PhD in English with Creative Writing
Source: https://www.york.ac.uk/english/study/postgraduate-research/phd-english-creative-writing/ Parent: https://www.york.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/all?mode=research
Join a thriving community of researchers to develop a substantial research project alongside an original piece of creative writing.
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| Length | Start dates (semester dates) | |
|---|---|---|
| PhD | 3 years full-time 6 years part-time Distance learning available Apply for PhD | January September |
Join a passionate and intellectual research community to explore literature across all periods and genres.
Your research
Our PhD in English with Creative Writing encourages distinctive approaches to practice-based literary research. This route allows you to develop a substantial research project, which incorporates an original work of creative writing (in prose, poetry, or other forms). As part of a thriving community of postgraduate researchers and writers, you'll be supported by world-leading experts with a wide range of global and historical specialisms, and given access to unique resources including our letterpress printing studio and Writer in Residence.
Under the guidance of your supervisor, you will complete a critical research component of 30-40,000 words and a creative component written to its natural length (e.g. a book-length work of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction). A typical semester will involve a great deal of independent work, punctuated by meetings with your supervisor, who will be able to suggest direction and address concerns throughout the writing process. You will be encouraged to undertake periods of research at archives and potentially internationally, depending on your project.
Throughout your degree, you will have the opportunity to attend a wide range of research training sessions. You can also attend a range of research and creative seminars organised by the research schools and our distinguished Writers at York series. This brings speakers from around the world for research talks, author conversations, and networking.
Applicants for the PhD in English with Creative Writing should submit a research proposal for their overall research project, along with samples of creative and critical writing, demonstrating a suitable ability in each, as part of the application. Proposals should include plans for a critical research component of 30-40,000 words and a creative component written to its natural length, e.g. a book-length work of poetry, fiction, or creative non-fiction. The proposal should provide a detailed explanation of both the critical and creative components of your project and describe the relationship between them.
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PhD in English with Creative Writing (distance learning)
We offer a distance learning option if you cannot live in or sufficiently near York to be on campus regularly. This option allows you the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world. As part of the application process, we will ask for justification for taking the distance learning option and will then assess the feasibility for this research programme.\ \ If you're studying by distance learning, you'll be required to attend campus at least twice in each year of registration, with the visits timed to coincide with training and supervision milestones. Inductions run at the start of the academic year and the annual PhD Festival runs at the end of the academic year.
Apply for PhD in English with Creative Writing (distance learning)
We're a top ten research department according to the Times Higher Education’s ranking of the latest REF results (2021).
32nd in the world and 8th in the UK
for English Language and Literature in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2025.
We're proud to hold an Athena Swan Silver award in recognition of the work we do to support gender equality in English.
We host a series of hugely successful seminars, open to everyone, where a stellar cast of world-famous contemporary writers deliver readings and workshops.
Funding
Explore funding for postgraduate researchers in the Department of English and Related Literature.
Supervision
Explore the expertise of our staff and identify a potential supervisor.
Research student training
You'll receive training in research methods and skills appropriate to the stage you've reached and the nature of your work. In addition to regular supervisory meetings to discuss planning, researching and writing the thesis, you'll have access to a wide range of training and resources to support the development of your research.
We also offer training in teaching skills if you wish to pursue teaching posts following your degree. This includes:
- sessions on the delivery and content of seminars and workshops to undergraduates
- a structured shadowing programme
- teaching inductions
- comprehensive guidance and resources for our graduate teaching assistants.
Our teacher training is directed by a dedicated member of staff. You'll have the opportunity to further your training by taking the York Professional and Academic Development scheme (YPAD).
The Humanities Research Centre also offers a rich array of training sessions that you can take part in.
Course location
This course is run by the Department of English and Related Literature.
You'll be based on Campus West, though your research may take you further afield.
We also have a distance learning option available for this course.
Entry requirements
For doctoral research, you should hold a first-class or high upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualification) and hold or be predicted to achieve a Masters degree with distinction.
The undergraduate and Masters degrees should be in literature and/or creative writing, or in a related subject that is related to the proposed research project.
Other relevant experience and expertise is taken into account:
- Relevant professional experience can be outlined in your personal statement and/or a CV if you choose to include one.
- You are welcome to include a narrative description of relevant life experiences in your personal statement. This might include caring responsibilities, career breaks, barriers you have faced, and declaring your belonging to an under-represented group if you wish.
- It is expected that postgraduate applicants would be familiar with the recent published work of their proposed supervisor.
- Publications are not required and we don't expect applicants to have been published before they start their research degrees.
Applying
Take a look at the supporting documents you need for your application. These include two recent samples of your written work (creative and critical writing, demonstrating a suitable ability in each).
Before applying, we advise you to identify a potential supervisor in the department. Preliminary enquiries are welcomed and should be made as early as possible. Please email one member of staff at a time, after checking that their research expertise matches your project. We recommend that you attach your CV and research proposal to your email when you first make contact with a prospective supervisor. Emailing several staff members at a time regardless of the relationship between their research interests and yours means that you are unlikely to find a good supervisory match.
If it's not clear which member of staff is appropriate, you should email the Graduate Chair, currently Professor Emilie Morin.
Apply for the PhD in English with Creative Writing
Apply for the PhD in English with Creative Writing (Distance Learning)
Students embarking on a PhD programme are initially enrolled provisionally for that qualification. Confirmation of PhD registration is dependent upon the submission of a satisfactory proposal that meets the standards required for the degree, usually in the second year of study.
Find out more about how to apply.
English language requirements
You'll need to provide evidence of your proficiency in English if it's not your first language.
Check your English language requirements
Research proposal
In order to apply for a PhD, we ask that you submit a research proposal as part of your application.
Typically, PhD proposals are between 1,000 and 1,500 words. We kindly ask applicants not to exceed 1,500 words, including referencing. Alongside this outline of the critical and creative components of your project, you’ll need to provide a short summary of your research proposal between 250 and 350 words in length.
When making your application, you're advised to make your research proposal as specific and clear as possible. Please indicate the member(s) of staff that you'd wish to work with.
Research proposal guidance
Your research proposal should:
- Identify your precise topic and communicate the main aim of your project.
- Provide a detailed description of your proposed project, including how you might plan the critical research and the creative components of the PhD
- Describe any previous work you have done in this area, with reference to relevant literature you have read so far.
- Communicate the central sources that the project will address and engage, and offer an outline of the main claims and contributions that the project will make.
- Give a clear indication of the authors and texts that your project will draw upon.
- Include the academic factors, such as university facilities, libraries resources, centres, other resources, and / or staff, which have specifically led you to apply to York.
What we look for:
- How you place your project in conversation with the scholarly landscape: what has already been accomplished and what you plan to achieve in your project. This is your chance to show that you have a good understanding of the relevant work on your topic and that you have identified a new way or research question to approach the topic.
- Your voice as a scholar and critical thinker. In clean, clear prose, show those who will assess your application how your proposal demonstrates your original thinking and the potential of your project.
- Your fit with York, including the reasons for wanting to work with your supervisor and relevant research schools and centres.
- Above all, remember that there isn’t one uniform way to structure and arrange your research proposal, and that your approach will necessarily reflect your chosen topic.
Admissions
The core deciding factor for admission is the quality of the research proposal, though your whole academic profile will be taken into account. We are committed to ensuring that no prospective or existing student is treated less favourably. See our admissions policy for more information.
There are several stages in the Postgraduate Research admissions process:
PGR admissions process for English and Related Literature
First, your application will be reviewed by admissions teams centrally to check that it is complete.
Second, your application will be reviewed by staff in the Department to check that it fulfils our entry requirements. The quality of supporting documents such as your two writing samples will be considered, along with the quality, relevance and potential of your research proposal, which will be evaluated against the guidelines on research proposals published above.
Third, if those checks have been passed and if we have the capacity to supervise your project, you will be invited to an interview to ensure a good supervisory match. The interview will be conversational and relaxed, but it is a formal part of the selection process.
This interview will last approximately 30-40 minutes and is likely to be online. Alternatives to an online meeting can be made available if requested. You can request reasonable adjustments, owing to a disability or caring commitments, for example. You will be interviewed by two members of staff.
The core interview questions might include the following:
- What inspired your proposed research topic/project?
- Which part of your research project are you most looking forward to? Why?
- Are there experiences in your previous studies, or broader life experiences, which you feel have prepared you for postgraduate research? How?
- What are your motivations for undertaking postgraduate research in this Department?
- Is there anything you’d like to ask about postgraduate study in the Department of English and Related Literature?
These sample questions account for the fact that, at this stage, it is normal to be unsure about what your actual project will look like in practice. Your interviewers may ask you follow-up questions if anything is unclear to them, including questions about your research proposal and proposed research area. PhD applicants may also be asked about their funding application plans, to enable staff to provide appropriate support if need be.
You will be notified of the Department’s decision after the interview.
If your application is rejected at this stage or at an earlier stage, this does not necessarily mean that your research proposal is not of good quality. Sometimes, we have to regretfully decline good applications, because the project is not aligned with the research expertise we can offer or because the academic staff who could supervise your project are at maximum capacity with PGR supervision and cannot take on more projects at present.
If your application is accepted, we very much hope that you will accept our offer. We will be delighted to welcome you to our research community when you join us!
Careers and skills
You’ll graduate with transferable skills in investigative research, creative problem-solving, critical analysis, communication and creative thinking, and the ability to craft and execute detailed research and writing projects.
Our Research Culture and Researcher Development team offer specific support, including a professional researcher development programme conceived to help you build your future career. Our Careers team offer dedicated careers workshops and 1:1 career support sessions. These opportunities will help you to build up your employability portfolio and to engage in activities that will improve your skills and experience within and outside your research work.
Our PhD graduates go into careers in higher education in the UK and abroad and in other educational contexts, administration, consultancy, management, publishing, communications, the creative industries and other professions.
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