Apply for a PhD in Linguistics

The programme is normally a 3-year research only PhD programme (i.e., there is no mandatory coursework component). A few ESRC-funded students will pursue a 1+3 programme, which includes an MRes training year. All students are expected to participate in regular training and research activities organised by the department. Students also have the opportunity to present their ongoing research to the department in a variety of both formal and informal settings. Our research students are an integral part of our research culture. We currently have 28 PhD students who help to make QMUL Linguistics a vibrant research community.

Some of our regular research and training events include:

• Advanced Core Training in Linguistics – graduate-level coursework in generative linguistics offered in conjunction with UCL, Cambridge, Oxford, Kent and SOAS
• Cross-London Sociolinguistics Seminar – graduate-level training workshop in sociolinguistics offered in conjunction with King's, Birkbeck and the UCL Institute of Education
• London Interdisciplinary Social Science Core and Advanced Research Training – graduate-level coursework and training workshops organised via our ESRC-funded Doctoral Training Partnership
• Bi-weekly readings groups - in sociolinguistics, laboratory linguistics, and syntax/semantics
• Postgraduate Mini-Conferences – half-day events during the year where current PhD students present their ongoing research
• Departmental Seminar series – world-leading researchers are invited to give talks and meet with students 6 times a year
• Linglunches – an informal talk series held throughout the year for QMUL staff, students and visitors to present their work-in-progress
• In-house training events and workshops - jointly organised and run by students and staff, we offer workshops on topics including using software tools (LaTeX, R, PsychoPy), research methods (corpus linguistics, ELAN), academic skills (abstract writing, publishing) and advanced research topics (e.g. DP-structure, prosody). Have a look at our events page to keep track of offered training sessions.

Students can also take advantage of professional training events offered by the QMUL Academic Development Unit.

The Linguistics Research Centre provides dedicated working space for PhD Students and Post-Docs. It is situated in the third floor of the Queen's Building. For a full map including a legend, click here.

It is essential to contact a potential supervisor to discuss your proposed PhD project before you apply for admission. We normally do not accept students who have not yet secured agreement from a potential supervisor.

You can find available PhD supervisors via our People search function. Please filter by Department and select 'PhD Supervisors' in staff type. 

Before submitting a formal application, potential applicants are very strongly advised to complete the Applicant Query Form. Generally, only applicants who have completed the Query Form, and thus have documented their engagement with potential supervisors, are offered places in the PhD Program. The form also helps to determine whether there are any funding awards that may be suitable for you.

Please check the next sections as you begin working on your application.

Minimum entry requirements for our PhD programmes are:

• a Bachelor's degree (or international equivalent) in Linguistics or a related subject, with a minimum final degree classification of 2.1 (or international equivalent)
• a Master's degree (or international equivalent) in Linguistics or a related subject, with a minimum final degree classification of Merit (or international equivalent)
• proof of proficiency in academic English (e.g., minimum IELTS 7.0 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in each of Writing, Listening, Reading and Speaking), where applicable
• a compelling research proposal that closely aligns with the research interests and expertise of staff in the department
• capacity to conduct independent and original PhD-level research (as evidenced by a statement of purpose and letters of reference)

Minimum entry requirements for the combined MRes and PhD programme are:

• either a Bachelor's degree (or international equivalent) in Linguistics with a final degree classification of 1 (or international equivalent) or a Master's degree (or international equivalent) in Linguistics or a related subject with a minimum final degree classification of Merit (or international equivalent)
• other requirements as for the PhD programme above

For questions about whether your qualifications match our requirements, contact Dr Sophie Holmes-Elliott, Postgraduate Research Lead for Linguistics: s.holmes-elliott@qmul.ac.uk.

Applicants to our PhD programmes may be eligible for competitive funding awards managed by the university. If you wish to be considered for one of our funded studentships, you must apply before the end of January for admission the following September. For September entry, the application deadline for most awards is mid-January. Students hoping to be competitive for funding awards should allow time to substantially revise their initial proposals following feedback from their potential supervisor(s). This means initial contact should be made before December of the year preceding the intended start date.

Find out more about funding available.

The first step as you consider applying to the Department of Linguistics for a PhD will be to check whether you meet eligibility criteria and to look at the research interests of individual staff to see if we have a colleague who works in the area of your research interests.

Next you should email your research proposal to the staff you have identified as your potential supervisor(s). It is essential to contact at least one potential supervisor to discuss your proposed PhD project before you apply for admission. This is likely to include a draft proposal at this stage, and indicative of your interests rather than binding. It will help you to organise your thinking and will give any prospective supervisor the most essential information. Your proposal may be refined and redrafted after discussions with your prospective supervisors before you apply.

We normally do not accept students who have not yet secured agreement from a potential supervisor. If you are unsure who may be an appropriate supervisor for your project, have a look at the available supervisors below and/or contact Dr Sophie Holmes-Elliott: s.holmes-elliott@qmul.ac.uk.

Your Research Proposal forms a vital part of your application. Its quality, originality and feasibility will all be judged in the entry process and if you are applying for funding. The best proposals are developed in close consultation with prospective supervisors and prepared several months before any funding competition deadlines.

Good proposals open new research questions and have a clear set of theoretical objectives. Your proposal should demonstrate a good awareness of the existing literature around your chosen subject, and you should show an understanding of how your own research will contribute to, as well as further, the scholarly debate. You also need to demonstrate a practical sense of the project’s feasibility. Your proposed programme of work should be achievable within the space of 36 months of full-time study. You should be able to complete your project within the necessary financial constraints of a studentship award or self-funding.

Every year, the admissions committee reviews a large number of applications, so it is important that your proposal is well written and clearly presented. Try to use short sentences, paragraphs and subheadings to provide clear structure. Research proposal should not be longer than 2000 words (including bibliography) and follow the format below:

• Applicant’s name
• Proposed title
• Name(s) of proposed supervisor(s)
• Summary of your aims and objectives: outline central research questions
• Rationale and literature review: illustrate how your work builds upon the current literature (refer directly to wider scholarship) and establish the distinctiveness of your own theoretical position
• Methodology: explain how you intend to pursue your research and the methods and perspectives you will use in analysing them
• Work plan for 3 years: specify likely starting date and prospective completion date (when)
• Originality and significance (in, and where applicable, beyond the academia)
• Bibliography: provide a short list of the relevant literature in your research area

Prepare your Personal Statement (max. 4000 characters) and Academic Curriculum Vitae. In your personal statement, describe your motivation for pursuing PhD research and how your experience to date is relevant for carrying out the project proposed. This is likely to be a draft proposal at this stage, and indicative of your interests rather than binding. It will help you to organise your thinking and will give any prospective supervisor the most essential information. In this document, you should also outline how your proposed research fits within the department of Linguistics and QMUL.

Your Academic Curriculum Vitae (CV) should include the following:

• Full Contact Details
• Education
• Professional Information
• Publications
• Grants, Honors, etc.

After discussing your proposal with potential supervisors, and subject to their support and guidance, you may wish to make a formal PhD application online on QMUL’s MySis platform. Note that indication of interest on the part of a potential supervisor does NOT guarantee acceptance into the programme. Applicants are advised to treat the letters of reference as an important component of their application. Ensure that your referees are able and willing to give enthusiastic support for your application and that they have adequate time to write their letters. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all elements of the application are submitted in time, including letters of reference.