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Course information

Department

English and Creative Writing

Length

3-4 years full-time or 4-6 years part-time

Course overview

We offer MPhil and PhD research programmes in English (including American Studies), Comparative Literature or Linguistics for full or part-time study.

Join a scholarly community

  • The Department of English Creative Writing consists of some 40 scholars and creative writers whose work is acknowledged and cited internationally.
  • We offer a stimulating environment for undertaking postgraduate research in English Literature (including American Literature and literary theory), World Literature, Comparative Literature, Linguistics, and Creative Writing.
  • We particularly encourage cross- and interdisciplinary research in emerging fields of study and creative practice.

Vibrant research environment

As well as working with scholars and writers of international standing, you will have the opportunity to play an active role in a vibrant research environment which includes the Richard Hoggart Lectures in Literature and Culture, the annual Goldsmiths Prize for bold and innovative fiction, and specialist seminars and colloquia offered by the Goldsmiths Writers' Centre, the Centre for Caribbean and Diaspora Studies, the Decadence Research Centre, the Centre for Philosophy and Critical Thought, and the Centre for Comparative Literature, the Goldsmiths Literature Seminars (GLITS), the Goldsmiths Linguistics Seminars (GoldLingS), and the e-journal, GLITS-e. 

Structure and assessment

North American applicants especially should note that the British system does not include preparatory taught classes or examinations as part of the MPhil/PhD programme, except for an initial course in research methods.

Assessment is by thesis and viva voce.

Find out more about research degrees at Goldsmiths. 

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Uttara Natarajan.

What our students say

Yang Zhang
The university offers a wealth of resources and support to help students reach their academic goals.

Expertise and guidance

Since enrolling as a sociolinguistics PhD student at Goldsmiths, my academic and social experiences have been nothing short of exceptional. I had the privilege of studying some of the modules on the MA Sociocultural Linguistics, with a particular focus on the 'Discourse and Identity in Spoken Interaction' module. This has equipped me with a strong foundation to apply my sociolinguistic and discourse knowledge to my own research. I am incredibly grateful for my supervisor, Dr Pia Pichler, whose unwavering patience, expertise, and guidance have been instrumental in helping me achieve my goals.

Amazing resources

The university offers a wealth of resources and support to help students reach their academic goals. These include services such as academic coaching, academic writing advice, and digital literacy support from Subject Librarians. Based on my experience, I highly recommend that future students take full advantage of these resources in order to maximise their potential and achieve their academic aspirations. With the guidance of these resources, students can build the necessary skills to excel in their studies and receive the support needed to succeed at Goldsmiths. So, my suggestion to future students would be to make the most of these amazing resources and unlock their full potential during their time at Goldsmiths.

Award recognition

My PhD is an ethnography on the friendship talk and masculinities of young Chinese men. I was the runner-up for the Judith Baxter Award, which recognises the work of one promising new researcher in language, gender and sexuality per year. The review panel was extremely impressed by the scope and depth of my fieldwork, my attention to an under-researched area, and my challenge to the global south's perspective on intersectionality. The committee felt that my work has the potential to make a significant contribution to the field of language, gender and sexuality.

A rich tapestry of diverse cultures

South East London is a vibrant and dynamic place that offers a rich tapestry of diverse cultures to explore. From Korean and Vietnamese to Lebanese and Chinese, there is an abundance of wonderful and unique food to indulge in. In addition to the classic British pubs that the area is known for, I encourage you to take your taste buds on an adventure and experience the wide variety of flavours and cuisines available in this exciting part of the city. 

Entry requirements

You should normally have (or expect to be awarded) a taught Masters in a relevant subject area, of at least high merit standard. We normally also expect an undergraduate degree of at least upper second class standard.

You might also be considered for some programmes if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level.

International qualifications

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 7.0 with a 7.0 in writing and no element lower than 6.5 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate-level study.

Fees, funding & scholarships

Annual tuition fees

These are the fees for students starting their programme in the 2024/2025 academic year.

  • Home - full-time: £TBC
  • Home - part-time: £TBC
  • International - full-time: £TBC

If your fees are not listed here, please check our postgraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office, who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.

It’s not currently possible for international students to study part-time under a student visa. If you think you might be eligible to study part-time while being on another visa type, please contact our Admissions Team for more information.

If you are looking to pay your fees please see our guide to making a payment.

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments.

Funding opportunities

Find out more about postgraduate fees and explore funding opportunities. If you're applying for funding, you may be subject to an application deadline.

AHRC studentships.

The Department of English and Creative Writing normally offers a range of fee waivers for this programme, as well as additional support for its students.

How to apply

Apply now

You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system.

If you are interested in applying to the PhD English programme, please send your academic CV, along with a preliminary research proposal, to 
graduateschool (@gold.ac.uk). These will then be seen by the programme convenor, who will be able to advise on supervisor availability in the department, and whether you should submit a formal application via the 'Apply Now' link at the top of this page.

Before submitting your application you'll need to have: 

  • Details of your education history, including the dates of all exams/assessments
  • The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively an electronic copy of your academic reference
  • Contact details of a second referee
  • A personal statement – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online

           Please see our guidance on writing a postgraduate statement

  • If available, an electronic copy of your educational transcript (this is particularly important if you have studied outside of the UK, but isn’t mandatory)
  • Details of your research proposal

You'll be able to save your progress at any point and return to your application by logging in using your username/email and password.

Before you apply for a research programme, we advise you to get in touch with the programme contact, listed above. It may also be possible to arrange an advisory meeting.

Before you start at Goldsmiths, the actual topic of your research has to be agreed with your proposed supervisor, who will be a member of staff active in your general field of research. The choice of topic may be influenced by the current research in the department or the requirements of an external funding body. 

If you wish to study on a part-time basis, you should also indicate how many hours a week you intend to devote to research, whether this will be at evenings or weekends, and for how many hours each day.

Research proposals

Along with your application and academic reference, you should also upload a research proposal at the point of application. 

This should be in the form of a statement of the proposed area of research and should include: 

  • delineation of the research topic
  • why it has been chosen
  • an initial hypothesis (if applicable)
  • a brief list of major secondary sources

When to apply 

We accept applications from October for students wanting to start the following September. 

We encourage you to complete your application as early as possible, even if you haven't finished your current programme of study. It's very common to be offered a place conditional on you achieving a particular qualification. 

If you're applying for external funding from one of the Research Councils, make sure you submit your application by the deadline they've specified. 

Selection process 

If the subject you are applying to research is in an unrelated field, you may be considered subject to qualifying interview/submission of sample essays.

Find out more about applying.

Careers

Skills

Carrying out a research degree will help you develop:

  • transferable skills, including enhanced communication and discussion skills in written and oral contexts
  • the ability to analyse and evaluate different textual materials
  • the ability to organise information, and to assimilate and evaluate competing arguments

Careers

Our graduates have gone on to pursue careers in:

  • publishing
  • journalism
  • public relations
  • teaching
  • advertising
  • the civil service
  • business
  • industry
  • the media

Research training programme

Training in research methods and skills is provided both by the department and Goldsmiths' Graduate School. This begins with an intensive week-long induction in the first week of enrolment and continues later in the first term with a series of seminars focussing on the specific challenges of literary and linguistic research projects. The department will also inform you about any research training seminars or study-days offered elsewhere in the University of London (for example, by the Institute of English Studies or the Institute of Modern Languages Research, School of Advanced Study) or beyond, such as at the British Library. The specific training requirements of your project will be assessed, and guidance provided on specialist seminars and conferences to attend, which can be supported where possible by assistance from departmental funds.

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