Doctoral Workshop in Medieval and Early Modern English Studies

Studying in Geneva

Founded by the Reformer John Calvin in 1559, the University of Geneva has a long and storied history. A member of the League of European Research Universities, which includes the finest universities on the European continent and Great Britain, the University of Geneva is a first-class research university. According to a recent Newsweek survey, it is the leading generalist university in Continental Europe.

English at Geneva has a distinguished history: George Steiner, Wlad Godzich, and Richard Waswo are only three of the distinguished professors to have taught in the Department. Today’s staff is fully committed to continuing its legacy of excellence in research and teaching. Students enjoy access to major electronic resources such as Literature Online, EEBO, LION, ECCO, JSTOR, and Project Muse. The department has a graduate community of over 80 (including 15 working on a PhD), with students from almost twenty different countries.

Geneva is a vibrant international city at the heart of Europe, on the shores of Lake Geneva and within sight of the Alps. Thanks to low-cost airlines and the TGV, travel to and from Geneva is easy and inexpensive. International surveys regularly find Geneva to be among the cities with the highest quality of living in the world.

Tuition fees for PhD students are surprisingly low by international standards. They are CHF 500 (ca. £300, EUR 350, $ 500) in the first and in the last semester of the PhD, and CHF 65 (ca. £40, EUR 50, $ 65) in any intervening semester. This applies to Swiss as well as foreign nationals.

For further information: Professor Lukas Erne.