Course summary

The IES provides a unique scholarly community in which to pursue doctoral research. We offer research supervision in a number of literature-related subject areas, ranging from book history to creative and practice-based research. The programme can be undertaken on a full-time (up to four years) or part-time (up to seven years) basis, with entry in October or January. As a PhD student in the Institute, you will enjoy the personal attention of our academic staff, who will guide you through the programme and supervise your thesis project. Our PhD students have access to a rich and varied programme of subject-specific research training, as well as general training on research skills and methodologies. You are encouraged to attend the Institute’s broad range of research seminars, conferences, world-leading summer schools, and guest lectures, which offer opportunities to hear and discuss papers by leading scholars as well as to meet others interested in a particular field of study. You will benefit from the Institute’s substantial network of colleagues and organisations associate with the book trade and the literary world and will be able to explore career development opportunities across a range of different areas. The Institute of English Studies offers doctoral research supervision in the following broad areas:

• History of the book

• History of authorship

• History of publishing

• History of printing

• History of readers and reading

• History of collectors and collecting

• The history of the manuscript and rare book trades

• History of libraries and collections

• Textual scholarship

• Digital Humanities

• Radical print cultures

• Medieval literature

• Early Modern literature and print culture

• Victorian literature

• Aspects of Modern and Contemporary Literature

• Nineteenth and Twentieth Century American literature

• Scottish literature

• Creative writing and practice based research.