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Course information

Department

English and Creative Writing

Length

2-4 years full-time or 4-8 years part-time

Course overview

We offer MPhil and PhD research programmes in English (including American Literature and literary theory), World Literature, Comparative Literature, Linguistics, Translation, and Creative Writing, for full or part-time study.

  • The MPhil/PhD Translation is a rigorous, structured interdisciplinary translation researcher training programme, which aims to enable students to acquire a solid understanding of Translation Studies scholarship, history, discourses, trends and debates, and to support students in the production of original work within this context. ‘Translation Studies’ (TS) is taken in a broad sense, and embraces research on written translation, interpreting, audiovisual translation, localization, and adaptation, among other areas.
  • As part of the programme, students will engage with a range of historical and contemporary resources and scholarship in TS, and learn to appropriate conceptual frameworks and methodologies, both from TS, and from a range of cognate disciplines, and to apply these to their own original work. Students will contribute to the development of the discipline, and the promotion of translation beyond the academy, by advancing their work for dissemination through conferences, symposia, and industry events, peer-reviewed publications and online forums.
  • The Department of English and Creative Writing consists of some 40 scholars and creative writers whose work is acknowledged and cited internationally. Find out more about our staff and their specialisms and expertise, and the Department of English and Creative Writing.
  • We particularly encourage cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary research in emerging fields of study and creative practice.
  • 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 colloqia offered by the Goldsmiths Writers' Centre, the Goldsmiths Literature Seminars (GLITS), the Goldsmiths Linguistics Seminars (GoldLingS), and the e-journal, GLITS-e.
  • Assessment is by thesis and viva voce.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Dr Sarah Maitland.

Entry requirements

Applicants should normally possess at least a first degree (normally of upper second class honours standard or above) or equivalent.
Applicants should also normally have (or expect to be awarded) a taught Masters in a relevant subject area.

Where an applicant possesses non-standard qualifications or equivalent experience, these will be considered.

No prior qualification in Translation Studies is required for admission to the programme, but relevant equivalent experience in contexts of translation, interculturality and language transfer must be demonstrated through the personal statement.

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 2023/2024 academic year.

  • Home - full-time: £4712
  • Home - part-time: £2356
  • International - full-time: £17430

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. Please check the programme specification for more information.

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.

How to apply

Apply now

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.

Find out more about applying.

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