Thanks Bilbo, that was a quick response!

I will read through the prospectus before asking any other questions!

I have just read elsewhere that practically all doctoral programmes in Germany are tuition-free, which I must say sounds good, but will have to investigate further of course.

I do instinctively like the idea of my supervision being UK based, but the advantages of a Southern German university would not only probably be financial, but also access to libraries etc. I have a lot more research to do before I am near to making a decision on where to apply to, aside from the reading I need to do to feel ready to apply - it's a good job I have plenty of time before I need to put an application in!

Hilary

Thanks again everyone!

Shani your plan sounds exciting, can I just wander onto a campus where I am not a student and ask to join their library? It sounds a very good idea, as a way back into academia, even if I go the OU route in the end.

Bilbo and Rick thank you for the info on the OU - at first I thought OU was my only real option, until my husband suggested Munich, and I had a look on the LMU website and saw that there are several current Doctorate candidates in English literature, writing in English.

We are in Germany because of my husband's job, plus he is German originally. When I am ready to start a PhD it will be 3 years since I lived in the UK, which I assume changes my funding status. Our intention is to stay here pretty much permanently.

I will look into the funding ideas - we currently live on my husband's salary anyway, but paying fees would make things tight. Does anyone have a very rough idea what fees might be, say for OU?

Many thanks again

Hilary

Wow plenty of replies! Thanks everyone!

Smilodon my children are nearly 3 and 9 months, how old is yours?

This is going to be a long road for me, I don't plan on starting the PhD until my younger child is 3! It is 8 years since I studied formally, and 12 years since I studied literature (I also have an MSc. in business) so I intend to do a lot of reading over the next 2 years to get myself into a PhD ready position and decide on my topic. When both kids are at Kindergarten I will have 5 mornings a week childcare...

My position is complicated by the fact we live in Germany, and expect to continue to do so - so MissSpacy was very right about location, and I know this complicates things - I have a lot of questions (is Open Uni worth anything? Anyone know anything about the Munich universities...), but I thought one thing at a time, I'll try not to overload a board I'm new to!

Thanks again everyone!

Hilary

Hi

I have just found this forum and read through the other topics, but can't specifically find the answer to my question, so I just wondered if anyone could set me straight, and let me know if my understanding of how to do this is right or not...

I would like to do a Literature PhD, which (although funding would be nice in an ideal world) in reality I know will be self funded and will be part time as I have 2 very small children.

Am I right in thinking that the way to go about this is to come up with my own proposal, which must be original and fit for publication, and fit the interests of a potential supervisor at my university of choice?

My main confusion is over the fact I have read about both looking for a PhD and with coming up with an original proposal - am I correct in assuming that looking for an advertised PhD applies to science/ engineering etc. PhD projects that are funded, and that a self funded humanities PhD is different in this respect?

Many thanks in advance for any replies!

Hilary