Call for application 42nd cycle

Bando ordinario


Applications for participation in the competition, together with the corresponding payment, must be duly completed no later than 14:00 CET on 17 June 2026.

Educational goals and objectives

STUDIES IN ENGLISH LITERATURES, CULTURES, LANGUAGE, AND TRANSLATION
International PhD Programme: Studies in English Literatures, Language and Translation (SELLT)
Administrative Headquarters: Sapienza University of Rome
Partner Institution (Dual Degree): University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
The SELLT PhD Programme is aimed at highly motivated students interested in pursuing an interdisciplinary path in English Studies, within an academic community that fosters strong international connections. Courses and seminars are held at the Marco Polo Building, located in the San Lorenzo district of Rome, a vibrant and well-equipped academic hub offering libraries, a cafeteria, study areas, and recreational spaces. SELLT programme promotes the development of advanced critical and analytical skills and supports high-level research in English linguistics, translation studies, English and Anglo-American literature, as well as related cultural and disciplinary areas.
The PhD programme is structured into three specialized curricula:
1. Linguistics and Translation Studies
2. Literary Studies – Anglo-American Literature and Culture
3. Literary Studies – English Literature and Culture
SELLT offers a research environment designed to build solid theoretical foundations, develop teaching skills, and foster in-depth analysis in the following areas:
• The history and periodization of English and Anglo-American literature, with a focus on stylistic, cultural, and epistemological aspects across different eras, including the contemporary period
• Literary theory and critical methodologies, including comparative approaches and dialogue with European literatures
• Linguistic analysis of literary and non-literary texts through tools from contemporary stylistics and discourse analysis
• Theories, methods, and approaches from Translation and Adaptation Studies, with special attention to the developments of the past four decades
• Historical linguistics and pragmatics in the study of the English language
• Applied linguistics with a focus on English Language Teaching (ELT)
Research projects are especially encouraged in the following areas:
1. William Shakespeare and dramatic language
2. Shakespearean textual philology
3. 21st-century theatre studies
4. North American literary and non-literary texts
5. Colonial and post-colonial culture
6. Within the field of Translation Studies:
o Literary translation
o Audiovisual translation
o Translation and accessibility
o Adaptation Studies
o History of translation
7. Multilingualism and diatopic variation in synchronic and diachronic perspective
8. Humour Studies
9. History of the English language
10. Textual analysis Contemporary stylistics and historical pragmatics
11. English Language Teaching (ELT)
PhD (other):Études en Littératures, Langue et Traduction Anglaises
description (other):Doctorat International en Études sur les Littératures, la Langue et la Traduction Anglaises
Université administrative : Sapienza Università di Roma
Établissement partenaire avec double diplôme : Université de Silésie à Katowice, Pologne
Le Doctorat International SELLT s’adresse aux étudiantes et étudiants souhaitant s’engager dans des parcours interdisciplinaires dans le domaine des études anglaises, au sein d’une communauté académique fortement ancrée à l’international. Les séminaires et cours ont lieu dans le bâtiment Marco Polo, situé dans le quartier de San Lorenzo à Rome, où des structures et services (bibliothèques, cantine, espaces d’étude et de détente) sont déjà disponibles.
Le doctorat SELLT est destiné à celles et ceux qui souhaitent développer des compétences critiques et analytiques avancées et mener des recherches spécialisées dans les domaines de la linguistique anglaise, des études de traduction, de la littérature anglaise et anglo-américaine, ainsi que dans des domaines culturels et disciplinaires connexes.
Le programme se décline en trois parcours :
Linguistique et Études de Traduction
Études Littéraires – Littérature et Culture Anglo-Américaines
Études Littéraires – Littérature et Culture Anglaises

SELLT propose un environnement de recherche axé sur l’acquisition de solides compétences théoriques, la pratique pédagogique et l’analyse approfondie dans les domaines suivants, qui constituent également le cœur de l’offre de formation :
a) Histoire et périodisation de la littérature anglaise et anglo-américaine, avec une attention particulière aux aspects stylistiques et culturels des différentes époques, y compris la contemporanéité.
b) Théories et méthodologies de la critique littéraire et des études comparées, notamment en dialogue avec les littératures européennes.
c) Études linguistiques de textes littéraires et non littéraires, à travers les outils de la stylistique contemporaine et de l’analyse du discours.
d) Théories, méthodes et approches des Translation Studies et Adaptation Studies, avec un accent sur les évolutions des quarante dernières années.
e) Recherche sur l’histoire de la langue anglaise, en particulier dans les domaines de la linguistique historique et de la pragmatique.
f) Linguistique appliquée, avec un accent sur l’enseignement de l’anglais comme langue étrangère (ELT).
Les projets de recherche sont particulièrement encouragés sur les thématiques suivantes :
-William Shakespeare et le langage dramatique
-Philologie du texte shakespearien
-Études sur le théâtre du XXIᵉ siècle
-Études de textes nord-américains, littéraires et non littéraires
-Culture coloniale et postcoloniale
-Dans la perspective des Translation Studies :
Traduction littéraire
Traduction audiovisuelle
Traduction et accessibilité
Adaptation Studies
Histoire de la traduction
-Multilinguisme et variétés diatopiques en perspective synchronique et diachronique
-Humour Studies
-Histoire de la langue anglaise
-Stylistique contemporaine et pragmatique historique
-ELT – Didactique de la langue anglaise

Number of positions available


Sapienza Scholarships Affliliated Institutions or Excellence Industrial PhD Without scholarship
3 0 0 1

Themes, curriculum and specific competence



Sapienza scholarships: 3

The call includes additional places reserved for scholarship recipients from foreign countries.


Admission Procedure

Qualifications assessment Commission-only part of the competition procedure. In order for the candidate(s) to be admitted to the written test, the Commission will assess and score both the qualifications and the research project.
The candidate must submit a research project that can assess the candidate's ability to organise the different stages of the research activity in autonomy. The project is to be written in English. The text must be min. 7.000, max. 9.000 characters (including spaces, excluding bibliography. It is recommended to respect the minimum and maximum size). For candidates admitted to the programme, the project submitted for the competition may then be revised for the purposes of carrying out the research activity during the PhD.

Candidates who obtained at least 40/60 in the assessment of their qualifications and project are admitted to the written test.
Written examination The written examination will be conducted in English and will consist either in writing a short essay on a given topic or in producing a textual analysis of a literary or non-literary passage. The duration of the examination is 4 (four) hours. The use of a monolingual dictionary is permitted.

Candidates must choose one of the three curricula offered within the PhD programme:
a) Literary and Cultural Studies – English Literature;
b) Literary and Cultural Studies – Anglo-American Literature;
c) Linguistics and Translation Studies.

The Examination Committee will prepare three topics for each curriculum, and the examination question for each curriculum will be selected by drawing lots in the examination room. To prepare for the exam, candidates are advised to consult the Reading List corresponding to their chosen curriculum, available on this website.

The examination will be held in person.

Candidates who obtained at least 40/60 in the written test are admitted to the oral exam.
language INGLESE
Oral interview Interview on the research project submitted by the applicant as part of the application (failure to submit the project will result in exclusion from the selection process). For the research proposal, applicants are strongly encouraged to refer to the research areas covered by the PhD programme and by the faculty members of the Academic Board (see the official call and the PhD programme website).

The minimum positive score for the oral test is 40/60.

language INGLESE

contacts and info donatella.montini@uniroma1.it teresa.silverio@uniroma1.it tommaso.malaponti@uniroma1.it
more info Each year, the two candidates who, upon completion of the selection procedure, are ranked as of 31 October as (i) first on the ranking list and (ii) first among those who are not awarded a scholarship are identified as the doctoral candidates covered by the agreement with the University of Silesia and will benefit from the double degree and the scholarship of the University of Silesia.

Curriculum studiorum

Graduation date and grade of the Master's degree
detailed list of exams including completion dates and scores of Masters's degree
Certificates of Foreign Languages
Computer skills

Required documentation

§ degree thesis abstract
mandatory, the file must be uploaded within le ore 14:00 del 17/06/2026
§ research project
mandatory, the file must be uploaded within le ore 14:00 del 17/06/2026
§ first letter of introduction (by a teacher)
mandatory, the letter must be uploaded by the candidate
The letter must be uploaded by the applicant to the application form and submitted by the deadline indicated in the call for applications., the file must be uploaded within le ore 14:00 del 17/06/2026
§ letter of motivation (by the candidate)
optional, the file must be uploaded within le ore 14:00 del 17/06/2026
§ publications (a single pdf for each publication)
optional
All submitted publications must be relevant to the PhD programme and must have an ISBN/ISSN code, the file must be uploaded within le ore 14:00 del 17/06/2026
§ other document: Language certification :C2 Proficiency (CPE) or IELTS 8.5+ / TOEFL 110+.
mandatory
The certification must be uploaded together with the application by the deadline specified in the call for applications, under penalty of exclusion from the competition., the file must be uploaded within le ore 14:00 del 17/06/2026
§ Curriculum Vitae et Studiorum
mandatory, the file must be uploaded within le ore 14:00 del 17/06/2026

Language Skills

the candidate must know the following languages
ENGLISH

Exam Schedule

Qualifications assessment
day30/06/2026
notesnone
publication on notice boardNO
publication on the web siteYes
web sitehttps://phd.uniroma1.it/web/STUDI-IN-LETTERATURE-LINGUA-E-TRADUZIONE-INGLESE_nD3564.aspx
date of publication30/06/2026
contactsdonatella.montini@uniroma1.it

Written examination
day03/07/2026
notesnone
time09:00
classroom206
addressEdificio Marco Polo Via dello Scalo S.Lorenzo 82 00185 Roma (II piano)
publication on notice boardNO
publication on the web siteYes
web sitehttps://phd.uniroma1.it/web/STUDI-IN-LETTERATURE-LINGUA-E-TRADUZIONE-INGLESE_nD3564.aspx
date of publication08/07/2026
contactsdonatella.montini@uniroma1.it

Oral interview
day13/07/2026
notesnone
time09:00
classroomStudio 208
addressEdificio Marco Polo Via dello Scalo S.Lorenzo 82 00185 Roma (II piano)
publication on notice boardNO
publication on the web siteYes
web sitehttps://phd.uniroma1.it/web/STUDI-IN-LETTERATURE-LINGUA-E-TRADUZIONE-INGLESE_nD3564.aspx
date of publication13/07/2026
contactsdonatella.montini@uniroma1.it


Evaluation scale

Qualifications assessment

Valutazione titoli

Punteggio massimo complessivo per la prova/overall max score: 60

Pubblicazioni e altre esperienze
Publications and other activities

Punteggio massimo/max score: 13
Punteggio massimo complessivo della categoria: 13 punti. Per ogni sotto-categoria (libro, capitolo di libro, ecc.) è possibile assegnare fino a un massimo di punti per ciascun prodotto ed esperienza valutabile (come indicato nella tabella interna) e sommare fino a un massimo di 13
Maximum total score for this category: 13 points. For each subcategory (book, book chapter, etc.), up to the maximum number of points indicated for each assessable publication or experience (as specified in the internal table) may be awarded. The scores may then be added together up to an overall maximum of 13 points.
Libro
Book		4,0
Capitolo di libro
Chapter in a book		3,0
Articolo in rivista di fascia A
article in a top-tier journal (Class A) 		3,0
Articolo in rivista scientifica
Article in an academic journal 		2,0
Contributo in un convegno accademico
Presentation at an academic conference 		1,0
Esperienze all’estero (almeno due mesi, compreso Erasmus)
Experience abroad (at least 2 months, including Erasmus)		1,5
Contratti di collaborazione alla ricerca
Collaboration contracts		1,0

Progetto di ricerca
Research project

Punteggio massimo/max score: 42
Conoscenza dello stato dell’arte
Knowledge of the state of the art		8,0
Originalità e contenuto innovativo
Innovative aspects of the project		10,0
Chiarezza e completezza dell’esposizione degli obiettivi, delle metodologie e dei potenziali risultati
Clarity and completeness of the presentation of objectives, methodologies, and potential results		10,0
Fattibilità del progetto
Feasibility of the project		10,0
Pertinenza del progetto con gli obiettivi formativi del dottorato
Relevance of the project to the educational objectives of the PhD programme		4,0

Voto di laurea magistrale
Qualifications assessment

Punteggio massimo/max score: 5
Voto di laurea magistrale
MA final assessment
110, 110 e lode
110, 110 cum laude		5,0
109 -1084,0
107 -1063,0
105 -1042,0
103 -1021,0
<1020,0
Gli studenti che discuteranno la tesi dopo la presentazione della domanda - e comunque obbligatoriamente entro il 31 ottobre 2026 - verranno valutati secondo la media aritmetica dei voti degli esami
Students who will defend their thesis after submission their application – which must be no later than October 31, 2026 – will be assessed based on the arithmetic average of their exam grades.
29 - 305,0
28 – 28.994,0
27 - 27.993,0
26 - 26.992,0
25 - 25.991,0
<250,0
Written examination

Prova scritta

Punteggio massimo complessivo per la prova/overall max score: 60

Conoscenza e competenza della tematica e delle recenti acquisizioni sul tema oggetto della prova
Knowledge and understanding of the topic and recent developments in the field

Punteggio massimo/max score: 20

Competenza linguistica nell’inglese scritto
Language competence in written English

Punteggio massimo/max score: 20

Chiarezza nell’elaborazione
Clarity in elaboration

Punteggio massimo/max score: 20
Oral interview

Prova orale

Punteggio massimo complessivo per la prova/overall max score: 60

Discussione delle tematiche scientifiche e metodologiche relative al progetto di ricerca
Discussion of scientific and methodological aspects of the research project

Punteggio massimo/max score: 40

Discussione dei titoli e della lettera motivazionale (verrà tenuta in considerazione chiarezza espositiva, capacità di sintesi e progettualità organizzativa)
Discussion of qualifications and motivation letter (clarity, synthesis skills, and organizational planning will be considered)

Punteggio massimo/max score: 10

Uso dell’inglese orale
Oral English proficiency

Punteggio massimo/max score: 10

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