Our Research

We are a research-intensive college who conduct research across the disciplines of Archaeology, Classics and Ancient History, Drama, English Literature, History and Modern Languages and Theology and Religion. Specialist researchers in these disciplines cover a vast range of expertise and the value of the research grants we currently hold exceeds £2.5 million.

Research success

We submitted 100% of our academic staff to the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise and an impressive 91% of our research was rated as of international or world leading quality.

Academic disciplines that achieved exceptional results include English, ranked 1st in the UK for world leading research, and Archaeology, ranked 2nd in the UK for world leading and internationally excellent research.

The results of the Research Assessment Exercise were the outcome of a long period of hard work and planning and investment, with many young and exceptionally talented colleagues contributing to the research success. The college is full of potential for even better achievements in the future.

Research centres

Research covers a wide range of subject areas, and hosts or co-hosts a rich variety of research centres, groups and projects. They focus on issues on areas such as Medieval Studies, Sexuality and Gender, Film Studies, Theatre History, South-West Writing and Intermedia.

Research degrees

We have a vibrant postgraduate culture, with over 800 postgraduate students studying taught or research degres. Our wide range of postgraduate programmes and research training provision attracts students from the UK and international students, who benefit from contact with staff of internationally recognised calibre. Studying for a PhD means working at the forefront of academic discovery, and can be the prelude to an academic career or the basis for a successful career outside academia. Find our more about postgraduate research including our MPhil/PhD and MA by Research degrees.

Impact

The academic impact of our research can be seen through the high achievement of our 4* subjects in the 2008 RAE. But our work also has impact on the arts, culture and society, which is evident in news celebrating these achievements. English's Centre for Intermedia, whose developing work includes projects on archiving, mixed reality performance and the communication of climate change in art, has been highlighted as a key grouping within the Digital worlds subtheme in the University’s Humanities and Social Sciences Strategy.