I've just been turned down by my first choice supervisor, as they said they have too many PhD students already. I have a MA with distinction and have been thrown by this as I'm limited in choice because I want to study Continental Philosophy.

Is it in bad form to contact another member of staff in the same department? Should I apply to the university anyway and hope they find me a supervisor? Open to all advice and suggestions.

Thanks

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. I wrote to a few supervisors - once two in the same department before finding my current, excellent one. They can only say no - or yes. Personally, I'd only apply to a department if I knew there was a good match of supervisor who wanted to take me on. One no does not a winter make Good luck.

If there's someone else who could supervise it in that department then there is no harm in asking them and in fact I'd ask your original choice if they could suggest anyone (in case there's been any recent appointments that you can't see on the website or someone normally known for x but currently changing track to y that would fit). But I would start looking at other universities too rather than hoping that the department will persuade someone to supervise something out of their area of expertise, which probably given your interest would not end happily. Oh and although it doesn't feel like it, that person has done you a favour by being honest. A supervisor with too many students in the humanities / social sciences is never going to be a good bet, because with the best will in the world they can only be effective supervisors for a certain number of people, and benign neglect is rarely good news in a subject that needs your work to be read very closely.

Don't worry about it and keep looking. Before i started to look for a supervisor I talked to the father of a friend who is professor how the procedure of applying for phd works and what if i am rejected. He said it is common, people get rejected for all kind of reasons and there is no need to feel bad about it. Before i started i made a list (4 or 5 ) of profs i want to contact, so when i get the first rejection, i immediately contact the next. Don't apply just for a university without supervisor, he or she is a very important factor for your success and the fun in your work. Contact the people, write them what is your idea and meet them. I heard horrible stories of phd-students who had troubles with their supervisors.
Could you also imagine to go abroad? That gives you much more options.