MPhil/PhD in Caribbean Studies (2025 Entry)

The Yesu Persaud Centre for Caribbean Studies at the University of Warwick

Course code

P-Q4P0

Start date

6 October 2025

Duration

3-4 years full-time

Qualification

MPhil/PhD

Led by

The Yesu Persaud Centre for Caribbean Studies

Location

University of Warwick

Course code

P-Q4P0

Start date

6 October 2025

Duration

3-4 years full-time

Qualification

MPhil/PhD

Led by

The Yesu Persaud Centre for Caribbean Studies

Location

University of Warwick

Meet us

Download our prospectus Link opens in a new window

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Explore our Caribbean Studies MPhil/PhD degree at Warwick

MPhil/PhD in Caribbean Studies offers you the opportunity to study the Caribbean through an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspective. The Yesu Persaud Centre for Caribbean Studies offers a varied selection of research expertise, ranging from slavery in the 18th century to disaster law and culture.

Course overview

At the start of the academic year, you will be welcomed by our department. You will work with your supervisor to create a calendar plan for the year that is bespoke for you and your studies. Through independent research and regular meetings with your supervisor you will develop your research project.

Each year, your work will also be read and assessed by other academic staff in your field. The final goal of the research degree is the production of your thesis. You will write 80,000 words (excluding footnotes, bibliography and appendices) on a topic of your choice; and be examined by an internal and external examiner in a viva.

Teaching and learning

You will develop your research project through a combination of independent research and regular meetings with your supervisor(s). 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 can ask any academic from our Centre to be your supervisor. See our staff web pagesLink opens in a new window for more details and to see whose research interests align with yours.

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject.

English language requirements

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

Band B
IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 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

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Research themes

Our research

Current areas of research expertise are:

Slavery and empire in the 18th and 19th centuries
Caribbean maritime worlds and networks
White identities
Caribbean writing in French and Spanish
Postcolonial Caribbean texts
Pre-1900 English Caribbean literatures
Women's writing and feminist theory
Disaster law and culture
Slavery and law
The Haitian Revolution
Postcolonial studies
World literature, literary and cultural theory
Gender and slavery
Enslaved runaways and maroons

Students will be supervised by faculty members with expertise in these areas.

You can also read our general University research proposal guidance.Link opens in a new window

Supervisors and proposals

Find a supervisor

Find your supervisor using the link below and discuss with them the area you'd like to research.

The Yesu Persaud Centre for Caribbean Studies is comprised of a number of academics from different University departments, and students undertaking Caribbean dissertations are supervised by these academics.

Explore our Academic Staff pageLink opens in a new window for more information about our staff and their research interests.

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

Research proposals

Please contact The Yesu Persaud Centre for Caribbean Studies for specific research proposal requirementsLink opens in a new window.

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

Yesu Persaud Centre for Caribbean Studies

The Centre for Caribbean Studies was established in October 1984 with assistance from the Leverhulme Trust and the Nuffield Foundation. It was the first such Centre in the UK to recognise the significance of the Caribbean region and its historically interdependent linkages with the UK and the world. Its principal aim is to stimulate teaching and research on the Caribbean.

It also encourages the study of the Caribbean in an Atlantic context, emphasising African, North and South American, Asian and European influences from a comparative, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspective. Additionally, it serves as a national forum for individuals and organisations with an interest in and concern for the diaspora as well as those countries bordering the Caribbean.

Learn 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

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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
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2024 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

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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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MPhil/PhD in Caribbean Studies (2025 Entry)

Explore our Caribbean Studies MPhil/PhD 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

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