PhD in Advanced English Studies: Linguistics, Literature and Culture Studies

2023/2024

What you learn

Each doctoral programme student will learn how to: Locate the key questions to be answered in order to solve a complex problem. Design, create, develop and carry out innovative projects in their field of knowledge. Do research in different spheres y using varied techniques in order to find out the existing information related to a specific problem. Work both individually and as part of a team in an international or multidisciplinary context. Be able to deal with contexts in which there is little specific information. Integrate knowledge, face complexity and make judgements with limited information. Value intellectual criticism and defence of solutions. All of this can be applied by the doctoral student to the research field chosen from among the following possibilities: • English Literature and Culture Studies. Research in English literature and culture, including literary, cultural and translation studies (literary and cultural themes. • Studies related to corpus, cognition, variation and change in the English language. This includes research on different levels of the English language (phonetics and phonology, lexicon, morphosyntax, semantics), in addition to the synchronic and diachronic perspectives, as well as methodological approaches related to corpus linguistics and psycholinguistics. • North American Literature and Culture Studies. Research in the field of North American literature and culture, including literary and cultural studies. • Applied Linguistics for translation and the teaching of English. This includes research on how Applied Linguistics relates to translation and to the teaching and learning of English. • English language discourse studies. Research in the field of text linguistics, pragmatics and discourse. • Irish literature and culture. Research on Irish literature, culture and history, and the study of the sociocultural relations between Ireland and Galicia. • Other literatures in English. Scottish, Australian, African and other post-colonial literatures.

Generic skills

Systematic understanding of a field of study and competence in the research skills and methods related to that field. The ability to conceive, design or create, put into practice and adopt a substantial process of research or creative activity. Systematic understanding of a field of study and competence in the research skills and methods related to that field. The ability to contribute to the widening of knowledge through original research. The ability to communicate with the scientific and academic community, and with society in general, in relation with one’s fields of study in appropriate ways and via the languages commonly used by the international scientific community. The ability to promote, in academic and professional contexts, scientific, technological, social, artistic or cultural progress within a society based on knowledge.

Specific skills

The ability to apply adequately the knowledge acquired to different professional and academic fields directly related with the Language, Culture and Literature of English-speaking countries, in such a way that the student has the necessary skills to be able to carry out research tasks connected to these fields. The ability to use the best techniques to implement the knowledge and skills acquired, in order to reach a scientific and professional level of interdisciplinary competence in the specific field of the Language, Culture and Literature of English-speaking countries, thus enabling the student to carry out successful research in these areas. The ability to develop communicative competence with other members of the academic community, carry out and defend a piece of research which is critical, rigorous, original and academic within the academic community consisting of English Studies. The ability to use new communications and information technology in different spheres of English Studies, in order to fulfil the needs which arise during research work.

Professional and academic career

Professional and academic career

This programme is intended for all those who wish to acquire the competence and skills necessary for research activity in the field of English Studies, with the aim of making them suitable for collaborating and working in research centres and universities. Quite simply, the programme is the final stage of research training for future academics and university lecturers, both in Spain and abroad. The programme presented here fulfils the objectives of the Dublin Descriptors for the post-graduate level, since it provides advanced knowledge in present trends within the different specialized fields of English Studies (English Linguistics and Literature and Culture of English-speaking countries). The programme also allows students to develop communicative competence with other members of the academic community, and to carry out and defend research which is critical, rigorous, original. It also provides students with the competence, skills and research methodology needed in each field. Finally, and according to the Dublin Descriptors, students will become familiar with new technologies applied, for example, to general research, and especially to corpus linguistics, computing, the use of huge linguistic and literary data bases, automatic translation, statistical techniques, new technologies applied to the teaching of languages and literatures, etc.

Companies and institutions involved

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Research lines

This are the main research lines for current study.

  • Applied Linguistic for translation and the teaching of English. This includes research on how Applied Linguistic relates to translation and to the teaching and learning of English
  • English language discourse studies. Research in the field of text linguistics, and learning of English
  • English Literature and Culture Studies. Research in English
  • Irish literature and culture. Research on Irish literatures, culture and history and study of sociocultural relations between Ireland and Galicia
  • North American Literature and Culture Studies. Research in the field of North American Literature and Culture, including literary and culture studies
  • Other literatures in English. Scottish, Autralian, African and other post-colonial literatures
  • Studies related to corpus, cognition, variation and change in the English language

Planning for teaching

Additional subject teaching

Candidates who do not meet all the necessary prior learning conditions for the programme may be required to complete additional courses in the form of subjects and modules from UDC Master’s and undergraduate programmes. The number of credits from additional subject teaching will not exceed 15 ECTS credits, which students may choose to complete before or after enrolment in the PhD programme.

Students who do not opt to complete additional coursework prior to enrolment should register for their extra subjects or modules at the same time as the PhD. Failure to complete additional coursework within a period of three consecutive terms will result in the termination of the student’s registration.

See also UDC PhD Policies and Regulations, Article 16: Applications.

complements credits
Literary Discourse and Society in the English-Speaking Countries (antigo en extinción) 3
Literature and Gender Perspectives in the Anglophone World (antigo en extinción) 3
Literary and Cultural Movements in English-Speaking Countries (antigo en extinción) 3
Practicum (antigo en extinción) 6
Methodology and Research in English Linguistics (antigo en extinción) 3
English Studies and Media (antigo en extinción) 3
Methodology and Research in the Literature and Culture of the English-Speaking World (antigo en extinción) 3
English for Specific Purposes (antigo en extinción) 3
Cross-Cultural Perspectives in the Anglophone World (antigo en extinción) 3
Models and theories in English Linguistics (antigo en extinción) 3
Models of Literary and Cultural interpretation in English-Speaking Countries (antigo en extinción) 3
Variation and Change in English (antigo en extinción) 3
Corpus Linguistics and Computer Science in English (antigo en extinción) 3
Cognition and Cognitive Processes in English (antigo en extinción) 3
Contrastive Linguistics in English (antigo en extinción) 3
Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis in English (antigo en extinción) 3
English Teaching and Learning (antigo en extinción) 3
Literature and Cultural Diversity in the Anglophone World (antigo en extinción) 3
Artistic and Literary Manifestations in English-Speaking Countries (antigo en extinción) 3
Literary Genres in English (antigo en extinción) 3
Textual and Cultural Negotiations in English-Speaking Countries (antigo en extinción) 3
Final Year Dissertation (antigo en extinción) 12
- 4.5
- 3
- 4.5
- 3
- 3
Estudios Ingleses y Medios de Comunicación 3
Literatura y diversidad cultural en el ámbito anglófono 3
Negociaciones textuales y culturales en los países de habla inglesa 3
Research Methods in English Literary and Cultural Studies 3
Literature and Gender Perpectives in English-Speaking Countries 3

EIDUDC teaching and training activities

EIDUDC teaching and training activities

Programme-specific teaching and training activities

A) Lecture Series “New Trends in English Studies IX”, held in the Conference Room, Faculty of Philology. - "El periodista y el editor literario", Juan Cruz, writer and journalist, 13th March, 2014 12:00. - "From Centre to Periphery: Mappping Borders as Postcolonial Pratice", Prof. Ryszard Wolny, University of Opole, Poland. 18th March, 2014 12:00. -"What makes cinema special? Key aspects of film analysis", Dr. Stankomir Nicieja, University of Opole, Poland. 19th March, 2014 16:30. - "Hitos de la crítica histórica anglonorteamericana", Prof. José Antonio Álvarez Amorós, University of Alicante. 8th April, 2014 9:00. "Hamlet´s Ghost´s Film Treatment" Prof. Manuel Míguez Ben. 8th April, 2014 9:45. - "Could you do me a favour? A Lesson in Intercultural Pragmatics", Dr. Anna Szczepaniak-Kozak, University Adam Michiewicz, Poznan, Poland. 8th April, 2014 10:30. B) Lecture Series “New Trends in English Studies X”, held in the Conference Room, Faculty of Philology - "Textual and Cultural Negotiations in the Translation of Modernism: The Case of Katherine Mansfield", Dr. Teresa Caneda Cabrera, University of Vigo. 17th October, 2014 12:00. - "In a Glass Darkly: Science, Technology and the Gothic Tradition in Mary Shelley´s Frankenstein" Dr. Laura Lojo Rodríguez, University of Santiago de Compostela. 21th October, 2014 11:00. - "Critical Thinking in the Making. The Poet/Critic from Sidney to coleridge", Dr. Alejandra Moreno University of Vigo. 22th October, 2014 9:00. - "Alegrías da tradución: Nimbos de Díaz Castro", Dr. John Rutherford, University of Oxford. 28th October 2014 11:00. C) Research Seminal at the Faculty of Philology: “Feminism, Gender and Queer Studies" 23rd, 24th and 25th September 2014.

Supervision agreement

The PhD supervision agreement defines the academic relationship between the candidate and the University, the rights and responsibilities of each (including any intellectual and/or industrial property rights resulting from the candidate’s research), the procedures in place in relation to conflict resolution, and the duration of the agreement. It also specifies the duties of the PhD tutor and supervisor.

The supervision agreement must be signed by the candidate, tutor and designated university representative (or representatives) within a maximum period of one month as from the date of registration. The supervisor’s signature may be added subsequently, once a supervisor has been appointed.

When the document has been signed by all the relevant parties, the agreement is then added to the candidate’s record of activities.

See also UDC PhD Policies and Regulations, Article 31: Supervision agreement.

Research plan

The candidate must prepare a research plan within six months of registration, with information regarding methodology, objectives, resources and milestones. The research plan is submitted together with the report of the supervisor and/or tutor for approval by the Academic Committee for PhD Programmes (CAPD). Improvements to the plan may be introduced with the approval of the supervisor and/or tutor based on the annual review of the student’s research progress.

Research plans are subject to annual review by the CAPD, including the report(s) of the supervisor and/or tutor and the candidate’s record of activities. Students will be permitted to continue with their studies if the outcome of the review is satisfactory. If the outcome is negative, the student will be required to submit a new plan within a period of six months. If the committee is still not satisfied, the candidate will be removed from the programme.

See also UDC PhD Policies and Regulations, Article 30: Research plan.

Student mobility

UDC holds student mobility agreements with universities and other third-level institutions across four continents. Students are offered several opportunities each year to apply to study abroad in one of these centres (for a single term or for a whole year), with the guarantee that all credits obtained will be duly recognised in their academic record upon their return.

For each round of applications, the University publishes the list of exchange options available to students and, where relevant, the specific conditions associated with each. Students may also apply to the University for funding for international work experience placements and internships.

Work experience placements are accredited in the student's academic record and the European diploma supplement. Students are free to decide in which host company or academic institution within the EHEA they wish to carry out their placement. To assist them in their search, the University has created an online noticeboard with jobs postings and other news.

Work-study placements in A Coruña are arranged by the International Relations Office (ORI) of the UDC in collaboration with the international relations coordinators in the student’s home university. The general entry criteria, rights and obligations of students, and admission and acceptance procedures for the programme, are regulated by the UDC Mobility Policy.