Application Pre-requisites 
Before submitting an application, it is best to make informal email contact with a potential supervisor. Please consult the ‘People’ section of our website for details of staff expertise and publications. Then you can gain some initial feedback on your proposed topic, see who in the Department might be best placed to supervise your project and find out whether they are taking on new students. If you are unsure who to contact, please get in touch with the Postgraduate Research Lead on english@kcl.ac.uk., , Admission to our research programmes will initially be for the MPhil but we expect students to transfer to the PhD after between 12 and 18 months (or part time equivalent) by agreement with their supervisor and the Departmental Postgraduate and Research Committee. This process is called the ‘upgrading’ and involves submission of a dossier followed by an informal interview with their second supervisor and another member of the Department. , , Personal statement and supporting information, You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:, , Personal Statement Yes , A personal statement is required. This can be entered directly into the online application form (maximum 4,000 characters) or uploaded as an attachment to the online application form (maximum 2 pages)., , Research Proposal Yes Please see guidance below, Previous Academic Study Yes A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents., References Yes One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago., Writing Sample Yes Ideally, an essay of no more than 5,000 words, preferably on a topic related to your chosen reserch topic. If you have completed your MA or BA more than 10 years ago, you will normally be expected to submit a new piece of work., Travel Plan Yes (Joint programme only) If applying for the joint programme, please include the names of your supervisors from both institutions and include a completed travel plan form., Other Optional You may also wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of your application., A key part of your application is your research proposal. Here are some guidelines on writing a successful proposal:, , Writing your PhD Proposal…., , takes time! You should expect to write it over a number of weeks, involving fresh research, feedback from friends and a tutor, and careful polishing. There is no specific format for the proposal, but around 2-4 pages (1000-2000 words) is recommended., , is a crucial part of your application, which is mainly judged on the quality of your ideas, more than on any personal qualities or previous experience. Your independent development of a strong proposal is the first test of your ability to do a successful PhD., , need only be indicative: you don’t need to have written the book before applying for the PhD. Everyone knows that applicants are expressing an interest in an area rather than mastery of it, and that projects change a lot over the three years of studying. But you should describe a project that excites you personally at the time of applying., , Things to include:, , Title: is it clear and appealing? Does it contain keywords and suggest your project’s place in a recognisable field of scholarship? Would it point us to a suitable supervisor without too much difficulty?, , Clear statement on what you want to work on and why it is important and exciting. What questions will you be addressing? Is there a lack in the existing research area that you can identify? Are you showing an ambition to make an intervention in the broader field of English studies?, , Background knowledge and clear reference to existing research in this area. If you have found a research ‘gap’ you could say where the other relevant debates appear to stop., , Some discussion of the methods you might use, and why you are using them, , An indication of the research strategy and a rough timeframe of key milestones, , Key primary and secondary references, presented according to an academic convention. This can either be throughout the text, in footnotes, or in a final short bibliography., ,
