You must hold, or be currently studying for, an MA or international equivalent in a relevant discipline, with a predicted or final mark of 65 or above. You should normally also have an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject. If you have not already taken an MA at Warwick, you may be required to take part in the ‘Foundation Module’ of the taught MA. This will not be assessed formally, but will ensure that you have acquired the necessary skills for further research.
English Language Requirements
Band C
IELTS overall score of 7.5, minimum component scores of two at 6.5/7.0 and the rest at 7.5 or above. We also accept TOEFL Band C (108 overall, with no component below 23).
See our Graduate Admissions page for further details on language requirements.
Additional requirements
You are required to submit a writing sample, typically a chapter from your MA dissertation, an essay from your MA coursework, or a published article. You must also arrange for two references to be submitted before the application deadline by academics who are familiar with your work.
Your research proposal
The proposal is the most important part of your application and you should take the time to hone it carefully. Your proposal should make specific reference to the texts, authors and subject areas that you will tackle, and the leading theoretical frameworks and concepts that you will employ, while situating the project within current critical work in the field. You should cite those secondary works that have directly informed the project. (Note that the project proposal is not the place for a personal statement about your past career or future aspirations – you are able to include this content in a separate document as part of your application dossier.)
We recognise, of course, that all projects change and evolve during the process of doctoral study, and that it's difficult to fully demarcate a project in advance of carrying it out. For us to assess your application and its fit within the department's research profile, however, it is crucial for us to have a clear idea of the scope and subject of your project.
Please note: it is essential that you secure the agreement of a staff member to supervise your project before applying to the PhD program. Take the time to look at the profiles of our staff who work in your research area in order to identify potential supervisors, and, once you have their agreement, work closely with them on both your application to the degree and to scholarship competitions. Along with their supervisor(s), admitted applicants are assigned a mentor (who offers academic and pastoral support) from the department's academic staff. It is increasingly common for a student to have two supervisors; sometimes the second supervisor may come from another department.
Fees and Funding
Course Fees See Student Finance
Scholarships: 2027 Entry
There are a number of scholarships available for both home and international applicants, through a variety of university schemes. As with all applications for funding awards, they take time and effort to complete, so please begin early by identifying a potential supervisor, setting up an interview, and drafting a research proposal. Please note that candidates must apply for a place at Warwick in order to be considered for scholarship awards. Under new guidelines, one deadline covers all funding applications (7 December 2026 for October 2027 entry) and you will be considered for any scholarship competitions for which you're eligible. The current schemes include:
The Department will nominate outstanding applicants for these awards. Note that you should indicate on your application which scholarships you wish to be considered for.
Additional Course Costs
Find out more about fees and funding on the University website.
How to Apply
The application consists of two parts: a formal application form and the supporting documents.
(1) The formal application
You may apply for a place on the PhD program from October 2025 for October 2026 entry. The application is completed and submitted via the University's postgraduate online application form. The form will ask you to include, amongst other things:
- Your personal and contact details
- Your academic qualifications
- Details of your referees
- Scholarships/prizes already awarded, and further academic details
- A research proposal of 500 words. Please remember to give your project a provisional title. Your proposal should situate a topic within a particular chronological or thematic area, and should make specific reference to bodies of theoretical knowledge, texts and authors to be studied. You should also locate your topic within current critical work in this area, citing selected recent secondary works that have guided your thinking.
Please indicate on the application form which staff member or members of our department have agreed to supervise your project. This enables us to deal with your application more quickly. You will also be asked to upload any academic transcript(s) after you have submitted your online form. Admissions will contact you by email and provide a link to a page where you can upload an electronic copy of your transcript.
(2) Supporting documents
You should be able to upload supporting documents with your application. If you encounter technical difficulties, please contact Postgraduate Admissions and notify the department’s Director of Graduate Studies.
- A CV, listing all related academic achievements.
- A sample of your recent written work; this should be an essay or dissertation chapter, ideally from your MA work, but can be a strong piece from your BA.
If you require a printed copy of the postgraduate application form, please e-mail pg.prospectus@warwick.ac.uk, remembering to include your postal address, or telephone them on +44 (0) 24 7657 23648. Consult the University's Graduate Prospectus for guidelines on the application process and frequently asked questions.
Our admissions process
- Applications are initially reviewed by the Director of Graduate Studies.
- Those applications that meet our entry requirements are then passed to the supervisor named on the application.
- The member of staff designated as your proposed supervisor will arrange to interview you by Teams or Zoom.
- A decision will be made after this interview has taken place.
Admission is dependent upon:
- satisfactory academic qualifications
- satisfactory English language competence
- the identification of a suitable and feasible research project
- an agreement to supervise the project by suitable staff member(s).
We normally expect to make a decision on applications within four weeks of receipt (although bear in mind that we often have to wait for reference letters to be uploaded before we can formally review your application). If we cannot offer you a place, PG Admissions will formally write to you.
Acceptance
If we can offer you a place, Admissions will write to you with a formal offer. Conditions of offer may be attached, such as passing (at 65 or above) the MA on which you are currently enrolled, or a satisfactory IELTS or other accepted English language test score. You will also be asked to indicate whether you intend to accept or decline the offer. The Doctoral College Office will provide you with information about accommodation and (if relevant) about the International Office. It’s important to maintain contact with your prospective supervisor via email or letter well ahead of arrival, and to arrange a date for a first meeting once you arrive on campus. Note that when you come to Warwick, you will be registered initially as an MPhil student. During the course of your studies, you will be formally upgraded to PhD registration after a monitoring procedure (see full details of this in the department’s PGR Handbook, in the section 'MPhil to PhD Upgrade').
Induction slides
