The University of Sheffield
Department of Germanic Studies

PhD and MPhil research

logo track changesResearch supervision for MPhil or PhD is available in all areas of interest of members of staff. We also welcome exciting new proposals. Do not hesitate to get in touch and discuss your plans with us informally before you apply.

Our lively and close-knit postgraduate community currently consist of the following candidates:

  • Catherine Moir: the work and thought of Ernst Bloch in the historical context of modern German thought as well as in the contemporary perspective
  • Nina Schmidt: autobiographical writing on illness and death in the German-speaking world
  • Eloise Roberts: German nationalism in the mid-nineteenth century, an interdisciplinary approach
  • Joanna Kremer: language and notions of identity and citizenship in contemporary Luxembourg
  • Cydney Sturgess: women's lesbian networks in early 20th century Germany and the Netherlands

Part of a wider community

blogs postgraduatesAs postgraduate students are not only active within the Department of Germanic Studies, but are also part of the research community of the School of Languages and Cultures. Our SLC postgraduates are involved in projects covering a wide range of disciplines, including linguistics, literary theory, philosophy, history and social science. All our postgraduate students are invited to share their view on the SLC postgrad blog. The blogs also act as a forum for students and members of the public to share advice and to facilitate more collaboration within the School and beyond.

Even wider still there is the research community of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. In addition to attending regular research seminars and (postgraduate) conferences, our students are active contributors to and editors of Track Changes, the Postgraduate Journal of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. We want to offer you a vibrant and inclusive research climate through a wide range of research activities.

Projects and Supervision

The areas of special interest include:

  • 19th and 20th century literature
  • Social and cultural history and cultural studies
  • Literary, social and cultural theory
  • Gender studies and women's studies in German and Dutch
  • Modern German politics and society
  • Historical linguistics, dialectology
  • Luxembourgish and Luxembourg studies
  • Syntax, pragmatics, discourse analysis, spoken language
  • Second language acquisition
  • Modern Dutch Literature
  • Postcolonial and Migration Literature

Entry Requirements

A good Honours degree in German/Germanic Studies or in a discipline which includes a major German/Germanic Studies component is our normal requirement.

We will consider applications from candidates with other qualifications who can provide evidence of strong motivation for research in Germanic Studies.

Admission for MPhil/PhD is normally on the basis of consideration of a research proposal of 400-500 words, a sample of recent written work, and (where possible) an informal interview.

The interview will give you a chance to meet your potential supervisor and fellow students, view the Department´s facilities, and discuss matters such as funding, study resources and accommodation.

Contact us

Enquiries should be made informally in the first instance to:
Dr Kristine Horner
Department of Germanic Studies,
The University of Sheffield,
Jessop West
Sheffield S3 7RA
Telephone: 0114 222 4396
email : Kristine Horner (k.horner@shef.ac.uk)