We offer MPhil and PhD research programmes in English (including American Studies), Comparative Literature or Linguistics for full or part-time study.

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.

The Doctoral Program in Literature and Cultural Studies is characterized by an emphasis on literary studies from different methodological and linguistic perspectives, with an openness towards cultural analysis. Among the previous programs that are part of this new proposal are the Theory of Literature and Comparative Literature, originally linked to a Mundus Master, and the Study and Annotation of Spanish Literary Texts. Likewise, other programs are incorporated that are registered in the fields of Latin, Greek, Italian, French, Galician, Portuguese and German philology.

The SOAS Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS) welcomes applications from MPhil/PhD students wishing to undertake research in the disciplines of Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies and Postcolonial Studies. The Centre has developed its own MPhil training programme which will enable research students to be registered in the Centre rather than in specific regional Departments or those of other disciplines.

PhD by research via Distance Learning is awarded after successfully completing a theoretical research specialization. This research is presented in the form of a doctoral thesis. The PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is the only doctoral degree that can be achieved through distance learning. The main requirement for a PhD online through distance learning is to present and discuss a thesis of at least 100 pages for review and evaluation by an academic committee at Selinus University. The development of this research programme should improve knowledge and understanding of English literature from its origins. Students are exposed to a variety of literary genres (poetry, theatre, fiction and non-fiction), as well as the main aesthetic, political, religious and social issues that have influenced and helped shape the literature of every era. Research in this area is not only fundamental for the future professorship of candidates to understand the literature understudy, but must also develop the related historical aspects of the English language. By mastering these concepts, candidates can gain a deeper appreciation of the development and expansion of English literature worldwide.

PhD by research via Distance Learning is awarded after successfully completing a theoretical research specialization. This research is presented in the form of a doctoral thesis. The PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is the only doctoral degree that can be achieved through distance learning. The main requirement for a PhD online through distance learning is to present and discuss a thesis of at least 100 pages for review and evaluation by an academic committee at Selinus University. A research thesis for these PhD programmes should be designed to improve the knowledge and understanding of literature from its different cultural approaches. Every student in the research in this area should distinguish between the various literary genres (poetry, theatre, fiction and nonfiction), as well as the main aesthetic, political, religious and social issues that have influenced and contributed to shaping the literature of all times and cultures.

A research thesis for these PhD programmes should be designed to improve the knowledge and understanding of literature from its different cultural approaches. Every student in the research in this area should distinguish between the various literary genres (poetry, theatre, fiction and nonfiction), as well as the main aesthetic, political, religious and social issues that have influenced and contributed to shaping the literature of all times and cultures.

Galicia demands in the current situation a specific program in English Studies that has the active participation of teachers from the three Galician universities in a common project for the training of doctors in the main lines of research within this field of knowledge: culture and English and North American literary texts, other English-language literatures, English linguistics in its synchronic and diachronic aspects, and linguistics applied to the teaching of English and to translation.

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 development of this research programme should improve knowledge and understanding of English literature from its origins. Students are exposed to a variety of literary genres (poetry, theatre, fiction and non-fiction), as well as the main aesthetic, political, religious and social issues that have influenced and helped shape the literature of every era.

The Department of English and Comparative Literature offers a stimulating environment for undertaking postgraduate research in critical theory and, more broadly, the relationship between philosophy, literature, and other cultural forms.

This study program submitted for review aims to train professionals who can creatively apply their theoretical expertise in English studies within a broadly conceived context of education that spans all educational stages. The program also fosters ingenuity and flexibility, thus producing erudite experts who can reassess the ever-changing needs of foreign language teaching and incorporate these into their methodology. Perhaps most importantly, the study program submitted for review is a symbiosis between the major field of study (i.e. English philology, spanning linguistic and literary-cultural aspects) on the one hand, and didactics of English and applied didactics on the other. This is a program without specialization.

The Program in PhD in British, Irish, and American Literatures in English comprises two phases, the first of which consists of three modules: core curriculum courses in the fields of literary theory, cultural studies, and a literary history stretching over the first three semesters; teaching, tutoring, mentoring, and other department-related activities (second and third semesters); individual research for the thesis (continuous) and revision for the final exam (fourth semester). Having earned the required credits and passed the final exam, students enter the second phase, wherein they are required to finish their theses with the help of their supervisors, and submit it two years after their final exam. The program is thus divided into two years of coursework and two years of research and writing, with tutors helping candidates all along on their way toward receiving their PhDs.

Graduates are highly qualified specialists in literary and cultural studies focused on English-speaking countries, especially the literature and cultures on the British Isles and in North America. They have a good command of theoretical and methodological approaches, are able to conduct independent research and to teach literary and cultural histories of the United Kingdom, USA, Ireland and other English-speaking countries, and related literary and cultural courses, at tertiary level. They can participate in team research projects and work in international research teams. Czech graduates have a good command of the terminology and style of the discipline in their mother tongue and possess basic knowledge of the reception of Anglophone literature in Czech culture.

Graduates from the Ph.D. program in Romance Literatures are highly qualified specialists trained to conduct research work in their field (the literature of one or more Romance-speaking areas). They are able to analyze the literature of the chosen Romance-speaking area in a qualified manner, applying a synchronic or diachronic approach and modern literary methods and research procedures. Moreover, their expertise comprises the knowledge of general literary theory, the fundamentals of comparative literature and literary theory and criticism with a special emphasis on the chosen Romance-speaking area. Graduates are qualified for positions in the academia (universities, research centers etc.); their language skills and broad education qualify the graduates for employment in cultural institutions, the media, diplomacy, and other fields.