PhD/MPhil in Renaissance Studies at the University of Warwick

MPhil/PhD in Renaissance Studies (2026 Entry)

Course code

P-V1P1

Start date

6 October 2025

Duration

3-4 years full-time;
Up to 7 years part-time

Qualification

MPhil/PhD

Led by

Centre for the Study of the Renaissance

Location

University of Warwick

MPhil/PhD in Renaissance Studies (2026 Entry)

Course code

P-V1P1

Start date

6 October 2025

Duration

3-4 years full-time;
Up to 7 years part-time

Qualification

MPhil/PhD

Led by

Centre for the Study of the Renaissance

Location

University of Warwick

Meet us

Download our prospectus Link opens in a new window

Apply now

Find out more about our Renaissance Studies MPhil/PhD degree at Warwick

Warwick's PhD/MPhil in Renaissance Studies offers you the opportunity to join an exciting, internationally renowned research culture. Studying at the Centre for the Study of the Renaissance (CSR), you will receive specialist guidance as you conduct your research project.

Course overview

As a PhD/MPhil Renaissance Studies student you will focus on completing a dissertation of up to 80,000 words in a period of up to four years. You will work closely with a supervisor (and often two) from the Centre’s allied departments (Classics, English, History, History of Art, Liberal Arts and the School of Modern Languages and Cultures).

You are encouraged to develop an interdisciplinary profile, as well as to strengthen your skills in palaeography and ancient and modern languages. Warwick’s CSR is in fact a worldwide leader in doctoral training: it organises a training programme (‘Resources and Techniques for the Study of Renaissance and Early Modern Culture’) together with the Warburg Institute.

You will benefit from an Early Career Club and from the Centre’s unusually broad international connections, for instance with Johns Hopkins University (student exchange) and Monash University (Prato Consortium), as well as the opportunity to spend time in our partner institutions in Venice (Italy) and Tours (France).

Our community of doctoral students is tight-knit, fairly small, and very well looked after. As an applicant, we will do everything possible to help our applicants secure funding.

Teaching and learning

You will be able to attend skills training, language, and palaeography sessions provided for our PGT students, and audit some taught MA modules in Renaissance Studies.

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

2:1 undergraduate degree and Master’s (or equivalent) in a related 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

Areas for PhD supervision:

History of the Book and Reading Practices
Religious Art, Polemics, Thought, and Literature
The Classical Tradition (including neo-Latin and vernacular cultures; Plato; Aristotle)
The History of Ideas (especially science and medicine, ethics and politics)
Theatre and Performance (especially in England)
Gender; Society and Power
Court and Civic Culture
Renaissance Learned Culture (including humanist circles, academies, universities)
Popular Culture
Visual Culture and Debates on the Arts
Venetian Economy, Art and Culture
Travel, Colonialism and the New World

Full details of our research interests are listed on the Centre for the Study of the Renaissance web pagesLink opens in a new window.

You can also read our general University research proposal guidance.

Supervisors and proposals

Find a supervisor

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

Explore our Centre for the Study of the Renaissance Staff DirectoryLink opens in a new window to see our staff and their current research interests.

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

Research proposals

The Centre is accepting expressions of interest from students wishing to pursue a postgraduate course in Renaissance Studies at Warwick.

Students are able to explore various avenues for funding, depending on the course they are choosing and other criteria. Applicants are encouraged to investigate opportunities on our webpages, check the deadlines carefully, and communicate early on with the Director of Graduate Studies Dr Rich Rabone (R.Rabone@warwick.ac.uk) about their intentions, so that the strongest possible funding proposal may be prepared.

The Director of Graduate Studies will also be able to advise on any specific research proposal requirements.

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

Centre for the Study of the Renaissance

The Centre for the Study of the Renaissance (CSR) is a world-leading research community based at the University of Warwick. It is one of two 'category one' research centres of the University. As an independent and interdisciplinary centre, it has very strong international connections and an active programme of MA and PhD study.

The CSR aims to support – through research, teaching, and outreach – the study of the period stretching from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century, at Warwick and beyond. It is particularly dedicated to exploring Renaissance Studies in a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary way and within a context of international collaboration. It also promotes activities that intersect with the work of medievalists and early modernists.

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

Our Postgraduate courses

Apply now

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.

Apply now

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

Department content block about careers

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.

StudyStudy Postgraduate Postgraduate

MPhil/PhD in Renaissance Studies (2026 Entry)

MPhil/PhD in Renaissance Studies (2026 Entry)

Find out more about our Renaissance 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

Page updates

About the information on this page

Connect with us

Talk to us

Find us