Dr. Rachel Holmes

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Rachel E. Holmes is an Assistant Professor and Fellow at Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, where she serves as the Director of Studies for parts of the Tripos in the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic. She grew up in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, and attended a local comprehensive school before pursuing her undergraduate studies at St Hugh’s College, Oxford. She completed her MA and MLitt in Shakespeare Studies at the University of St Andrews and was awarded a PhD in 2014, financed by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Between 2015 and 2018, she was a Research Associate at the Centre for Research in Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities (CRASSH) at the University of Cambridge. From 2018 to 2022, she was a Lecturer in Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature at University College London before rejoining Wolfson College in Michaelmas Term 2022. Her research interests are interdisciplinary, focusing on early modern English literature and culture, particularly the intersections of law and literature in the context of gender and jurisdiction. Her doctoral work evolved into the book project 'Clandestine Contracts: Marriage, Law, and Literary Adaptation in Early Modern Europe', exploring the legal frameworks surrounding clandestine marriages and their literary representations across Europe.

Research Interests

Experience

Assistant Professor

2022-10-01 — Present

University of Cambridge • Cambridge, ENG

Director of Studies for parts of the Tripos and Fellow at Wolfson College.

Lecturer in Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature

2018-01-01 — 2022-01-01

University College London • London, ENG

Lecturer focusing on Renaissance literature and its cultural contexts.

Requirements for University of Cambridge

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.7
IELTS
Listening
Required:7
Reading
Required:7
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:25
Reading
Required:25
Writing
Required:25
Speaking
Required:25
Total
Required:110
Prerequisites
UK Bachelor's Degree with good Upper Second Class Honours or international equivalent Background in international relations, politics, law, economics, security or history is a definite asset
Application Checklist
  • Two academic references
  • Official transcripts
  • CV/Resume
  • Personal statement (approx 500 words)
  • Research proposal (1-2 pages/500 words)
  • Application fee (£50)
Specialization Notes

Standard postgraduate requirements for Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) and related humanities departments.