PhD in English

Apply using the Applicant Portal

The Apply Now button on the right will take you to the Applicant Portal. There, you can create and submit your application and supporting documents, and you can also request your references.

An application is only complete when:

1. you have submitted your application and supporting documents via the Applicant Portal
2. you have paid the application fee if applicable. For further information on application fees, and which courses require an application fee, see here.
3. your referees have provided their references.

If you miss the deadlines specified in this section, you will not be able to submit your application.

Selection Process

Applications for Gates US funding are considered in October. Applications not shortlisted for the Gates US funding competition are considered for an offer and other funding competitions in the main January application round.

The Faculty's Postgraduate Admissions Committee processes all applications other than those shortlisted for the Gates US funding after the January deadline. If your application is shortlisted for funding, you will receive an offer of a place by mid-February. The majority of funding is awarded by the end of April. If your application is not shortlisted for funding, you will receive the offer decision on your application ordinarily by the end of March.

Further information on How To Apply

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Things You'll Need

You should start preparing the things that you'll need when you apply. These will be mandatory, unless specifically flagged as optional.

• Two referees willing to give you a reference
  Either academic or professional – please see our References guidance for more information about which type you need. Your referees will need to have submitted their reference by the course deadline.
• Transcript  
• CV/resume
• Evidence of competence in English
  If required - please see our Competence in English guidance for more information.
• Project Title (250 characters) (mandatory)
• Research Summary (2500 characters) (mandatory)
• Research Proposal (7500 characters) (mandatory)
  Please submit an 800-word research proposal.
• Sample of Work (max 5) (document upload) (mandatory)
  Please submit a sample of work, which can be one long piece or several shorter essays totaling 5,000-7,000 words.
• PhD Proposed Supervisor (Mandatory)
• Research Experience (2500 characters) (optional)
• School of Arts and Humanities - Widening Participation Questionnaire
  Applicants to this course are being asked to complete an additional form to provide contextual information about their previous study. Find out more about our use of contextual information here: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/how/contextual-data

Gates Cambridge Scholarships

If you wish to be considered for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship you will also need to provide the following:

• Gates Cambridge Reference  
• Research Proposal (PhD applicants only)

See Gates Cambridge for more information.

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How to Find a Supervisor

Please note that prospective postgraduate students should look at the list of faculty members' research interests before they decide to apply in order to ensure that there is relevant supervisory expertise for their project. However, supervisors aren't appointed until after the candidate has been accepted and cannot appoint themselves to supervise a project in advance.

If you are being considered for a place, a potential Supervisor will contact you for an interview.

Please list in your application at least one, and up to three, proposed supervisors in the Faculty of English, ranked in order of their expertise match for your project (most relevant first).