The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the highest degree offered by the University of Otago. It is awarded on the submission of a thesis which must meet rigorous standards. It requires highly developed academic ability, independence and perseverance. Most students take between 3-4 years of full-time study to complete their PhD.

This program is a structured blend of graduate education in theory and methods, and supervised research. The taught elements of the program draw on modules offered to postgraduate students in the School of Languages, Literature, Culture and Communication in combinations designed to deliver both a broad graduate education for research students, and a more specific focus for individual students. This combination of modules is supplemented, as appropriate, by external research methodology training and the development of generic skills. The focus in the first year of the program is on enhancing knowledge through taking relevant modules; in the last three years, research becomes the focus.

The PhD programme in the School of Social Sciences offers unique opportunities for students in the region to research issues of relevance to the Islamic and Arab world as well as globally. For instance, the programme offers opportunities for research in areas such as Islamic business, international human resource management, cross-cultural management, equality and diversity, Emiratisation and other nationalization policies, marketing, sustainability, accounting, finance, and corporate governance.

This PhD program aims to create a center for higher education and advanced research at the European level in the field of literary, linguistic, and intercultural studies. It is divided into four curricula, two of which are international. The two international curricula (Germanistics and European Founding Myths in Arts and Literature) are aimed at training qualified scientific-professional figures in the field of French and Germanistics, with specific skills also in Italian culture, whose professional outlets may be found in public and private academic and cultural institutions, top management, publishing, museums, conservatories, and communication sectors in Italy, France and Germany. The third curriculum (Language, literature and philology) aims instead to train qualified figures in several disciplinary fields who are able to use integrated methodologies. Individuals may find future employment in universities, international institutions and public relations systems and transnational communication networks. The curriculum of Linguistics and Oriental Studies provides training in linguistics, preparing scholars for careers primarily within universities or other research centers. The training is congruent with the need for language specialization in language education and L2 teaching. Individuals with this PhD will also have skills useful for consulting and highly responsible positions regarding communication in private companies, public administration and cultural heritage contexts, as well as professional tasks in various cultural industries (i.e. publishing, radio, television, new media) and services.

The graduate of Germanic and Nordic Languages and Literatures is a highly educated expert who is qualified for research in his/her field, i. e., in Germanic and Nordic linguistics or literature. He/she is ready for scholarly work and further growth in the academic area. He/she is able to manage language and literary problems where language skills and philological work are required, or where the theory and history of individual literature in all its linguistic and historical-cultural contexts are needed.

The PhD in Philology, Italian Literature and Linguistics is intended as a highest-level course to acquire specialist skills in the field of literary, philological and linguistic studies.

Research Degrees (MPhil/PhD) in Japanese and Korean Studies is able to supervise MPhil and PhD degrees by research and thesis in a wide range of cultural and linguistic subjects. Intending research students should not feel constrained to limit their choice of topics to those indicated against the names of current staff members (postgraduate students have recently been working on a range of topics that include Japanese cinema, Kabuki texts, modern Japanese linguistics and literature, Meiji historical texts, Korean linguistics and literature, Korean colonial and eighteenth-century history).

The China and Inner Asia Department is able to supervise MPhil and PhD degrees by research and thesis in a wide range of cultural and linguistic subjects. Intending research students should not feel constrained to limit their choice of topics to those indicated against the names of current staff members (postgraduate students have recently been working on such diverse topics as colour symbolism in ancient Chinese texts, Chinese cinema, Chinese Braille systems, and translation studies).

This international double degree study program is implemented on the basis of the relevant agreement between Charles University and the University of Rome La Sapienza dated December 6, 2018. The language of instruction is German.

This international double degree doctoral study programme is implemented on the basis of the inter-university agreement between Charles University and Sapienza University dated 6.12.2018. The language of instruction is Russian.

In a Doctoral Degree, students prove their ability to do original research. Ideally, this research should lead to the publication of an article or a book. The formative value of a Doctoral Degree cannot be overestimated: acquiring and practicing skills of creative and original thinking, problem-solving, critical reading, analysis, and synthesis. The topic of the degree should contribute to our understanding of Roman civilization and its contribution to Western civilization (political theory, philosophy, religion, literature, theatre, film, religion, architecture, etc.).

In a Doctoral Degree, students prove their ability to do original research. Ideally, this research should lead to the publication of an article or a book. The formative value of a Doctoral Degree cannot be overestimated: acquiring and practicing skills of creative and original thinking, problem-solving, critical reading, analysis, and synthesis. The topic of the degree should contribute to our understanding of Greek civilization (Ancient, Hellenistic, Byzantine, or Modern) and its contribution to Western civilization (political theory, philosophy, religion, literature, theatre, film, religion, architecture, etc.

On a more advanced level (Doctoral studies) students are encouraged to collaborate with us in our fields of expertise, i.e. the Contemporary French Novel, Autobiography; Contemporary French Theatre, and Francophone Literature in order to develop their capacities for research and critical thought. The French Department’s Doctoral Degree is designed for dedicated researchers and mainly consists of a dissertation.

*This program is taught in German

This program explains Second Language Teaching (SLT) methodology and supports it with many examples. It overviews different orientations for English Language Teaching (ELT) programs, describes pedagogical methods, and pinpoints the consistent ideas that lead to success in this field. The program develops practical coverage of all the key issues for the effective practice of ELT.