Undertaking a PhD allows you to develop in-depth knowledge and make a meaningful contribution to your chosen field. With expert guidance from a single supervisor or two co-supervisors, you'll carry out an extensive independent research project on a topic of your choice and produce a thesis of up to 100,000 words. This degree presents the opportunity to gain expertise in your area of interest while also honing a range of transferable skills. On graduating, you'll be very well prepared for specialist career paths both within academia and beyond. If you study full time, you'll usually complete your PhD in three years. You can fit your studies around other commitments by studying part time, in which case your PhD will take five years to complete. Whether you study full time or part time, you'll have the option to spend an additional year writing up, depending on how your research is progressing.<br><br>The Textual Histories Research Group brings together scholars engaged in textual studies, textual editing, and the history of the book. These topics are never far removed from debate or even controversy, particularly at the present time, when numerous new large-scale critical editions are under way, employing different methodologies and leading to outputs in both print and digital forms. While the editing and study of literary texts remains central to our work, we are interested in exploring the practices appropriate for editing texts that fall beyond the normally understood parameters of ‘Literature' are particularly encouraged, including political texts, travel writing, religious works, letters and diaries. The School of English has long been associated with the historical study of texts, and with editions ranging widely across historical periods. Current work based in our School includes the new Oxford editions of the collected works of John Marston and the political works of Richard Brinsley Sheridan.