Key information
- Duration: Full-time: 36 months; Part-time: 60 months
- Start dates & application deadlines: Starting January 2027 (apply before Oct 2026); Starting April 2027 (apply before Jan 2027); Starting July 2027 (apply before Apr 2027); Starting October 2027 (apply before Jul 2027)
Overview
The PhD in Language and Communication from Cardiff University is a degree which offers candidates the opportunity to research a topic that interests and excites them and falls within the expertise of staff in the Centre for Language and Communication Research.
Programme aims
- The research programme offers knowledge and expertise to take you on to a role in higher education, or employment requiring high-level skills in research or advanced subject knowledge.
- The programme recruits a diverse range of Home/EU and international students who want to engage in a research environment characterised by world-leading research expertise in social, applied and interactional areas of human communication, language and linguistics.
Distinctive features
- We offer the opportunity to become involved in a wide range of staff research projects.
- We offer teaching opportunities on the undergraduate programme, and PhD students can undertake the School’s unique "Learning to Teach" programme, accredited by the Higher Education Academy.
- We run regular research seminars featuring staff and visiting speakers, together with a weekly postgraduate research seminar series and the academic session is rounded off with an annual postgraduate research conference.
- Full-time PhD students are allocated study spaces with computing facilities, networked information and access to email and the internet.
- Funding across the period of a PhD candidature is available for students to attend conferences and workshops, or undertake library/archive visits related to their PhD studies.
Career prospects
- Postgraduate study in the School is a gateway to a wide variety of careers within and beyond academia.
- Example employers in the UK include: Cardiff University, HMRC, Mencap, Poetry Wales Magazine, Teach First and the Welsh Government, with jobs that include Lecturer, Crime Intelligence Analyst, Librarian, Recruitment Consultant, Teacher, Writer.
Visit the programme website for more information
Programme Structure
Research environment
- The School takes the training of research students very seriously, providing the facilities and supervisory guidance to help them flourish intellectually and work productively.
- The School has a dedicated suite of PhD research rooms with excellent networked IT facilities.
- Each student has a conference budget and is given a contribution to photocopying costs, as well as free printing facilities.
- We regularly check with students what training they need and ensure that it is provided. Our PhD students can apply to get teaching experience with us and our unique “Learning to Teach” programme is accredited by the Higher Education Academy.
- The Arts and Social Studies Library is well-stocked with books and academic journals in all our subject areas, while also possessing substantial electronic resources and specialist collections such as Cardiff Rare Books.
Admission requirements
Academic requirements
Upper Second Class GPA (or equivalent).
English requirements
- TOEFL iBT: 109
- PTE Academic: 80
- IELTS: 7.5
Other requirements
General requirements
- A First or Upper Second class UK honours degree, or equivalent is normally required, in a suitable field (such as Linguistics, Communication, Media Studies, Languages, some Social Sciences, English Literature and Humanities).
- Successful applicants to the programme will also have demonstrated a strong performance at Master’s level in a subject related to linguistics, will have completed a course in research methods, and will have some experience of conducting empirical research (possibly as part of the master’s degree).
Fees and funding
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees are shown in AUD and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.
- International (non-residents): 50,857 AUD / year (≈ 26,700 GBP / year)
- Domestic (citizens or residents): 9,535 AUD / year (≈ 5,006 GBP / year)
- Part-time tuition fees: £2,503
Living costs
Cardiff, United Kingdom: 1,196–2,030 AUD / month
The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.
Funding
Scholarships Information
Below you will find PhD scholarship opportunities for Language and Communication.
Available Scholarships
You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.
- Fulbright-Cardiff University scholarship — Provided by university, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline 07 Oct 2026, Merit-based, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Cardiff University Marshall Scholarship — Provided by university, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline Not specified, Merit-based, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Fulbright U.S. Student Program — Independent provider, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline 07 Oct 2026, U.S. government, Location not available
- ACES Scholarships — Independent provider, Grant 3500 USD, Deadline 15 Nov 2026, ACES Education Fund, Location not available
- ServiceScape Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant 1000 USD, Deadline 30 Nov 2026, ServiceScape, Location not available
- Erasmus+ - Grants for study mobility — Independent provider, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline Not specified, Merit-based, OeAD, Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalisation, Location not available
- Scholarships for PhD Students — Independent provider, Grant 19000 GBP, Deadline Not specified, Merit-based, Junhua Li, Location not available
- Boustany Astronomy PhD Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline 28 Feb 2027, Merit-based, Boustany Foundation, Location not available
- $1,500 Annual Video Contest Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant 1000 USD, Deadline 31 Oct 2026, Merit-based, IvyPanda, Location not available
- Women Scholarship for International Students — Independent provider, Grant 5000 USD, Deadline 28 Aug 2026, Merit-based, educations.com, Location not available
- Voice Talent Online Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant 1000 USD, Deadline 01 Mar 2027, Voice Talent Online, Location not available
- The PhD Prep Fellowship — Independent provider, Grant 10000 USD, Deadline 01 Sep 2026, Merit-based, Admit Lab, Location not available
- Dream Chaser Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant 1000 USD, Deadline 13 Jan 2027, Merit-based, Salvado Law, Location not available
- Scholarship for students with disabilities — Independent provider, Grant 3000 USD, Deadline 31 Dec 2026, Need-based, Anonymous Hope Fund, Location not available
- Commonwealth Shared Scholarship – University Bids — Independent provider, Grant 22500 GBP, Deadline Not specified, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Location not available
- Grants of the Leopold Figl Foundation for students with residence in Lower Austria — Independent provider, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline 31 Dec 2026, Need-based, Leopold Figl Foundation, Location not available
- CIAPS Commonwealth Scholarships for Postgraduate Professional Studies — Independent provider, Grant 1000 USD, Deadline Not specified, CIAPS, Location not available
- The Annual IELTS from 6 to 9 Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant 1500 USD, Deadline Not specified, IELTS from 6 to 9, Location not available
- Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme — Independent provider, Grant 12000 USD, Deadline 11 Jan 2027, The Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme, Location not available