DfE Fully Funded PhD Studentships - French

About the project

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DfE Fully Funded PhD Studentships - French

• DfE Fully Funded PhD Studentships - French: School of Arts, English and Languages | PHD Applications are now CLOSED
• Project details
• Subject information
• Course content
• Entry Requirements
• Fees and Funding
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Overview

The School of Arts English and Languages invites applications for fully-funded PhD studentships in 8 thematic areas, each generously funded by the Department for the Economy.

Full details of individual projects and codes can be viewed at https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/ael/Study/FundingScholarships/#dfe-department-for-the-economy-2026-entry-4916658-1

Funding Information

These studentships provide full tuition fees and a maintenance stipend for a maximum duration of three years, subject to eligibility.

Professor Gabriel Sanchez-Espinosa

Full-time: 3 years

French overview

French and Francophone Studies forms part of the Modern Languages Core Disciplinary Research Group (CDRG) which provides a vibrant, award-winning environment for both disciplinary and interdisciplinary scholarship. Recognised as a centre of excellence for research into the languages, literatures, histories, and cultural identities of the French-speaking world, the research culture of the CDRG is dynamic, forward-looking and inclusive, offering a strong sense of community. Established research strengths in French include nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first century literature and culture, linguistics (sociolinguistics, variation, corpus linguistics, discourse analysis), art history and visual cultures, medical humanities, popular culture, postcolonial writing and Franco-Chinese writing.

• Students have access to a range of state-of-the-art facilities including the McClay Library and the Graduate School, and can take part in the bespoke Queen’s University Postgraduate Researcher Development Programme. Our students have an excellent track record in joining subject-association executive committees and hosting international postgraduate conferences at Queen’s.
• The excellence of our research culture has been recognised in various league tables.
• Students are integrated into a very lively, diverse and award-winning interdisciplinary research community (we have a very high number of PhD students relative to most of our competitors and excellent submission rates).
• Modern Languages at Queen’s is ranked in the top 151-200 (QS World University Rankings 2026)
• French at Queen’s is ranked 1st in the UK of all Russell Group Universities for student satisfaction and has an overall score of 91% (The Complete University Guide, 2026)

Course content

Associated Research Nineteenth, Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Literature Art History Travel Writing Text and Image Medical Humanities Postcolonial Cultures Caribbean literature and theory Big Data Franco-Chinese Writing Life-writing and Autobiographical Studies Sociolinguistics Language Policy Linguistic variation Corpus linguistics Discourse analysis Literature and visual cultures Nineteenth-century novel and poetry Popular culture Postcolonial literature and theory Twentieth and twenty-first century French and Francophone literature and film We also have a strong record in supervising comparative and interdisciplinary theses across the different languages represented in the School of Modern Languages and with other Schools in the University. A number of recent and current research projects have been funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the EU (Horizon 2020), including a project on the digitisation of popular culture in a transnational frame, one on cultural tourism and the role of festivals and one on temporality in French and Occitan oral narrative.

Introduction Many of our PhD graduates have moved into academic and research roles in Higher Education in the UK, France, the Middle East and Australia, while others have secured posts in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UK), in publishing and in the education sector more broadly

Professor Maeve McCusker Professor SAEL

Students will meet regularly with their supervisor(s), who will provide written and oral feedback; a formal assessment process takes place annually. This Annual Progress Review requires students to present their work in writing and orally to a panel of academics from within the School. Successful completion of this process will allow students to register for the next academic year. The final assessment of the doctoral degree is both oral and written. Students will submit their thesis to an internal and external examining team who will review the written thesis before inviting the student to orally defend their work at a Viva Voce.

Supervisors will offer feedback on draft work at regular intervals throughout the period of registration on the degree.

Students will have access to the state-of-the-art McClay Library and to the recently developed Thomas J. Moran Graduate School.

Entrance requirements

Graduate A 2.1 Honours degree or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required. While a Master’s degree or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is not essential, it is desirable and applicants without this qualification will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

For information on international qualification equivalents, please check the specific information for your country .

Evidence of an IELTS score of 6.5, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required. Taken within the last 2 years.

International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.

For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs .

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.

Tuition Fees

Northern Ireland (NI) 1 | TBC

Republic of Ireland (ROI) 2 | TBC

England, Scotland or Wales (GB) 1 | TBC

EU Other 3 | £23,600

International | £23,600

1 EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled or pre-settled status, are expected to be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident, however this is provisional and subject to the publication of the Northern Ireland Assembly Student Fees Regulations. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB are expected to be charged the GB fee, however this is provisional and subject to the publication of the Northern Ireland Assembly student fees Regulations.

2 It is expected that EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI will be eligible for NI tuition fees. The tuition fee set out above is provisional and subject to the publication of the Northern Ireland Assembly student fees Regulations.

3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.

All tuition fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. All fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

More information on postgraduate tuition fees .

French costs

There are no specific additional course costs associated with this programme.

Additional course costs

Depending on the programme of study, there may also be other extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies . Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £100 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges. Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen. There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, and library fines. In undertaking a research project students may incur costs associated with transport and/or materials, and there will also be additional costs for printing and binding the thesis. There may also be individually tailored research project expenses and students should consult directly with the School for further information.

Some research programmes incur an additional annual charge on top of the tuition fees, often referred to as a bench fee. Bench fees are charged when a programme (or a specific project) incurs extra costs such as those involved with specialist laboratory or field work. If you are required to pay bench fees they will be detailed on your offer letter. If you have any questions about Bench Fees these should be raised with your School at the application stage. Please note that, if you are being funded you will need to ensure your sponsor is aware of and has agreed to fund these additional costs before accepting your place.

How do I fund my study?

Find PhD opportunities and funded studentships by subject area.

We offer numerous opportunities for funded doctoral study in a world-class research environment. Our centres and partnerships, aim to seek out and nurture outstanding postgraduate research students, and provide targeted training and skills development.

The Government offers doctoral loans of up to £26,445 for PhDs and equivalent postgraduate research programmes for English- or Welsh-resident UK and EU students.

Information on Postgraduate Research scholarships for international students .

The Funding & Scholarship Finder helps prospective and current students find funding to help cover costs towards a whole range of study related expenses.

How to Apply

Apply using our online Postgraduate Applications Portal and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to apply .

If you're interested in a particular project, we suggest you contact the relevant academic before you apply, to introduce yourself and ask questions.

To find a potential supervisor aligned with your area of interest, or if you are unsure of who to contact, look through the staff profiles linked here .

You might be asked to provide a short outline of your proposal to help us identify potential supervisors.

Download Postgraduate Prospectus

Research areas