The School of Modern Languages and Cultures (SMLC) at the University of Warwick is pleased to invite applications for doctoral study commencing in September/October 2025.

In the Postgraduate Research Student Experience Survey 2023, the SMLC outperformed the average for the UK Russell Group of research-intensive universities in every area but one (supervision, resources, research culture, community, progression, responsibilities, support and professional development) and equalled that average in the remaining area (research skills).*

This Autumn 2024 we have introduced new cohort-level training for all PhD students in the School, which covers a range of topics relevant to PhD students in Modern Languages (incl. Translation Studies) e.g. using academic resources, conferencing and networking, public engagement, applying for further funding, and interviewing).

Please get in touch early to identify potential supervisors and to prepare a robust application.

• For more information on prerequisites and how apply for a place of study (admission), please see here.
• To search for relevant research expertise among our staff, see here. The School Director of Graduate Studies will also be pleased to advise on this.

A broad range of funding opportunities is advertised on the website of Warwick’s Doctoral College. Please note that several funding schemes operate multi-staged application processes and early deadlines.

The SMLC will nominate a number of first-rate applications for the following funding opportunities:

• Chancellor’s International Scholarships (CIS): The University offers up to 42 scholarships to the most outstanding international PhD applicants. These scholarships will fund full-time tuition fees at the Overseas rate, as well as a UKRI-level stipend and a £5,000 research and training expenses support grant. The scholarship will fund up to 3.5 years of PhD study. For more information on how to apply for these University scholarships, please see here. The final Warwick deadlines for the dual process of applying for admissions and funding are on Monday 9 December 2024 (23:59 pm GMT) (admissions) and Thursday 12 December 2024 (23:59 GMT) (funding). However, in the SMLC we strongly encourage you to apply both for your place and your scholarship by 1st December as we plan to conduct our interviews in early December. All supporting documentation, including references, must be uploaded by Tuesday 7 January 2025. We will be unable to support last-minute enquiries and/or applications for this highly competitive scheme. Discussion of your application with the SMLC should start in October or November.
• AHRC Midlands 4 Cities (M4C) Doctoral Training Programme: Scholarships are available across 8 Consortium institutions (including Warwick). For more information on how to apply, including a guidance video, see hereLink opens in a new window. The M4C recruitment portal will open in October 2024 and close on 13th January 2025 (at noon) (no exceptions). However, in the SMLC we strongly encourage you to apply both for your place and your scholarship by 1st December as we plan to conduct our interviews in early December. You will also need to have submitted a separate application for a place of study (admission) to the University of Warwick. Please get in touch with the School Director of Graduate Studies as early as possible to discuss your application. M4C coordinators from the University of Warwick and Coventry University will be jointly holding an Online M4C Application Writing Workshop for 2025/2026 entry on Saturday 9^th November 2024 (10am – 1pm UK time). We would strongly encourage any applicants to attend. Applicants can sign up here.
• University of Warwick/China Scholarship Council (CSC): for entry in Autumn 2024, there will be 30 scholarships available to students who meet the CSC criteria applying to any PhD discipline. For information on how to apply for these University scholarships, please see here. The deadlines are 16 January 2024 (admissions) and 18 January 2024 (scholarship). Discussion of your application with the SMLC should start in October or November 2023.
• Monash Warwick Alliance Scholarships (Warwick): for 2024 entry the University will offer up to 3 scholarships (across all subjects) to the most outstanding PhD applicants for the Alliance Joint PhD. More information here. Scholarship applications for 2025 entry will open in October 2024. Course applications for 2024 entry are already open. The application deadlines are 9 January 2025 (scholarship applications). There are up to three scholarships available for entry in 2025. Awards will cover tuition fees; a stipend at the UKRI rate for the years spent at Warwick, and one year funded at the Australian Government rate; and a travel allowance of £3000. Discussion of your application with the SMLC should start in October or November 2024.

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We are also happy to discuss other relevant funding options and self-funded study (full-time or part-time).

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The School of Modern Languages and Cultures at Warwick offers its graduate students a vibrant research culture and community, with around 35 students currently enrolled on PhDs in the School, alongside a cohort of taught Master’s students and a number of postdoctoral research fellows.

Postgraduate researchers play a vital role in our research community, together with postdoctoral researchers and academic staff of national and international renown. In the 2021REF exercise (a national research evaluation) 82% of our research outputs and 100% of our research environment were judged to be ‘world-leading or internationally excellent.

Our research expertise ranges from the Early Modern period to the present. We study Modern Languages (French, German, Italian, Iberian languages, and Chinese) in a broad intellectual, global and transcultural context, covering literature; cultural, social and intellectual history; film; politics and society; philosophy; and translation studies. To search for a potential supervisor in the School by specialism, click here.

Individual staff and their specialisms can be viewed here.

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Applicants who may be interested in doctoral study in Modern Languages (French Studies, German Studies, Hispanic Studies, Italian Studies, Translation and Transcultural Studies) at Warwick are invited to contact the School Director of Graduate Studies, Professor Ingrid De Smet, at I dot de-Smet at warwick dot ac dot uk as soon as possible.

• a CV (detailing your academic curriculum to date and any other relevant training)
• an indication of possible supervisors (where known)
• a draft proposal (up to 2 pages).

Depending on the funding scheme, applicants will be notified between late January and early May of the outcome of their application.

(* please note that the sector benchmarking data group Modern Languages with Linguistics whereas at Warwick these subjects are spread across 2 separate units, SMLC and CAL).