find your perfect postgrad program
Search our Database of 30,000 Courses

The University of Edinburgh: French (PhD)

Institution The University of Edinburgh View institution profile
Department School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures
Web https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying
Study type Research

Summary

Doctorate-level study is an opportunity to make an original, positive contribution to research in French and Francophone Studies.

Join our interdisciplinary community and undertake your PhD under the guidance of our experienced and well-published supervisors.

French has been taught here since 1894, making it one of the first European languages to be offered at Edinburgh. We specialise in the language, literatures and cultures of France and the many countries around the world in which French is spoken.

Language, to us, is inseparable from culture. As such, we encourage you to think broadly and explore the implications of language in a wider perspective.

Research excellence

In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), our research in French and Francophone Studies was submitted in Modern Languages and Linguistics (Panel D - Arts and Humanities; Unit of Assessment 26).

The results reaffirm Edinburgh’s position as one of the UK’s leading research universities - third in the UK.

As published in Times Higher Education's REF power ratings, this result is based on the quality and breadth of our research in the unit of assessment.

Our research expertise covers a wide range of areas, including:

  • Adaptation studies

  • Contemporary politics and institutions

  • Film studies

  • Theatre studies

  • Intermediality studies

  • Black studies

  • Women’s and gender studies

  • Francophone and post-colonial studies

  • French thought

  • Literature from the Middle Ages to the present day

  • Self-writing

  • Translation studies

  • Word and image

Across the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) and the wider University, we are able to support PhD theses crossing boundaries between languages and/or disciplines.

Over the course of your PhD, you’ll be expected to complete an original body of work under the expert guidance of your supervisors leading to a dissertation of usually between 80,000 and 100,000 words.

You will be awarded your doctorate if your thesis is judged to be of an appropriate standard, and your research makes a definite contribution to knowledge.

Go beyond the books

Beyond the Books is a podcast from the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at research and the people who make it happen. Listen to a mix of PhD, early career and established researchers talk about their journey to and through academia and about their current and recent research.

Doctor of Philosophy - PhD

Edinburgh. Extraordinary futures await.

The University of Edinburgh is one of the world's top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50, and placed 22nd in the 2024 QS World University Rankings.

Our position as one of Britain’s leading research universities was reaffirmed by the results of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top research-intensive universities, ranked 4th in the UK for research power (Times Higher Education, Overall Ranking of Institutions), with 90% of our research activity classified as world leading or internationally excellent in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

Our …

View Profile

Not what you are looking for?

Browse other courses in French studies or French, or search our comprehensive database of postgrad programs.

Postgraduate Bursary Opportunity with Postgrad.com

Are you studying as a PG student at the moment or have you recently been accepted on a postgraduate program? Apply now for one of our £2000 PGS bursaries.

Click here