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MPhil/PhD in Caribbean Studies (2024 Entry)

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

Find out more about our Caribbean Studies MPhil/PhD.

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 pages for more details and to see whose research interests align with yours.


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.


Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

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.

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 page for more information about our staff and their research interests.

You can also see our general University guidance about finding a supervisor.

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

The University carries out an initial fee status assessment based on information provided in the application and according to the guidance published by UKCISA. Students are classified as either Home or Overseas Fee status and this can determine the tuition fee and eligibility of certain scholarships and financial support.

If you receive an offer, your fee status will be stated with the tuition fee information. If you believe your fee status has been incorrectly classified you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire (follow the instructions in your offer) and provide the required documentation for this to be reassessed.

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides guidance to UK universities on fees status criteria, you can find the latest guidance on the impact of Brexit on fees and student support on the UKCISA website.


Additional course costs

Please contact your academic department for information about department specific costs, which should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below, such as:

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

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 content block about careers

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.


Our Postgraduate Courses

How to apply

The application process for courses that start in September and October 2024 will open on 2 October 2023.

For research courses that start in September and October 2024 the application deadline for students who require a visa to study in the UK is 2 August 2024. This should allow sufficient time to complete the admissions process and to obtain a visa to study in the UK.

How to apply for a postgraduate research course  

After you’ve applied

Find out how we process your application.

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Track your application and update your details.

Admissions statement

See Warwick’s postgraduate admissions policy.

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