026
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

Doctorate-level study is an opportunity to make an original, positive contribution to research in Intermediality. As the first UNESCO World City of Literature, home of the Edinburgh International Festival and a major cultural hub, Edinburgh is the ideal place for the study of intermediality, that is, the interrelations between different art forms and their signification. In the course of your research, you will explore interactions between different media. For instance, you can choose to focus on the relationship between:

  • literature and photography
  • film and the other arts
  • word and image
  • literature and performance
Our programme draws on the expertise of staff from across the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC). Literature and the arts have been taught here for over 250 years, and our research expertise covers a broad range of intermedial phenomena such as:
  • the graphic novel
  • film adaptation
  • video games
  • photo-literature
  • cinematic intermediality
  • artist's books
  • installation art
Research excellence The PhD Intermediality is based in the Department of European Languages and Cultures (DELC). In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), our research in DELC was submitted in Modern Languages and Linguistics (Panel D - Arts and Humanities; Unit of Assessment 26). The results reaffirm Edinburgh’s position as one of the UK’s leading research universities - third in the UK. As published in Times Higher Education's REF power ratings, this result is based on the quality and breadth of our research in the unit of assessment. Join our community and undertake a specialised research project under the guidance of knowledgeable and well-published supervisors. As well as European literature, film, visual culture, theatre and performance we have particular strengths in literature and the arts from East Asia, South America, Lusophone Africa, and the Middle East, and literature written in English from around the world. Across the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures and the wider University, we are able to support PhD theses crossing boundaries between languages and/or disciplines, including:
  • Film Studies
  • Comparative Literature
  • Theatre Studies
  • Adaptation Studies
  • Word and Image Studies
Over the course of your PhD, we expect you to complete an original body of work under the expert guidance of your supervisors leading to a dissertation of usually between 80,000 and 100,000 words. You will be awarded your doctorate if your thesis is judged to be of an appropriate standard, and your research makes a definite contribution to knowledge. Go beyond the books Beyond the Books is a podcast from the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (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. Guests include Professor Peter Dayan (Series 1 - Episode 4) talking about his book 'The Music of Dada: A Lesson in Intermediality for our Times', which won the 2020 R. Gapper Book Prize.

Modules

See the University of Edinburgh website for detailed programme information.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on the University of Edinburgh website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

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

Tuition fees vary between degree programmes. Find the specific fees for your chosen programme on our website.
Intermediality at The University of Edinburgh - UCAS