Doctor of Philosophy - German and Comparative Literature

A PhD, also known as a doctorate, is a requirement for a career as an academic or researcher. In addition, it has become a qualification valued by many employers who recognise the skills and commitment a PhD requires. Employers also recognise that a PhD indicates excellent research capabilities, discipline and communication skills.

Over the duration of the PhD, students will produce an original piece of research of up to 100,000 words, in English or in German. Recent and ongoing research topics include a comparison of W.G. Sebald and Orhan Pamuk as ‘marginal’ writers, a study of post-Holocaust and post-colonial ‘trauma’ discourses, and the literary motif of wandering from Romanticism to the twentieth century.

The Department of Modern Languages offers supervision from world-class academics with expertise in a wide range of disciplines, who are able to support and guide students through their research. Students' progress is carefully monitored to ensure that they are on track to produce a thesis valued by the academic community. Throughout the programme, students are able to attend and contribute to research seminars, workshops, and research and transferable skills training courses.