Discourse Studies | Research Degrees

England

Please tell us where you live so that we can provide you with the most relevant information as you use this website.

If you are at a BFPO address please choose the country or region in which you would ordinarily be resident.

Accessibility statement

Award Award	Duration Duration	Start dates Start dates	Application Application
PhD or Professional doctorate PhD or Professional doctorate	PhD: Full-time: 3–4 years Part-time: 6–8 years Professional doctorate: Part-time: 4–8 years PhD: Full-time: 3–4 years Part-time: 6–8 years Professional doctorate: Part-time: 4–8 years	October October	November to January November to January

Discourse is a key interest of researchers in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics at the Open University. They study how, through language, people participate in, normalise or disrupt cultural and social structures, norms and practices, e.g. in public communication, institutional talk or conversation. They use a wide range of methodological and theoretical tools to study written and spoken meaning making, including face-to-face interaction, print and digital media.

For example, researchers in the School explore and problematize political discourse in the media; social media mourning; decoloniality and discourse; the role of discourse in constructing power structures in academia; workplace intercultural communication; discourses of marriage; discourses of language in higher education; the discursive construction of gender in children’s fiction and of morality in public and private discourse. As a PhD student, you will be part of a vibrant international community of discourse researchers: DiscourseNet. International Association of Discourse Studies.

Minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) and an MA or research methods training at MA level (or equivalent). If you are not a UK citizen, you may need to prove your knowledge of English.

UK fee UK fee	International fee International fee
Full-time: £5,006 per year Full-time: £5,006 per year	Full-time: £12,705 per year Full-time: £12,705 per year
Part-time: £2,503 per year Part-time: £2,503 per year	Part-time: £6,353 per year Part-time: £6,353 per year

UK fee UK fee	International fee International fee
Full-time: £3,811 per year Full-time: £3,811 per year	Full-time: £9,676 per year Full-time: £9,676 per year

Some of our research students are funded via the Faculty or The Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership; others are self-funded.

For detailed information about fees and funding, visit Fees and studentships.

To see current funded studentship vacancies across all research areas, see Current studentships.

An image to illustrate the Discourse studies research topic