Programme description
Our PhD French Studies programme will enable you to carry out a significant piece of in-depth research in an area of interest.
French Studies at Manchester is home to a thriving community of postgraduate researchers who conduct research across the broad spectrum of French and Francophone Studies.
They form part of our wider network of specialists whose research spans a diverse range of areas, from early modern theatre, animal studies, and colonial literature to popular music and contemporary cinema.
Our staff have also secured major research grants, including AHRC funding for 'Queer Cinema from Spain and France: The Translation of Desire and the Formation of Transnational Queer Identities' (2012-15) and previously for 'Post-Colonial Negotiations: Visualising the Franco- Algerian Relationship in the Post-War Period' (with Durham University).
Our research culture is further enhanced by our annual programme of research seminars, comprising visiting speakers and researcher-led workshops.
We provide a supportive and welcoming forum for all our postgraduates, fostering the knowledge and equipping them with the skills needed to ensure success within their chosen research field.
Find out more about our research within French Studies , our staff and what our current postgraduate research students are working on.
Special features
Graduate School
All of our postgraduate students become members of the Graduate School when you start at Manchester. It has dedicated facilities for students and offers opportunities to collaborate with other postgraduates.
REF 2014
French at Manchester has a long tradition of excellence in research. In the 2014 REF, Modern Languages and Linguistics at Manchester, the unit of assessment that includes French Studies, had more than 70% of research outputs rated at 4* (world leading)/3* (internationally excellent).
These results place Modern Languages and Linguistics at Manchester at a highly impressive 3rd out of 57 submissions, nationally, based on research power (calculated by 4* and 3* times number of staff submitted).
Additional programme information
Equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities.
We know that diversity strengthens our research community, leading to enhanced research creativity, productivity and quality, and societal and economic impact.
We actively encourage applicants from diverse career paths and backgrounds and from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status.
All appointments are made on merit.
The University of Manchester and our external partners are fully committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Teaching and learning
The PhD is the major postgraduate research degree. It involves three years of full-time study or six years of part-time study and the preparation of a thesis of not more than 80,000 words that makes a significant contribution to knowledge.
A satisfactory PhD topic is one that a suitably qualified and properly supervised student can bring to completion within the permitted timeframe.
Please note that all PhD students are required to undertake research training as part of their PhD programme.
Coursework and assessment
Your research will normally be supervised by two members of staff at the University. Your supervisors will most likely be members of the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, but if your research requires it, we may arrange for supervision by someone outside the School.
Supervisory arrangements at Manchester are governed by a Code of Practice which is available on the University's website.
Regular meetings will be held with the supervisors, and details of each of the meetings will be recorded.
Research panels (consisting of at least three academic staff, including the supervisors) are held once per semester to monitor progress.
Please note that the first year of the full-time programme and the first two years of the part-time programme are probationary. This means you will be required to show evidence of satisfactory progress to proceed with the programme.
Facilities
Manchester is home to one of the UK's five National Research Libraries - one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the UK and widely recognised as one of the world's greatest research libraries.
Find out more about libraries and study spaces for postgraduate research students at Manchester.
We also have one of the largest academic IT services in Europe - supporting world-class teaching and research. There are extensive computing facilities across campus, with access to standard office software as well as specialist programmes, all connected to the campus network and internet.
Every student is registered for email, file storage and internet access. If more demanding computer access is required, our specialist computing division can provide high-end and specialist computing services.
The Graduate School offers dedicated state of the art facilities to research students, including common rooms and workstations.
Find out more about facilities for Modern Languages and Cultures students.