Overview

A PhD in Classical & Archaeological Studies enables you to undertake a substantial piece of supervised research in the subject that makes an original contribution to knowledge and is worthy of publication.

A PhD, also known as a doctorate, is a requirement for a career as an academic or researcher. In addition, it has become a qualification valued by many employers who recognise the skills and commitment a PhD requires. Employers also recognise that a PhD indicates excellent research capabilities, discipline and communication skills.

Over the duration of the PhD, you produce an original piece of research of up to 100,000 words. Previous doctoral theses have included ‘Virgo to Virago: Medea in the Silver Age’, ‘Aristophanes and Euripides: A Palimpsestuous Relationship’, ‘Aspects of Ecphrastic Technique in Ovid's Metamorphoses’, ‘In Search of "The People of La Manche": A Comparative Study of Funerary Practices in the Transmanche Region during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age (2500 BC-1500 BC)’.

The Department of Classical & Archaeological Studies offers supervision from world-class academics with expertise in a wide range of disciplines, able to support and guide you through your research. Your progress is carefully monitored to ensure that you are on track to produce a thesis valued by the academic community. Throughout your programme, you are able to attend and contribute to research seminars, workshops, and research and transferable skills training courses.

You may be eligible for a fully-funded PhD scholarship to support your studies with us. The PhD in Classical and Archaeological Studies at Kent can be funded through the Consortium for the Humanities and the Arts South-East England (CHASE) collaborative doctoral partnerships. Please indicate in your application if you want to be considered , and explain your eligibility. For the full list of scholarships available within the School, please see our postgraduate funding page.

About the Department of Classical & Archaeological Studies

Classical & Archaeological Studies operates as a department of the Division of Arts and Humanities,  in addition to the informal links with staff in the rest of the University researching medieval history, the history of science, and social anthropology. We have good partnerships with high-profile universities and organisations such as the Universities of Ghent and Lille 3, the Flemish Heritage Institute, UCLA, the Free University of Amsterdam and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).

We offer bursaries to enable students to participate in departmental fieldwork projects for three weeks at a time, covering travel, food and accommodation. Typically, around 30 students each year have been placed on research and training excavations in Britain, Italy (including Ostia, port of Rome) and Greece, relating to sites of Bronze Age Greek (Minoan), Iron Age, Roman, Late Antique and Anglo-Saxon date.