comparative literature phd position

• Schools & departments

Comparative Literature PhD

Awards: PhD

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Comparative Literature

Postgraduate Virtual Open Days

Join us online on 12 to 14 November where you can learn more about postgraduate study through webinars, live panel sessions, and one-to-one chat.

Find out more and register

Research profile

Doctorate-level study is an opportunity to make an original, positive contribution to research in Comparative Literature.

As the first UNESCO World City of Literature, and a major cultural hub, Edinburgh is the ideal place to study literary works of different linguistic and cultural systems, and to explore the relationship between literature and the other arts.

In the course of your research, you will look comparatively at one or more literary themes, genres or historical periods.

Research excellence

Our programme draws on the expertise of staff from across the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC).

Literature has been taught here for over 250 years and we offer one of the widest variety of languages of any UK university, particularly within European Languages and Cultures which comprises:

• French and Francophone Studies
• Russian Studies
• Scandinavian Studies (Danish, Norwegian and Swedish)
• Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies (Hispanic Studies)

In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), our research in these subjects 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, we have particular strengths in literature 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
• Theatre Studies

Be inspired by the range of PhD research in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

Over the course of your PhD, you will be expected 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.

Read our pre-application guidance on writing a PhD research proposal

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.

Browse Beyond the Books episodes and hear our research community talk about their work

Programme structure

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses.

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Training and support

This programme includes optional training on research skills, methods and problems.

Between the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC), the Careers Service and the Institute for Academic Development (IAD), you will find a further range of programmes and resources to help you develop your postgraduate skills.

You will also have access to the University’s fantastic libraries, collections and worldwide strategic partnerships.

As part of our research community, you will be immersed in a world of knowledge exchange, with lots of opportunities to share ideas, learning and creative work.

Activities range from talks by visiting speakers and work-in-progress seminars, to reading groups, conferences, workshops, performances, online journals and forums, many of which are led by PhD candidates.

Our graduates tell us that they value LLC’s friendliness, the connections they make here and the in-depth guidance they receive from our staff, who are published experts in their field.

The Main University Library holds academic books, journals and databases.

Its Centre for Research Collections brings together:

• more than 400,000 rare books
• six kilometres of archives and manuscripts
• thousands of works of art, historical musical instruments and other objects

Many of our Special Collections are digitised and available online from our excellent Resource Centre, Computing Labs, and dedicated PhD study space in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC).

Look inside the PhD study space in LLC

In the city

As a PhD candidate at Edinburgh, you will be based in a world-leading festival city with fantastic libraries, cinemas, theatres, galleries, museums, and other collections.

Many of the city’s resources are located close to the University's Central Area, making them very easy to access when you are on campus. For example, both the National Museum and National Library of Scotland are less than one km from our School. The latter is particularly strong in French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish material.

We have excellent links with Edinburgh’s European institutions, including the Institut français, Istituto Italiano di Cultura Edimburgo and the Consulado General de España en Edimburgo, as well as the organisers of the International, Fringe, Book and Film Festivals.

Your supervisors

You will be supervised by at least two members of our academic staff. Colleagues who can supervise PhD research in Comparative Literature include:

• Dr Fabien Arribert-Narce
• Dr Susan Bainbrigge
• Dr Claire Boyle
• Professor Peter Davies
• Dr Jessica Gordon-Burroughs
• Dr Emmanuelle Lacrore-Martin
• Dr Iona Macintyre
• Dr Fiona Mackintosh
• Professor Federica Pedriali
• Professor Marion Schmid
• Dr Alexandra Smith
• Dr Katharine Swarbrick
• Dr Sarah Tribout-Joseph

Please do take some time to read over their profiles to ensure that your project is something we can effectively supervise based on our research interests and expertise.

Entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A UK masters degree, or its international equivalent, in a related subject.

If you intend to undertake aspects of the programme in any languages other than English, you should be competent in those languages.

We may also consider your application if you have equivalent qualifications or experience; please check with the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) before you apply.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 65 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT : 8 overall with at least 7 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Scholarships and funding.

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

borrowing money

taking out a loan

family support

personal savings

income from work

employer sponsorship

• scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Featured funding

There are a number of scholarship schemes available to eligible candidates on this PhD programme, including awards from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Please be advised that many scholarships have more than one application stage, and early deadlines.

• Find out more about scholarships in literatures, languages and cultures

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• Phone: +44 (0)131 650 4086
• Contact: [email protected]
• School of Literatures, Languages & Cultures
• 50 George Square
• Central Campus
• Programme: Comparative Literature
• School: Literatures, Languages & Cultures
• College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

PhD Comparative Literature - 3 Years (Full-time)

Phd comparative literature - 6 years (part-time), application deadlines.

If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

• How to apply

You must submit two references with your application.

• Pre-application guidance

Before you formally apply for this PhD, you should look at the pre-application information and guidance on the programme website.

This will help you decide if this programme is right for you, and help us gain a clearer picture of what you hope to achieve.

The guidance will also give you practical advice for writing your research proposal – one of the most important parts of your application.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

King's College London

Comparative literature research mphil/phd.

Key information

Joint PhDs available: Exciting opportunities to gain a joint PhD with Hong Kong University (HKU), the National University of Singapore (NUS)

The Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures offers research strengths and opportunities for PhD supervision in Comparative Literature across all periods of modern, medieval and classical literature in major western European languages and in the modern languages of India, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Special research focuses include: African literature, the literature of the Middle East, Romanticism and revolution, gender studies and classical reception studies. 

The Department has a vibrant and energetic research culture, in which postgraduate research students are fully involved. In the recent Research Excellence Framework assessment of our research (REF 2021) our research environment was rated 100% ‘world-leading’ (4*), and research impact was rated 87.5% ‘world leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’ (3*).

Current number of academic staff (permanent) : 11 (all research active).

Current Number of students: 14

Recent staff publications

• Not my time to die (translation of the novel by Yolanda Mukagusana)
• Epic Performances from the Middle Ages into the Twenty-First Century
• Rethinking Metonymy: Literary Theory and Poetic Practice from Pindar to Jakobson
• Complex Inferiorities: The Poetics of the Weaker Voice in Latin Literature
• Colonialism and Knowledge in Grierson's Linguistic Survey of India
• Nation and Region in Grierson's Linguistic Survey of India
• Realism and space in the novel, 1795-1869: Imagined Geographies
• The Friulian Language: Identity, Migration, Culture
• What Postcolonial Theory Doesn't Say
• Debating Orientalism
• Melancholia: The Western Malady
• Rhetorics of Belonging: Nation, Narration and Israel/Palestine

Current research projects

• Cultural responses to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda
• Radical texts in translation
• Classical reception in Caribbean and African diaspora literature
• Interactions between ancient and modern literature and thought
• National multilingualism in South Asia and the Horn of Africa
• Oral traditions in world literature
• Conceptualisations of the ‘global’
• Linguistic ideas, language and translation in colonial and postcolonial South Asia
• Domesticity in surrealism and the European avant-garde
• French writing on Iran in the long nineteenth century
• Literatures of the Middle East and North Africa (Arabic, English, French)
• Cultural activism and advocacy
• Goethe’s thought

Partner organisations : ongoing co-operation in research and student exchange takes place between the programme and the Department of English and Comparative Literature at the  University of North Carolina   at Chapel Hill.

Joint PhDs available : Exciting opportunities to gain a joint PhD with the University of Hong Kong or National University of Singapore.

• How to apply
• Fees or Funding

UK Tuition Fees 2023/24

Full time tuition fees: £5,820 per year (MPhil/PhD, Comparative Literature)

Full time tuition fees: £5,820 per year (MPhill/PhD Comparative Literature Joint PhD Option with University of Hong Kong or National University of Singapore)

Part time tuition fees: £2,910 per year

International Tuition Fees 2023/24

Full time tuition fees: £22,900 per year (MPhil/PhD, Comparative Literature)

Full time tuition fees: £22,900 per year (MPhill/PhD Comparative Literature Joint PhD Option with University of Hong Kong or National University of Singapore)

Part time tuition fees: £11,450 per year

UK Tuition Fees 2024/25

Full time tuition fees: £6,168 per year (MPhil/PhD, Comparative Literature)

Full time tuition fees: £6,168 per year (MPhill/PhD Comparative Literature Joint PhD Option with University of Hong Kong or National University of Singapore)

Part time tuition fees: £3,084 per year

International Tuition Fees 2024/25

Full time tuition fees: £24,786 per year (MPhil/PhD, Comparative Literature)

Full time tuition fees: £24,786 per year (MPhill/PhD Comparative Literature Joint PhD Option with University of Hong Kong or National University of Singapore)

Part time tuition fees: £12,393 per year

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

• Study environment

Base campus

Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Postgraduate research environment

As a postgraduate research student in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures you will join a vibrant research culture which features sustained reflection and dialogue on our subject areas. You will work closely with designated primary and secondary supervisors, and benefit from regular feedback from other staff members. You will see your primary supervisor regularly and are strongly encouraged to attend research seminars and research-related events in the department and beyond. There are multiple opportunities to gain experience in the presentation and dissemination of your research and to exchange ideas with fellow students and members of staff.

Postgraduate research students in Comparative Literature have the opportunity to present their work at regular Departmental research seminars and to participate in the Comparative Literature Graduate Reading Group and the annual Comparative Literature Graduate Conference. You also attend other research seminars as appropriate including at the Global Institutes and the research centres of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.  The various Institutes of the University of London School of Advanced Study run a wealth of seminars. In addition, King's Comparative Literature plays a pivotal role in the London Intercollegiate Comparative Studies network, which hosts its own seminars.

We offer a dedicated study space for our postgraduate research students in the Virginia Woolf building.

Postgraduate training

Training for postgraduate research students is offered at various levels throughout PhD registration, including, at King’s, the courses and sessions offered by the Department, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, the Centre for Doctoral Studies and the King’s Language Centre. Further afield training is offered by the London Arts and Humanities Partnership and the Institute of Modern Languages Research of the University of London. Research training will include a range of different kinds, including research ethics and integrity, bibliographic and referencing skills, the opportunity to learn or improve language skills, career support, job applications, networking, working with community partners, and much more.

• Entry requirements

Find a supervisor

Search through a list of available supervisors.

Find out more about our King's accommodation

Discover your accommodation options and explore our residences.

Connect with a King’s Advisor

Want to know more about studying at King's? We're here to help.

Learning in London

King's is right in the heart of the capital.

Comparative Literature Graduate Program

The Ph.D. program in Comparative Literature is committed to providing students the resources and training needed to successfully complete a challenging and rewarding intellectual project. By "resources" we mean not only formal classes, libraries, and financial support in various forms, but also an open community of scholars and learners, both within Comparative Literature and the broader Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages (DLCL), and also across a rich array of other departments, schools, and interdisciplinary programs, and tapping into our vibrant Stanford Humanities Center and its global online platform, ARCADE. The size of our graduate student community is small, which facilitates interpersonal dialogue and conversation. 

By "training" we mean formal classes on pedagogy, a regular and year-long colloquium where students present and discuss each others' work, close work with mentors and advisors, and workshops on topics suggested by both faculty and students. Finally, by "success" we mean not only satisfying departmental and university requirements, but more importantly achieving a sense of personal fulfillment at completing an original and creative exploration of a question of importance to the student.

Comparative Literature at Stanford believes in the importance of linguistic skills in at least three languages, deep historical thinking, and an understanding of the main currents of literary criticism and theory, past and present, and with an eye on emergent knowledge that may embrace fields outside of traditional literary studies. Our faculty includes specialists in Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Japanese, Chinese, French, Italian, English, Hebrew, Russian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and covering broad historical periods. We have a particularly well-established program in Philosophy and Literature, and welcome interdisciplinary projects that involve areas such as film studies, gender studies, studies in race and ethnicity, environmental studies, human rights, and other topics.

At base, the Ph.D. program is designed for students whose linguistic background, breadth of interest in literature, and curiosity about the problems of literary scholarship and theory (including the relation of literature to other disciplines) make this program more appropriate to their needs than the Ph.D. in one of the individual literatures. Students take courses in at least three literatures (one may be that of the native language), to be studied in the original. The program is designed to encourage familiarity with the major approaches to literary study prevailing today.

Before starting graduate work at Stanford, students should have completed an undergraduate program with a strong background in one literature and some work in a second literature studied in the original language. Since the program demands an advanced knowledge of two non-native languages and a reading knowledge of a third non-native language, students should at the time of application have an advanced enough knowledge of one of the three to take graduate-level courses in that language when they enter the program. They should be making enough progress in the study of a second language to enable them to take graduate courses in that language not later than the beginning of the second year, and earlier if possible. Language courses at the 100- or 200- level may be taken with approval from the Director of the department. Applicants are expected to take an intensive course in the third language before entrance.

The Ph.D. minor is designed for students working toward the Ph.D. in the various national literature departments. Students working toward the Ph.D. in English are directed to the program in English and Comparative Literature described among the Department of English offerings.

For more detailed information on our program, please see the corresponding pages in the Stanford Bulletin :

• Doctor of Philosophy in Comparative Literature
• Doctor of Philosophy Minor in Comparative Literature

Competition for entrance into the program is exceptionally keen. The program is kept small so students have as much opportunity as possible to work closely with faculty throughout their studies. Applicants should carefully review all course and examination requirements, advancement requirements, and teaching obligations before applying to the program. Because of the unique nature of comparative literary studies, the statement of purpose included in the application for admission must contain the following information:

• A detailed description of the applicant’s present breadth of proficiency in each of the languages studied, indicating the languages in which the applicant is prepared to do graduate work at present and outlining plans to meet additional language requirements of the program.
• A description of the applicant’s area of interest (for instance, theoretical problems, genres, periods) within literary study and the reasons for finding comparative literature more suitable to their needs than the study of a single literature. Applicants should also indicate their most likely prospective primary field, including the literatures on which they intend to concentrate.
• An explanation of how the applicant’s undergraduate education has prepared them for work in our program. If there are any gaps in the applicant’s preparation, a plan to address those gaps should be discussed.
• The applicant’s reasons for wishing to study in the department.

The application itself must also include:

• A letter of recommendation that focuses on the applicant’s language skills, a current ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) certificate, or a critical paper written in a non-native language.
• Recommendations from faculty members in at least two of the literatures in which the student proposes to work, if possible.
• A writing sample the candidate considers to represent their best work, preferably demonstrating a comparative analysis

Graduate Program Application Details

My experience in the Comparative Literature Ph.D. program was filled with intellectual exploration, learning new skills, and amazing mentorship in both research and teaching. Also, having had scholars from other departments to talk through my ideas and my professional plans, especially in ILAC and History, was instrumental for my success in pursuing the career I wanted.

Russell Berman Director of Comparative Literature Pigott Hall, Bldg 260, Rm 201 (650) 723-1069 berman [at] stanford.edu (berman[at]stanford[dot]edu)

Judy Nugent Student Services Manager Pigott Hall, Bldg 260, Rm 127 (650) 279-3630 jnugent2 [at] stanford.edu (jnugent2[at]stanford[dot]edu)

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• Languages, Linguistics and Film
• Comparative Literature and Culture
• Postgraduate

PhD in Comparative Literature

PhD Programme

QMUL Comparative literature PhD students receive high-quality academic supervision from active research staff, and benefit from participating in the Department’s thriving research community.

PhD students participate actively in the research community at QMUL and beyond, by presenting their own work at staff-student research seminars and at events hosted by the London Intercollegiate Network for Comparative Studies (LINKS). PhD students also have opportunities to organising talks and events, often featuring invited speakers.

Comparative Literature PhD students have opportunities to seek part-time employment to assist in teaching within the Department, thereby receiving relevant training for academic career paths.

Comparative Literature PhD students benefit from a number of    on-campus facilities , including work spaces. PhD students also receive access to a wide range of library and archival materials. The QMUL University Library contains an extensive collection of English and foreign language monographs and journals (including e-journals) on comparative literature. QMUL students also gain access to the Senate House Library, University of London Library, the Library of the Institute of Romance and Germanic Studies, and the libraries of the other constituent Colleges of the University of London. QMUL students further benefit from close proximity to the British Library, the National Archives at Kew, and London’s many museums.

Research Staff

Our staff engage in interdisciplinary research and research-led teaching of literatures and cultures from the European countries to China, South Asia and Australia, covering different periods, sharing a focus on World Literature. The intellectual profile of the department is broad and dynamic.

Members of the Department have organized major international conferences and symposia; they are also actively involved in the British Comparative Literature Association (BCLA), the International Comparative Literature Association (ICLA), and the American Comparative Literature Association (ACLA). Department members also serve in advisory roles on editorial boards of journals and publications series in Comparative Literature worldwide.

Individual staff research profiles can be found   here .

Research Areas

The Department of Comparative Literature seeks to support PhD research with:

• Theoretical interests in: cosmopolitanism, exile, translation, world literature, childhood, critical/literary theory, digital humanities, Global South studies and postcolonial studies.
• Interdisciplinary interests in: thinking literature alongside visual media, material culture, the arts, philosophy, ethics, pornography, life sciences, and environmental studies.
• Regional and linguistic interests in: German, Russian, French, Central European, East Asian (with focus on modern China), South Asian Anglophone and   bhasha , Global South, and intra-Asian literatures.

Application Procedure

Please check the following sections as you begin working on your application:

Entry Requirements

Funding Competition

Prepare your Application

• QMUL’s Research Admission Team:   https://www.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/contact/ 
• Postgraduate Research Lead in Comparative Literature: [email protected]

Testimonials

Queen Mary is a stimulating environment for PhD candidates, where intellectual curiosity, critical thinking and interdisciplinary engagement are constantly encouraged. The quality of supervision and the careful mentoring I receive are invaluable, and help me feel integrated into the academic community. In addition to the support I receive in writing my thesis, there are many opportunities to share work and participate in other activities. There is also plenty of research training offered to post-graduate students. Overall, it is an incredibly enriching experience. Celine Clavel

My research is in comparative children's literature, and Queen Mary has one of the few specialists in the country on the subject. Queen Mary also has a connection with the nearby Museum of Childhood. My supervisor is excellent - prompt, constructive, understanding, friendly, and always giving me opportunities to get involved in teaching, conferences and research groups. Aneesh Barai

Comparative Literature MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2024 entry

If you require details of this year's programme, Comparative Literature MPhil/PhD (2025), click here

UCL is a leader in the thriving field of comparative literature, building on the great strength of its well-established language-specific literary and cultural degrees. With its exceptional range of modern and ancient languages, UCL provides an ideal environment for comparative inquiry. We actively support interdisciplinary research across languages and cultural periods, and welcome comparative projects that may benefit from joint supervisory support.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, applications accepted.

• Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, and a Master's degree with Merit in a relevant field. In the first instance, candidates should establish a dialogue with a potential supervisor before making a formal application. Admission is normally dependent on the submission of a detailed research project proposal.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

Research students can specialise in any aspect of comparative literature for which suitable supervision is available. Potential supervisors' disciplinary perspectives are drawn from language departments including the School of Slavonic & East European Studies, Greek & Latin, Anthropology, Geography, literary studies and queer studies and across UCL.

Who this course is for

This programme is for applicants with a background or interest in comparative literary study and research. It is suitable for both recent Masters graduates as well as early or mid-career professionals. This MPhil/PhD is for applicants who want to do multi-disciplinary research, who may have completed post-graduate training or study and want to develop an advanced critical analysis in a specific research area.

What this course will give you

The Comparative Literature programme draws on the collective expertise of specialists in the Faculties of Arts & Humanities, Social & Historical Sciences, the Institute of Education, the School of Slavonic & East European Studies (SSEES).

We are especially interested in creative critical research and in proposals that articulate and examine new developments in literary and cultural studies, in the English-speaking world and beyond.

Training programmes are designed on an individual basis by the student's supervisor, and generally involve participation in activities offered by the department of the primary supervisor. Students also take advantage of training provided by the UCL Doctoral School and our departmental research student seminars.

The foundation of your career

PhD students may go on to academic careers in higher education or careers in research, in publishing or in creative writing. Graduates are able to use to their language, writing and communication skills in a range of different fields and industries such as translation, consultancy, teaching, marketing, international NGO's, charities, the arts and heritage.

Employability

Skills acquired as a result of taking this programme include: ability to conduct research in library archives and electronic archives; ability to synthesise and summarise large amounts of information; ability to use evidence in order to construct a convincing argument; ability to work with texts in more than one language; acquisition of sensitivity to the cultural register of texts; ability to plan workloads efficiently and meet deadlines.

Doctoral students develop a range of skills that are invaluable in academia and in numerous other fields where PhD holders are prized for their skills in communication, critical analysis, management of projects and intercultural mediation.

Supervision and mentorship is available from world-leading researchers with international and national contacts and collaborations across policy, government, cultural institutions, academia and industry. With 83% of SELCS-CMII research activity being graded 4* ‘world leading’ and 3* ‘internationally excellent’ in the REF 2021.

There are many opportunities for networking whilst undertaking this programme, namely in areas within membership of cultural institutions like the British Museum. There are also research organisations such as the British Library and cultural organisations, such as the Cervantes Institute. There are research hubs at UCL (IAS or the SAS) all available for great networking opportunities.

Students are strongly encouraged to attend and give papers at conferences, establishing contacts with academics and also peers working in their field.

Teaching and learning

Research students undertake relevant induction sessions and can take advantage of the Doctoral Skills Development Programme. PhD students meet regularly in term time with their supervisors and may be offered opportunities to gain valuable teaching experience and participate in reading groups and conferences.

Students are normally required to make a presentation on their plans to the departmental staff in the summer of their first year. All UCL research students have to submit a substantial report and defend their research plans in an Upgrade Exam in order to transfer from MPhil to PhD registration status, normally within 9 to 18 months of first enrolment.

The maximum length of the PhD thesis is 100,000 words. The ideal length of a PhD thesis in Comparative Literature is 80,000 words.

To successfully upgrade to a PhD you are required to submit a piece of writing (this is usually based on one chapter from your thesis and a chapter plan for the remainder). You are also required to present and answer questions about this work to a panel consisting of your subsidiary supervisor and another member of the Faculty who acts as an independent assessor.

PhD students should treat their research programme as a full-time job, which equates roughly to 35 hours per week, or 15 hours for Part-time students. Students agree to a timetable of regular meetings with the Principal Supervisor to effectively manage the progression of project aims. This is flexible, at some points it may be necessary to meet more or less often. Full-time students can expect to meet supervisors every two weeks during the academic year, and part-time students every four weeks. If a student has external funding, they should also ensure they meet the Terms & Conditions of the funder.

Research areas and structure

We invite proposals with a comparative, cross-cultural, and interdisciplinary focus, including comparative studies of themes, genres, and periods, and research in the following fields: world literature, literary and cultural theory; material and visual cultures; reception studies; cultural history; comparative gender studies and performance studies; diasporas and migration studies; new media. 

Research environment

Research students are encouraged to participate in research seminars across and outside SELCS-CMII including networks such as the London Intercollegiate Network for Comparative Studies . Students contribute significantly to the research environment through the organisation of annual conferences, and participation in seminars and online journals. Students can access special collections in Modern Languages, Culture and History at UCL and other world-class libraries (Senate House and British Library) within walking distance of campus. As well as access to research support in the form of academic skills courses, student-led workshops and reading groups.

In the first instance, candidates should establish a dialogue with a potential supervisor before making a formal application. The length of registration for the research degree programmes is usually three years for full-time and five years for part-time. You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transfer to PhD after successful completion of an upgrade viva 9-18 months after initial registration.

Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration you may register as a completing research student (CRS) while you write up your thesis.

In the first year, you will be required to take part in a mandatory Skills Seminar Programme. You are expected to agree with your supervisor the basic structure of your research project, an appropriate research method and a realistic plan of work. You will produce and submit a detailed outline of your proposed research to your supervisor for their comments and feedback and be given the opportunity to present your research to UCL academic staff and fellow PhD students.

In the second year, you will be expected to upgrade from MPhil to a PhD. To successfully upgrade to a PhD you are required to submit a piece of writing (this is usually based on one chapter from your thesis and a chapter plan for the remainder). You are also required to present and answer questions about this work to a panel consisting of your subsidiary supervisor and another member of the Faculty who acts as an independent assessor.

The length of registration for the research degree programmes is usually three years for full-time and five years for part-time. You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transfer to PhD after successful completion of an upgrade viva 9-18 months after initial registration. 

There is no compulsory placement in this programme, but we encourage students to apply to the Yale-UCL exchange programme that offers students to pursue their Comparative Literature studies for one term at the University of Yale.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team .

Fees and funding

Fees for this course.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees .

Additional costs

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at  Accommodation and living costs .

Additional costs may include expenses such as books, stationery, printing or photocopying, and conference registration fees.

The department strives to keep additional costs low. Books and journal articles are usually available via the UCL library (hard copies or via e-journal subscriptions).

The wealth of departmental seminars / colloquiums / symposiums and student organised work in progress sessions give ample opportunities to present research, receive feedback and participate in discussion.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs .

Funding your studies

Depending on eligibilty students can apply for a fully funded LAHP studentship. For information about available funding and scholarships please visit our Funding and Scholarships webpage .

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website .

Quirk PhD Scholarship

Deadline: 26 January 2024 Value: Fees and maintenance (3yrs) Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need Eligibility: UK

All applicants must identify and contact potential supervisors before making their application. For more information see our ' Need to Know ' page.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Year of entry: 2024-2025, got questions get in touch.

Centre for Multidisciplinary and Intercultural Inquiry

[email protected]

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