Research degrees in Comparative Literature and Culture
About the PhD programme
The Dept. of Comparative Literature and Culture has an active and flourishing research culture with staff working across disciplines to shape the dynamic field of comparative literature. Established in 2012, the PhD Programme in Comparative Literature has since grown to include supervision capacity in European Literatures and the literatures of China as well as in world literature, postcolonialism, cosmopolitanism, and transnationalism.
The Department is one of the leading centres for research and study in Comparative Literature in London and benefits from its close collaborative links with the institutions of the University of London, such as University College London (UCL), King's College London, Goldsmiths, SOAS, etc. The Department also has a thriving MA in Translation and Adaptation Studies, and hosts the highly prestigious George Steiner Lecture in Comparative Literature, previously delivered by Marina Warner, David Damrosch (Harvard), Susan Bassnett (Warwick), Haun Saussy (UChicago), Emily Apter (NYU), Aamir A. Mufti (Johns Hopkins U) Wiebke Denecke (MIT) and Martin Puchner (Harvard).
The PhD community in the Department of Comparative Literature is truly international, with its research supported by competitive fellowships and awards of academic institutions in the UK and abroad. 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.
Graduate students participate actively in the Comparative Literature community at Queen Mary and beyond, including presenting their own work at staff-student research seminars. Students are encouraged to contribute more broadly to the research culture by organising talks and events, often featuring invited speakers.
The Department of Comparative Literature is interested in receiving applications from prospective PhD students across a wide range of areas.
Research areas
The Department has particular research strengths in the areas below. For more information about our Research Centres, please visit our web-page:
- Cosmopolitanism and transnationalism
- Exile
- Translation and 'world literature'
- New developments in literary theory
- Literature, visual media and material culture
- Literature and childhood
- Literature and philosophy
- Literature and science
- Literature and the arts, including iconography and ekphrasis
- Literature and pornography
- Canon formation in the digital age
- Medical Humanities
- Postcolonial and Global South studies
- Environmental humanities
- Digital Media and Cultures
- Chinese Literature and Culture
- Middle Eastern literature and media
- Critical and legal theory
- Intersections of literature, technology and law
- History of Comparative Literature
- History of Comparative Methods in the Humanities
The application process
Applicants to the PhD in Comparative Literature and Culture are expected to contact a member of staff with interest in research areas relevant to your proposed topic area to discuss your proposed research and gain their agreement to act as your doctoral supervisor prior to making a formal application. The academic staff web-page provides information on the areas of research staff are interested in. Your application must be accompanied by a research proposal outlining the aims and academic context of the research.
PhD students normally begin their studies in September/October. There are no set deadlines for applying for a research degree, but we would recommend you apply no later than June. However, if you are applying for a funded place you will need to submit by the funding deadline - please see the further information section below for information about our funding awards and their deadlines. Full- and part-time study is available. Please select the entry point below for either full-time or part-time study to access the on-line PhD application system.
Contact
For information about the PhD in Comparative Literature & Culture, prospective students are advised to contact:
Postgraduate Research Lead – Dr Elena Carrera – e.carrera@qmul.ac.uk
Or
The Postgraduate Research Administrator, at sta-pgr@qmul.ac.uk
Further Information
If you are interested the PhD programme in Comparative Literature and Culture please visit our Departmental web-page for more information on how to apply, entry requirements, the application documentation required and how to identify a supervisor.