Interested in PhD studies?
If you are interested in applying for a position as PhD student at the English Unit, please note that we advertise for these positions once a year, normally in January or February. Applications cannot be considered outside the official application period.
The English Unit currently offers PhD education (third-cycle education) in two separate research subjects: English language and linguistics, and English literature. Before submitting an application for a PhD position in either of these fields, please review the websites for both the English Unit and the Centre for Languages and Literature. You should also read through the general information about PhD education provided by the Joint Faculties of Humanities and Theology.
The admissions requirements are listed on pages 3-4 in the General Syllabus. Applicants who hold a BA degree will normally meet the general admissions requirements. To be able to meet even the specific admissions requirements, applicants will need to hold an MA degree in English language and linguistics, or in a subject that is directly relevant for English language and linguistics. This means that applicants will need to have a strong background in not only the English language but also in various core fields of linguistics, such as morphology, lexis, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, discourse analysis, and sociolinguistics.
Applicants must have excellent spoken and written proficiency in English. The knowledge of English must be documented by an international standardized proficiency test that is normally no more than two years old. The following tests are accepted:
- IELTS (Academic) with a minimum overall score of 7.5 and no module normally under 7
- TOEFL iBT test / TOEFL iBT Home Edition / TOEFL iBT Paper Edition, with a minimum overall score of 102 and scores for the respective four skills at least in the ranges corresponding to “Advanced”: reading 24-30; listening 22-30; speaking 25-30; writing 24-30
- Pearson PTE Academic / Pearson PTE Academic Online, with a minimum score of 76 (within the range of 76-84)
- Cambridge English Qualifications, level C2 (a minimum score of 200)
Applicants whose first language is English and who possess a high-school diploma or an Upper Secondary School Leaving Examination diploma from the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand are exempted from the above requirement. A copy of the diploma must be submitted with the application.
Please note that all other applicants must submit a standardized proficiency test result.
The applications must include:
- A CV that lists all previous academic degrees. The CV should also provide information about other relevant qualifications.
- A list of publications (if this information is not already provided in the CV).
- Records of the first- and second-cycle studies (i.e., of BA and MA studies). Provide attested copies of official transcripts of records and of all the degree certificates. If these are written in other languages than English or the Scandinavian languages, provide attested translated copies of the original documents.
- Copies of first- and second-cycle theses/degree projects (i.e., the BA and MA theses). If these are written in other languages than English or the Scandinavian languages, provide translated copies of these works.
- Copies of possible scholarly articles, reports, or papers that are of relevance. These should also be listed in the CV or the list of publications, and it must be clear what type of work they exemplify (e.g., published articles or course papers).
- A project proposal for the PhD thesis work. The proposal should outline the planned thesis topic and field and indicate what theories and methods will be used. It must also motivate how the planned project is relevant for the subject of English language and linguistics. The project proposal can be max. 1500 words in length, excluding references.
- A copy of the English language proficiency test score report.
Please note that you need to upload all documents with your application as pdf-files. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
All the documents must be uploaded in the university’s official recruitment system Varbi.
The specific and procedural requirements for application for doctoral study in English literature are outlined in the General Syllabus and in the advertisement text published each year.
The applications must include:
- Records of first- and second-cycle degrees (i.e., BA, MA , etc.). Please provide attested copies of official transcripts of records and of all the degree certificates. If these are written in languages other than English or the Scandinavian languages, please provide attested translated copies of the original documents.
- First- and second-cycle theses/degree projects
- A list of other relevant educational qualifications and administrative experience
- Where applicable, scholarly journal articles, reports, or papers of relevance to the subject
- Project proposal (1500 words maximum, excluding references).
Please note that you need to upload all documents with your application as pdf-files. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
All the documents must be uploaded in the university’s official recruitment system Varbi.