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Digital ec

Key information

Award:
MPhil
PhD
Study mode:
Full time
Part time
Campus:
Strand Campus
Duration:
Expected to be three years FT, four-six years PT. October to October, February to February or June to June.

The Department of Digital Humanities at King’s College London is one of the world’s most prestigious centres and a pioneer in its field. We aim to provide outstanding doctoral supervision and training, and to prepare students for careers both in the academy and outside. We have numerous links with key institutions across the cultural and creative sectors, as well as SMEs in the digital and media industries. The Department of Digital Humanities offers a PhD programme for suitably qualified candidates who wish to explore the transformative effects of digital information, technologies, and methods on the humanities, arts, culture and society. Research in the Department reflects a ‘big tent’ view of the digital humanities, and there are no a priori restrictions on the area of research, assuming that appropriate supervisors can be found, and no fixed expectations of technical skills. We welcome applications from potential students with any disciplinary background in the humanities or social sciences.

Our areas of doctoral supervision include (but are not limited to):

  • AI art and computational creativity
  • Algorithmic power
  • Children and media
  • Cinema and television
  • Cities and digital urbanism
  • Climate change, environment, and the Anthropocene
  • Computational linguistics and literary studies
  • Critical AI studies
  • Critical theory and philosophy of digital media
  • Critical technical practices
  • Cultural data science
  • Data visualization
  • Digital classics
  • Digital archives and cultural heritage
  • Digital finance
  • Digital geographies
  • Digital health
  • Digital history
  • Digital infrastructures
  • Digital methods
  • Digital multilingualism
  • Digital publishing
  • Ethics and AI
  • Extended Reality and perception
  • Gender and digital culture
  • Generative AI and Large Language Models
  • Global South and digital technologies
  • Internet governance
  • Intimacy and digital technologies
  • Media audiences
  • Music and the digital
  • Open data
  • Photography and nonhuman vision
  • Platform studies
  • Political communication
  • Postcolonialism
  • Social media
  • Software studies
  • Surveillance studies
  • Videogames and game studies
  • Work and politics

For a more comprehensive view of the department research culture, please have a look at our Research & Expertise and Research Centres.

You will be supervised by leading figures in your field and participate in a lively and supportive research culture within the Department, which currently has over 60 academic staff and more than 40 MPhil/PhD students (not including students on collaborative programmes whose primary supervisor is located elsewhere in the College), as well as post-docs and visiting researchers. Much of the Department’s research is funded through major grants from the European Research Council, the AHRC, the Leverhulme Trust, the Andrew Mellon Foundation, and other key funders. Active research projects in which the Department is involved are listed here.

There is also an option of a joint PhD with University of Hong Kong or National University of Singapore available.

For further information please contact the Postgraduate Research Lead:

1. Identify and approach a supervisor

Prior to formal applications students should first examine the DDH staff pages to ascertain whether their research can be effectively supervised within our department. You are advised to then contact the potential supervisor directly.

2. Send a proposal

Upon receiving a positive response, you should correspond with your potential supervisor via email by sending a first outline (approximately 1,500 words) of your proposal, which should include the following sub-headings:

  • Research Question and Aims
  • Literature Review
  • Methodology
  • Provisional Chapter Outlines
  • Project Timeline
  • Bibliography

3. Prepare your supporting documents

If the supervisor decides to move forward with your proposal, you will be asked to prepare a formal submission. These are the documents you need to prepare before applying to our PhD programme via the King’s Apply portal:

Step

Notes

Research Proposal

See step 2.

Personal Statement

A personal statement is required. This can be entered directly into the online application form (maximum 4,000 characters) or uploaded as an attachment to the online application form (maximum 2 pages).

Previous Academic Study

A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents.

References

One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago.

Other (Optional)

Applicants may also wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application

Travel Plan (Joint programmes only)

If applying for the joint programme, please include the names of your supervisors from both institutions and include a completed travel plan form.

 

4. Join an interview

Once your application has been received, your supervisor will invite you for an interview. This may be online or face-to-face. The interview panel will include an independent chair. During the interview you will be asked about your proposal, your plans for studying at King's College London, and your skills and motivations for completing the PhD. You will be informed of the outcome of your application following the interview.

 

5. Submit a formal application

The supervisor might then invite you to submit a formal application.

To submit a formal application, please register on our online application system King's Apply. If you have applied to King's previously, including via UCAS, you should already have an account. If you are unable to access the online postgraduate application form, please contact our King's Advisors for advice. Please find more information here.

We encourage you to apply as early as possible so that there is sufficient time for your application to be assessed. We may need to request further information from you during the application process.

Applications are processed on a rolling basis. The final application deadlines relative to the entry period are detailed below. On these dates, the programme will close at 23:59 (UK time). We will open for the corresponding intake in 2026 soon after the same intake has passed in 2025.

  • February 2025 entry – 20 October 2024 for Overseas fee status and 20 November 2024 for Home fee status
  • June 2025 entry – 20 March 2025 for Overseas fee status and 11 April 2025 for Home fee status
  • October 2025 entry – 25 July 2025 for Overseas fee status and 25 August 2025 for Home fee status
  • February 2026 entry – 20 October 2025 for Overseas fee status and 20 November 2025 for Home fee status
  • June 2026 entry – 20 March 2026 for Overseas fee status and 11 April 2026 for Home fee status

Please note that funding deadlines may be earlier than the application deadlines listed above. Funding deadlines are managed separately and independently by the funding schemes.

UK Tuition Fees 2024/25

Full time tuition fees:

£6,168 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£6,168 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£6,168 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

Part time tuition fees:

£3,084 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£3,084 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£3,084 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

International Tuition Fees 2024/25

Full time tuition fees:

£24,786 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£24,786 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£24,786 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

Part time tuition fees:

£12,393 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£12,393 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£12,393 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

UK Tuition Fees 2025/26

Full time tuition fees:

£6,600 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£6,600 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£6,600 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

Part time tuition fees:

£3,300 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£3,300 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£3,300 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

International Tuition Fees 2025/26

Full time tuition fees:

£27,100 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£27,100 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£27,100 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

Part time tuition fees:

£13,550 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£13,550 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£13,550 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Base campus

The Quad - Strand campus
Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Study environment

All PhD candidates are allocated two supervisors, and are expected to meet with their primary supervisor on a regular basis, with progress reports submitted every six months. Students will normally be upgraded from MPhil to PhD status after 9-18 months, with a transfer to 'writing up' status usually occurring after three years of full-time study. Upon submission of the thesis, assessment is by means of an oral examination (viva).

Our postgraduate students are an integral part of the academic life of the Department. We are a growing department with many internationally recognised researchers and visiting academics. We have a wide range of both national and international projects, collaborations with other departments, as well as with other higher education institutions, cultural and memory organisations, and digital industries. Our students have access to good library facilities, and there is a research student room within the department.

The Department has an active PhD seminar series, which provides students with the opportunity to present their research and discuss its progress and its relationship to the broader discipline, and students are also invited to participate in the departmental seminar series. There is an annual PhD student conference, organised by the students themselves, as well as a range of seminars and other events both within King’s and at academic and cultural institutions around London.

London offers unparalleled diversity and richness for students in the humanities and cultural heritage, with the largest concentration of memory and cultural institutions in the UK, including the major document repositories at the National Archives, and the extensive digital and physical resources of the British Library. London also possesses extensive media and digital industries, with many opportunities for internships and employment.

Research students can apply to become Graduate Teaching Assistants to assist members of staff in delivering modules to undergraduate students on the BA in Digital Culture. Full training is provided to enable students to make the best use of this opportunity for acquiring valuable teaching experience.

Joint PhD programme

Exciting opportunities are available to undertake a joint PhD programme with the National University of Singapore (NUS). FAQs about joint PhDs can be found on the King’s Worldwide web pages.

Postgraduate training

Research students are expected to spend a week per year on training in transferable and research skills, and will have access to a diverse range of training opportunities. Students can attend a variety of specialist MA modules offered within the Department, on topics such as text technologies, spatial humanities, or metadata. The King's Graduate School runs a Researcher Development Programme of personal, professional and career development activities for all research students, and there is a centrally provided programme of ICT and related skills training. Students are able to take part in a wide portfolio of training courses ranging from generic study and employability skills, language courses at the College's Modern Language Centre, through to specific conceptual and methodological courses offered by the ESRC-funded King’s Interdisciplinary Social Science DTC.

King’s is also a partner in the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP) collaborative doctoral training partnership (with University College London and the School of Advanced Study, University of London), which supports an extensive network of training courses and events for AHRC-funded students.

Our research students are also encouraged to submit papers to conferences, and there are Faculty funding schemes to which students can apply for financial support to allow them to travel and present their papers.

UK requirements

  • An MA degree in the humanities or social sciences or an MSc in a relevant subject area, with a mark of Distinction or high Merit.

  • In exceptional circumstances, applicants holding a first class honours degree may be admitted. Applicants must demonstrate mastery of the academic background deemed relevant to the research proposed.

Equivalent International qualifications

English language requirements

English language band:
C

To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.

Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.

For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.

1. Identify and approach a supervisor

Prior to formal applications students should first examine the DDH staff pages to ascertain whether their research can be effectively supervised within our department. You are advised to then contact the potential supervisor directly.

2. Send a proposal

Upon receiving a positive response, you should correspond with your potential supervisor via email by sending a first outline (approximately 1,500 words) of your proposal, which should include the following sub-headings:

  • Research Question and Aims
  • Literature Review
  • Methodology
  • Provisional Chapter Outlines
  • Project Timeline
  • Bibliography

3. Prepare your supporting documents

If the supervisor decides to move forward with your proposal, you will be asked to prepare a formal submission. These are the documents you need to prepare before applying to our PhD programme via the King’s Apply portal:

Step

Notes

Research Proposal

See step 2.

Personal Statement

A personal statement is required. This can be entered directly into the online application form (maximum 4,000 characters) or uploaded as an attachment to the online application form (maximum 2 pages).

Previous Academic Study

A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents.

References

One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago.

Other (Optional)

Applicants may also wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application

Travel Plan (Joint programmes only)

If applying for the joint programme, please include the names of your supervisors from both institutions and include a completed travel plan form.

 

4. Join an interview

Once your application has been received, your supervisor will invite you for an interview. This may be online or face-to-face. The interview panel will include an independent chair. During the interview you will be asked about your proposal, your plans for studying at King's College London, and your skills and motivations for completing the PhD. You will be informed of the outcome of your application following the interview.

 

5. Submit a formal application

The supervisor might then invite you to submit a formal application.

To submit a formal application, please register on our online application system King's Apply. If you have applied to King's previously, including via UCAS, you should already have an account. If you are unable to access the online postgraduate application form, please contact our King's Advisors for advice. Please find more information here.

We encourage you to apply as early as possible so that there is sufficient time for your application to be assessed. We may need to request further information from you during the application process.

Applications are processed on a rolling basis. The final application deadlines relative to the entry period are detailed below. On these dates, the programme will close at 23:59 (UK time). We will open for the corresponding intake in 2026 soon after the same intake has passed in 2025.

  • February 2025 entry – 20 October 2024 for Overseas fee status and 20 November 2024 for Home fee status
  • June 2025 entry – 20 March 2025 for Overseas fee status and 11 April 2025 for Home fee status
  • October 2025 entry – 25 July 2025 for Overseas fee status and 25 August 2025 for Home fee status
  • February 2026 entry – 20 October 2025 for Overseas fee status and 20 November 2025 for Home fee status
  • June 2026 entry – 20 March 2026 for Overseas fee status and 11 April 2026 for Home fee status

Please note that funding deadlines may be earlier than the application deadlines listed above. Funding deadlines are managed separately and independently by the funding schemes.

UK Tuition Fees 2024/25

Full time tuition fees:

£6,168 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£6,168 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£6,168 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

Part time tuition fees:

£3,084 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£3,084 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£3,084 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

International Tuition Fees 2024/25

Full time tuition fees:

£24,786 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£24,786 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£24,786 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

Part time tuition fees:

£12,393 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£12,393 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£12,393 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

UK Tuition Fees 2025/26

Full time tuition fees:

£6,600 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£6,600 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£6,600 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

Part time tuition fees:

£3,300 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£3,300 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£3,300 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

International Tuition Fees 2025/26

Full time tuition fees:

£27,100 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£27,100 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£27,100 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

Part time tuition fees:

£13,550 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£13,550 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£13,550 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Base campus

The Quad - Strand campus
Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Study environment

All PhD candidates are allocated two supervisors, and are expected to meet with their primary supervisor on a regular basis, with progress reports submitted every six months. Students will normally be upgraded from MPhil to PhD status after 9-18 months, with a transfer to 'writing up' status usually occurring after three years of full-time study. Upon submission of the thesis, assessment is by means of an oral examination (viva).

Our postgraduate students are an integral part of the academic life of the Department. We are a growing department with many internationally recognised researchers and visiting academics. We have a wide range of both national and international projects, collaborations with other departments, as well as with other higher education institutions, cultural and memory organisations, and digital industries. Our students have access to good library facilities, and there is a research student room within the department.

The Department has an active PhD seminar series, which provides students with the opportunity to present their research and discuss its progress and its relationship to the broader discipline, and students are also invited to participate in the departmental seminar series. There is an annual PhD student conference, organised by the students themselves, as well as a range of seminars and other events both within King’s and at academic and cultural institutions around London.

London offers unparalleled diversity and richness for students in the humanities and cultural heritage, with the largest concentration of memory and cultural institutions in the UK, including the major document repositories at the National Archives, and the extensive digital and physical resources of the British Library. London also possesses extensive media and digital industries, with many opportunities for internships and employment.

Research students can apply to become Graduate Teaching Assistants to assist members of staff in delivering modules to undergraduate students on the BA in Digital Culture. Full training is provided to enable students to make the best use of this opportunity for acquiring valuable teaching experience.

Joint PhD programme

Exciting opportunities are available to undertake a joint PhD programme with the National University of Singapore (NUS). FAQs about joint PhDs can be found on the King’s Worldwide web pages.

Postgraduate training

Research students are expected to spend a week per year on training in transferable and research skills, and will have access to a diverse range of training opportunities. Students can attend a variety of specialist MA modules offered within the Department, on topics such as text technologies, spatial humanities, or metadata. The King's Graduate School runs a Researcher Development Programme of personal, professional and career development activities for all research students, and there is a centrally provided programme of ICT and related skills training. Students are able to take part in a wide portfolio of training courses ranging from generic study and employability skills, language courses at the College's Modern Language Centre, through to specific conceptual and methodological courses offered by the ESRC-funded King’s Interdisciplinary Social Science DTC.

King’s is also a partner in the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP) collaborative doctoral training partnership (with University College London and the School of Advanced Study, University of London), which supports an extensive network of training courses and events for AHRC-funded students.

Our research students are also encouraged to submit papers to conferences, and there are Faculty funding schemes to which students can apply for financial support to allow them to travel and present their papers.

UK requirements

  • An MA degree in the humanities or social sciences or an MSc in a relevant subject area, with a mark of Distinction or high Merit.

  • In exceptional circumstances, applicants holding a first class honours degree may be admitted. Applicants must demonstrate mastery of the academic background deemed relevant to the research proposed.

Equivalent International qualifications

English language requirements

English language band:
C

To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.

Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.

For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.

Key information

Award:
MPhil
PhD
Study mode:
Full time
Part time
Campus:
Strand Campus
Duration:
Expected to be three years FT, four-six years PT. October to October, February to February or June to June.

Contact us

For more information regarding our courses please contact us using the details below