Research Degrees

Doctoral Training for Research
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has announced (January 2011) that Warwick is to become an accredited Doctoral Training Centre (DTC). Warwick is one of only 21 such centres across the UK and has been granted the third highest allocation of studentships. The Centre for Applied Linguistics is part of this DTC and Linguistics is one of the named pathways.

The Centre for Applied Linguistics offers the following research degrees:

  • PhD (3 years full-time or 5 years part-time research + thesis)
  • MPhil (2 years full-time research + thesis)

The Centre welcomes applications from students who wish to study for any of the above research degree programme if their topic falls within the interests of the three main research groups:

 
The Process of Studying for a Research degree

Students prepare for the degree of PhD through a 3 year programme of full-time research and study, during which they work under the guidance of one or two supervisors, attending classes on research methods during the first year, and preparing a thesis of 80,000 words by the end of the third year.

Applicants for doctoral degrees will normally have gained an MA degree in the field of ELT, or a closely related area, and will have written a dissertation indicating a good aptitude for research.

The period of part-time registration for a PhD is five years. Acceptance on this basis is unusual unless students are able to visit the University during term times. It is possible on occasion however for students to combine periods of full-time and part-time registration in order to accommodate individual circumstances. The University does not offer the possibility of completing a PhD by distance teaching.

In keeping with normal practice at the University of Warwick, successful applicants for the degree of PhD are registered initially for ‘the degree of MPhil/ PhD’. Progress is reviewed regularly and the student transferred to PhD registration during the course of study, by preference during the second year. Upgrading is not automatic but it is the expected and usual outcome for those accepted to work towards a PhD. Students who submit for an MPhil degree do so after 2 years of full time study and research, and write a thesis of 60000 words.

How to Apply

If you wish to apply for one of the research degrees in this Centre, you should submit an on-line application form and the other documentation requested on the form (transcripts, references, an English language score if your first language is not English). Please note that for admission onto our research degrees applicants whose first language is not English must achieve a score of at least 7.0 on the IELTS test, including a score of at least 7.0 on the Writing component (or the equivalent of these scores on a test recognised by the UK Border Agency).

If you are applying for the degree of MPhil/PhD, you need to submit a research proposal with the form. The proposal should indicate your intended research area and outline a plan for the work to be undertaken. You should justify the planned research by reference both to the literature and your interests or intentions. You should indicate possible research methods and also include a bibliography. The proposal should normally be at least 1500 words long. If you have completed an MA degree, you may be asked to submit a copy of your dissertation or some course work completed during the programme.

There is also extensive information about research degrees in the University of Warwick handbook An Introduction to Graduate Study at Warwick which all students should refer to if they are making an application.

Application forms

If you wish to apply for a research degree, you should submit an on-line application form for postgraduate study at the University of Warwick, together with the documents specified on the form such as transcripts, references and certificates. Please contact:

The Graduate School Office
University of Warwick
Coventry CV4 7AL.

Tel: +44 (0) 2476 524585 .
Fax. +44 (0)2476 524586
Online at: www.warwick.ac.uk/go/pgapply

Email: pgadmissions@warwick.ac.uk
Website: http://www.warwick.ac.uk/postgrad

Admission decisions

If you apply to register for a research degree, your application will be considered on the basis of your academic record, in particular your potential for research; the focus and quality of your research proposal or statement of intent; and in the case of MPhil/ PhD, the availability of supervision in the field of the proposal.

Funding

Click on the link below to find information about funding for research degrees:

Advice

Potential applicants are welcome to ask for any further information or advice before submitting an application. Please contact Dr. Keith Richards. Telephone +44 (0)24 7652 3200 ; Fax: +44 (0)24 7652 4318. Email: k.richards@warwick.ac.uk