Four English and Comparative Literary Studies students at the University of Warwick engaged in conversation outdoors in nature

MA by Research in English and Comparative Literary Studies (2026 Entry)

Course code

P-Q3P4

Start date

6 October 2025

Duration

1 year full-time,

2 years part-time

Qualification

MA by Research

Led by

English and Comparative Literary Studies

Location

University of Warwick

MA by Research in English and Comparative Literary Studies (2026 Entry)

Course code

P-Q3P4

Start date

6 October 2025

Duration

1 year full-time,

2 years part-time

Qualification

MA by Research

Led by

English and Comparative Literary Studies

Location

University of Warwick

Meet us

Download our prospectus Link opens in a new window

Apply now

Find out more about our English and Comparative Literary Studies Master's by Research degree at Warwick

With 91% of our research outputs ranked as “world-leading” or “internationally excellent” in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and in the top 10 departments in the UK for research environment, Warwick's English and Comparative Literary Studies Department hosts an innovative MA by Research course. We offer with a wide range of research areas to choose from. Harness your intellectual ambitions, and study amongst a globally renowned network of experts on the MA by Research in English and Comparative Literary Studies.

Course overview

The MA by Research course is a pure research course based in the Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies. You'll complete a 40,000 word research thesis, closely supervised by an academic.

This programme is especially suited to applicants who want to develop their independent research skills and explore a particular writer, topic, theory, or critical debate. It is normally for people who have taken time out after their undergraduate studies or hold a taught MA in a related field. Our warm and vibrant research community is one of the largest in the UK, with around 110 postgraduates every year. We offer a full calendar of seminars, symposiums and conferences, with a busy diary of speakers from around the world. We also offer career development support during your time here.

You will study alongside ambitious, international scholars and world-leading researchers. Our researchers and writers work at the intellectual cutting edge of their discipline. We want you to harness your intellectual ambitions and interests, and bring your own distinct personal experiences and circumstances to bear on your work.

By the end of the course, you'll be well-positioned for further study or employment with the transferable skills you will develop.

Teaching and learning

As a research student, your closest contact will be with your supervisor, or co-supervisors, who will meet with you regularly to discuss your work. The supervisory relationship is at the heart of your research. Your supervisor(s) are experts in their field, who will guide you throughout your degree and will agree upon a programme of reading, research and writing with you.

You will also be able to seek advice from our Director of Graduate Studies, who oversees our research students; and participate in sessions organised by our PG Professionalisation Officer, who organises seminars on employment in both the academic and non-academic sectors. With your peers, you will have the chance to participate in seminars, conferences, reading groups, and the annual student-organised postgraduate symposium. You will be encouraged to apply for internal funding to support research trips and participation in academic events outside of the University.

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

65% (or equivalent) in an undergraduate degree in English literature or a related degree. Applicants may be required to provide a writing sample to demonstrate suitability for the course.

English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:

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.

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements pageLink opens in a new window.

Academic References

We typically ask for one academic reference for taught courses, and two academic references for research courses.

You will be asked to include an email address for your referee(s) when submitting your application and we will contact them for you.

View our guide to academic references.Link opens in a new window

Additional requirements

Applicants are required to submit a writing sample, normally an essay from their undergraduate studies. Applicants are encouraged to consult their potential supervisor and/or the Director of Graduate Studies before applying.

Research themes

Our research

Our research is interdisciplinary and comparative. We have particular strengths in American studies, eighteenth and nineteenth-century studies, environmentalism and ecocriticism, gender studies, the literary and cultural history of the medieval and early-modern period, performance studies, poetics, postcolonial studies, and World Literature.

Our major research groups include the Critical Theory Network, Feminist Dissent, the Centre for Ecopoetics, Poetry at Warwick, and the Warwick Research Collective (WReC).

We also work closely with the Centre for the Study of the Renaissance; the Centre for Research into Philosophy, Literature, and the Arts; the Early Modern and Eighteenth-Century Centre; the Yesu Persaud Centre for Caribbean Studies; the Critical South Asia Group; and the Centre for the Study of Women and Gender.

We particularly welcome research applications in the following research areasLink opens in a new window.

You can also read our general University research proposal guidance.

Supervisors and proposals

Find a supervisor

You can ask any academic from our department to be your supervisor. See our staff pagesLink opens in a new window for more details and to see whose research interestsLink opens in a new window align with yours.

You can also see our general University guidance about finding a supervisor.Link opens in a new window

Research proposals

Students should compose a statement of up to 500 words about their proposed area of study. This should situate a topic within a particular chronological, conceptual or thematic area, and should make specific reference to bodies of theoretical knowledge, texts, or authors which will be studied.

You should also locate the topic within current critical work in this area, perhaps citing a few recent secondary works which have interested, inspired or provoked you. Given the space constraints, we do not require a bibliography or full citations. This is not the place for a personal statement about your past career or future aspirations.

We recognise, of course, that all projects change and evolve during the process of doctoral study, and that it is difficult to define a project in advance of carrying it out. However, it is very important, when assessing applications, for us to have a clear idea of your project and your current thinking.

Candidates are encouraged to contact a potential supervisor and seek their support before submitting their application. You can search for a prospective supervisor on our websiteLink opens in a new window.

In addition to a supervisor or supervisors, accepted students will be assigned a personal tutor (who offers academic and pastoral support) from amongst the academic staff of the Department. Students may have a co-supervisor from within or outside the Department, where appropriate.

Students applying for funding to the Midlands4Cities Open Doctoral Award competition must have two supervisors, with the second supervisor being based either at Warwick or at one of the partner universities.

The Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies at the University of Warwick is a highly regarded research department, with expertise across a broad spectrum of specialisms. We ranked in the top 10 in the UK in the most recent Research Excellence Framework. See our major research groupings on our websiteLink opens in a new window.

Writing sample

The Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies asks all PhD applicants to submit a writing sample alongside their application. Your writing sample would normally be a chapter from your MA dissertation or an essay from your MA coursework or a published article.
 

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Find your research course fees

Fee Status Guidance

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.

Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?

If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.

Find out more about how universities assess fee status

Additional course costs

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.

For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on the course web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).

Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2024/25 year of study). Information about module department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:

Core text books
Printer credits
Dissertation binding
Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and funding

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

Department

English and Comparative Literary Studies at Warwick

Have the freedom to follow your own path.

We’re fond of freedom at Warwick. Freedom to learn, through an enormous array of modules to suit your interests, and through a range of innovative assessment techniques. You’re also free to explore the award-winning Warwick Arts Centre on campus or you can travel further afield and visit the home of Shakespeare in Stratford or immerse yourself in the poetry scene in Leamington Spa and Birmingham.

In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, the Department ranked among the top 10 in the country for research environment: a great place for graduate study.

Find out more about us on our website.Link opens in a new window

Our Postgraduate courses

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How to apply checklist

Our how to apply checklist helps you prepare for your application

Read the checklist

I'm ready to apply

Learn more about the Applicant Portal.

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Application deadlines

The application process for course that start in September and October 2026 opens on 2 October 2025.

For research courses that start in September and October 2026 the application deadline for students who require a visa to study in the UK is 2 August 2026. This should allow sufficient time to complete the admissions process and to obtain a visa to study in the UK.

Useful links

Applicant portal
After your applied
Admissions statement
Join a Live Chat

2025 entry

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Explore ways to connect with us

We understand how important it is to visit and explore your future university before you apply. That's why we have put together a range of online and in-person options to help you discover more about your course, visit campus, and get a sense of postgraduate life at Warwick. Our events offer includes:

Warwick hosted events
Postgraduate Fairs
Live chats
Talk and Tours
Department events

See 2025 entry »

Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

8th in the UK

in the Guardian University Guide 2025

6th Most Targeted University

by the UK's top 100 graduate employers (The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research Ltd)

69th in the World

out of 1,500 institutions across 104 locations (QS World University Rankings 2025)

Page updates

We may have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history.

About the information on this page

This information is applicable for 2026 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our terms and conditions to find out more.

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MA by Research in English and Comparative Literary Studies (2026 Entry)

MA by Research in English and Comparative Literary Studies (2026 Entry)

Find out more about our English and Comparative Literary Studies Master's by Research degree at Warwick

Scholarships and financial support

Living costs

How to apply checklist

I'm ready to apply

Explore ways to connect with us

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

8th in the UK

6th Most Targeted University

69th in the World

5th best student city in the UK

Gold standard teaching

92% of our research

Page updates

About the information on this page

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