Fees and funding for postgraduate study
We are currently offering:
- Fully-Funded One-Year Bursaries (ca. £10,000 plus fees) under the University of Sheffield's Incentive Award Scheme, for well-qualified students who intend to pursue a PhD or MPhil with us, or (in exceptional cases) who wish to take our Research Track MA in Germanic Studies and are considering carrying on to MPhil/PhD research.
- One Graduate Teaching Assistantship (German Native Speaker) for Research in Germanic Studies combined with part-time teaching as a Lektor/in. Fully funded (including fees) for one year in the first instance.
- Several fees-only Scholarships (for Research in Germanic Studies, including on our Research Track MA). For these scholarships, applications are welcome in any area of Germanic Studies for which the Department can provide expert supervision. Applicable research areas include: German 19th and 20th century literature, history of ideas, linguistics, philology, politics, political culture, modern history and film studies; modern Dutch literature and linguistics; Luxembourgish.
The Fully-Funded One-Year 'Incentive Award':
These bursaries for MPhil/PhD or (in exceptional cases) for the Research Track MA in Germanic Studies provide a living bursary around the University's standard level, plus tuition fees. They require applicants also to make an application for AHRC funding under the relevant scheme, with the Department's support. Students will begin their MPhil/PhD or Research Track MA programme next autumn. Applications must be made by March for entry in the coming September/October.
The Graduate Teaching Assistantship (Native Speaker):
This is designed for a native speaker of German who would pursue a Sheffield PhD with the Department while also providing 6 hours per week of teaching as a Lektor/in for German Language and Landeskunde. The scholarship is fully funded (a living bursary around the University's standard level, plus tuition fees) for one year with a good possibility of renewal, subject to performance and the Department's financial constraints. Applications can be made at any time, normally for commencement in September.
Fees-only scholarships:
Fees-only scholarships are for well-qualified candidates of any type who are eager to pursue postgraduate research-based study (MPhil/PhD or Research-Track MA) with the Department. They can be applied for and begin at any time. With these scholarships, candidates must provide their maintenance from other sources. Some teaching and/or other work may be available through the Department, but cannot be guaranteed.
Other funding opportunities
The Department has, in addition, a good history of successfully supporting applications for postgraduate grants from the Arts and Humanities Research Council and from other bodies such as the Leverhulme Trust, the German Academic Exchange Service, the Scottish Office, the Kerr-Fry Trust and (latterly) the Luxembourg Ministry of Education. We provide specific guidance in the framing of research proposals to funding bodies.
Funding applications
Applications for all the scholarships should be via the standard Sheffield postgraduate research application form, and must include a c.v., a short research proposal and the names and addresses of two academic referees.
Preliminary expressions of interest by phone or email are also strongly encouraged. Candidates are normally asked to submit samples of their essay work.
For general University information on fees for postgraduate courses, please see the following web pages: