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The University of Southampton
HumanitiesPostgraduate study

What our students think

Photo of Gabriela Adela

The life of a research PhD student is very independent, you have to be organised and disciplined since, ultimately, it is yourself who dictates the pace of the investigation.

Gabriela Adela - PhD Applied Linguistics (Computer Assisted Languages Learning)
Photo of Mark Aldridge

The support offered by the university stood me in good stead for my career following my studies. Since leaving I have delivered papers at several international conferences and published two books.

Mark Aldridge - BA Film and English, MA and PhD Film Studies
Photo of Bradley  Barnes

I have loved absolutely every minute of my degree programme. Not only has the programme allowed me to pursue a passion, it has also nurtured my own personal development, both as a ‘historian’ and as an individual.

Bradley Barnes - BA History, MRes History
Photo of Gareth Beale

The University of Southampton is well known for archaeology and it was an exciting prospect to be working in a world-class research environment involved in so many fantastic projects.

Gareth Beale - PhD Archaeology
Photo of Jenny Bunker

The postgraduate community is small but lively, with a vigorous fortnightly MPhil/PhD research group which provides an opportunity to present work-in-progress to a critical but encouraging audience.

Jenny Bunker - MA Aesthetics
Photo of Tony Burgess

I saw the Mary Rose as a schoolboy not long after it was raised and to go back and see so many of the 19,000 or so artefacts was wonderful.

Tony Burgess - MA Maritime Archaeology
Photo of Catriona Cooper

Having completed my undergraduate and MSc degrees here I enjoyed working in Archaeology and it had access to all the resources I would need for a MPhil.

Catriona Cooper - MPhil Archaeology
Photo of Alex Cunningham

The most enjoyable part of my degree is the opportunity to undertake original research with a group of people who are equally as passionate about the subject.

Alex Cunningham - MA Jewish History and Culture
Photo of Doris Dippold

Linguistics is extremely interesting and a wide subject, offering a wide array of areas to explore. A thoroughly worthwhile endeavour, and one that, if you also use all the opportunities open to you to develop your transferable skills, offers good chances to find employment both within and outside of academia.

Doris Dippold - MPhil/PhD Applied Linguistics
Photo of Patrick Dresch

The MA made me aware of many different aspects of maritime archaeology that I had not previously been aware of and helped me focus the questions I needed to ask to learn more.

Patrick Dresch - MA in Maritime Archaeology
Photo of Lucy Elkerton

I love the chance to shape my own learning.

Lucy Elkerton - MA Archaeology
Photo of John Ellis

I’m having to learn to express my research in a way which satisfies the demanding academic standards. But my supervisor is very supportive and I’m enjoying getting to grips with the subject. I would encourage anyone to consider taking a PhD in a subject that really interests them. It’s incredibly stimulating and very rewarding.

John Ellis - PhD History
Photo of Karen Fielder

When the PhD is over, I’m hoping to use the skills I’ve learned through work and study in an area such as heritage consultancy.

Karen Fielder - PhD History
Photo of Clara Fuquen-Gomez

The Centre for Maritime Archaeology is recognised worldwide as a pioneering centre for education and research in the field.

Clara Fuquen-Gomez - PhD Archaeology
Photo of Denise Greenfield

As a postgraduate student, I enjoy having a bit more flexibility in how I study, and I especially enjoy the independence I’m given to explore different avenues in my research.

Denise Greenfield - PhD English
Photo of Hossein K. Hadisi

I chose the University of Southampton due to its excellent reputation, high rankings and the professors teaching here. This is one of the top universities for music research and composition in the UK.

Hossein K. Hadisi - PhD Music Composition
Photo of Daniel Hickin

I knew Southampton has a great reputation for the subject, it’s easily one of the best universities in the country with amazing staff such as Tim Bergfelder, Lucy Mazdon and Michael Williams and I’ve never regretted my choice

Daniel Hickin - MA and PhD Film Studies
Photo of George Holloway

The best part of the degree is the supervisions, as well as the interaction and idea-sharing with other students and staff.

George Holloway - PhD Music
Photo of Chu-Ying Liu

The UK offered me a great experience with its outstanding history and solid academic development. Southampton is ranked among the top 100 universities in the world. It is a perfect place for people who are looking for an academic career.

Chu-Ying Liu - PhD Film Studies
Photo of Kelsey Miller

I love that I have the opportunity to debate philosophical issues with people who share my belief in their importance to the world.

Kelsey Miller - MA Philosophy
Photo of Jeremy Page

I enjoy the freedom I have to map out my own path in Philosophy, I also benefit from the broad base of expertise possessed by the staff from which I am able to draw on whichever path I choose

Jeremy Page - BA Philosophy, MA Philosophy (part-time)
Photo of Alican Pamir

I think, the best research in the area of film studies is in the UK and the best academic centre among them all is at the University of Southampton. The decisive factor for me was that my area of interest was also shared by authoritative figures of the field making up the department’s academic staff.

Alican Pamir - PhD Film Studies
Photo of Sara Perry

Southampton has a history of pushing the boundaries on the scope of the discipline, and my work sits within this vein.

Sara Perry - PhD Archaeology
Photo of Alma Rodriguez-Tsuda

I’m definitely enjoying the work and appreciate all the support I get from the staff here, it’s very motivating.

Alma Rodriguez-Tsuda - PhD Linguistics
Photo of Karen  Ruebens

We socialise a lot, which is an important aspect of doing a PhD because you can get quite isolated, so it was nice to have that community to support you.

Karen Ruebens - PhD Archaeology
Photo of Claudia Sandberg

Knowing about the university systems both in the US and in Germany, I find studying in the UK more demanding and more rewarding. I have enjoyed tremendous support and advice by my supervisor, advisor and other members of staff, which I think I would not have received elsewhere. This has helped me grow as a person and as a researcher.

Claudia Sandberg - PhD Film Studies
Photo of Zubair Shafiq Jatoi

I chose the University of Southampton because it is a world class university and secondly it is ranked as number one in film studies in UK.

Zubair Shafiq Jatoi - PhD Film Studies
Photo of Ingrid Stigsdotter

I chose to study for a PhD at Southampton because of the expertise offered in areas relevant to my topic of research, which involves exploring cultural and linguistic differences in the reception of contemporary European cinema.

Ingrid Stigsdotter - PhD Film Studies
Photo of Sheila Thomas

My specific area of research also means that I have close contacts with other disciplines within the University.

Sheila Thomas - MRes History
Photo of Scott Tucker

Meeting and interacting on a daily basis with people from a wide variety of nationalities and backgrounds makes for a very unique research environment with a diverse range of topics and geographical regions. The exposure to these areas of research was among the best parts of the programme.

Scott Tucker - PhD Archaeology
Photo of Dan Varndell

This is the best place for me, working alongside inspirational staff. I’m not saying I’ll never leave, but another university would have to be pretty special to beat Southampton.

Dan Varndell - PhD Film and English
Photo of Alexandra Walker

It’s great to be part of such a vibrant community of researchers with a real passion for archaeology.

Alexandra Walker - BA Archaeology, MA Archaeology, PhD Archaeology
Photo of Thomas Wallace

The English department are really friendly, helpful and passionate about their fields of interest. As a course rep last year I was a part of board of school meetings where it became clear how focused the staff are in constantly improving English and tackling problems that arise. You always feel that there is someone you can talk to if you have any questions, and tutors are always prompt in replying to emails!

Thomas Wallace - BA English, MA Creative Writing
Photo of Mike Witcombe

If you want to work in a small but diverse faculty alongside people conducting innovative research, there are few places that can rival Southampton.

Mike Witcombe - PhD Modern Languages
Photo of Xia Yu

Southampton is very highly regarded and respected for modern languages and the staff are among the best.

Xia Yu - PhD Modern Languages
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