Masters Degrees (Critical Theory)

The Cultural and Critical Theory MA will give you a sophisticated appreciation of the limits of human understanding, the interdependence of philosophy and theory, and the implications of these for political action, aesthetic sensibility and representation in art and activism.

The course offers three distinct pathways:

1. Aesthetics and Cultural Theory
2. Globalisation, Politics and Culture
3. Philosophy and Critical Theory

All pathways provide for the development of an advanced understanding of specialist areas in cultural and critical theory, and effective preparation for doctoral research.

The core course, delivered during the autumn and spring terms, is complemented by a research methods module and two elective modules that offer opportunities for study across the range of humanities provision.

The course culminates in the submission of a specialist 20,000-word (or equivalent) project, which allows you to apply your advanced philosophical and theoretical understanding to an issue or text of your choice.

Taught courses are delivered with a maximum size of 12 students. Supervision for the project, and for pre and post-essay tutorials, is on a one-to-one basis with the appropriate tutor.

Why study with us?

• Opportunity to specialise in aesthetics and cultural theory, political and cultural globalisation, or philosophy and critical theory
• Successful international conferences – for example 'Slavery, Race and Reparative History', 'Globalisation and its Discontents' and 'Complicity', all with visiting scholars from across the globe
• The Philosophy, Politics and Aesthetics seminar series that invites debate from across the College, and hosts visiting scholars to deliver seminar papers twice a month
• A research methods module that improves your skills in independent study, and prepares you for doctoral work as well as for your MA project
• Staff with diverse research interests that span art practices, ethics, aesthetics, Marxisms, Freudianisms, Liberalisms, the political philosophy of international relations and global change, philosophy and filmmaking, literature and visual art, political activism and forms of democracy, and more

Areas of study

Delivered during the autumn and spring terms, the core course consists of a common lecture line and two modules in aesthetics and cultural theory, philosophy and critical theory, or political and cultural globalisation, depending on your chosen specialist area.

You also take a research methods module, which prepares you for the research project by considering the various approaches taken by relevant disciplines, interrogating the requirements of MA-level research and addressing how your intended research topic might best be refined.

The project itself normally consists of 18-20,000 word dissertation (or 12,000 words alongside a video, an installation or studio-based work) in which you apply your knowledge of cultural or critical theory to an issue or text of your choosing. Your work towards this submission is supported by one-to-one project supervision.

The elective modules can take one of three forms:

• a module from one of our other arts and humanities MA courses
• a Higher Education Teaching and Learning Course in which you shadow a tutor in the delivery of a module on the undergraduate programme
• a 10,000-word extended essay with regular one-to-one tutorial supervision.

Careers and employability

About a third of graduates from the Cultural and Critical Theory MA go on to PhD study, equipped with advanced research skills and specialist knowledge of their subject area. Others start or continue work as museum or gallery curators, in arts administration, journalism, social work, education or politics.

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This programme offers you the chance to study a range of theories in depth. It engages with modern literary theory, psychoanalytical theory, political theory and theories of visual and aesthetic experience.

You reflect on these areas of thinking in themselves and as they relate to particular literary texts, to post-enlightenment philosophy and to other relevant areas of culture and experience. It is for those interested in writing, reading, language, art, the self, literature and discovering more about the relations between literature and philosophy.

The MA in Critical Theory offers a choice of two core courses that survey a wide range of modern theoretical approaches, and a range of taught options covering postcolonial theory, theories of art, modern approaches to comparative literature, deconstruction and a chance to work in depth on a single key theoretical text and the writings it refers to.

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/216/critical-theory

About the School of English

The School of English has a strong international reputation and global perspective, apparent both in the background of its staff and in the diversity of our teaching and research interests.

Our expertise ranges from the medieval to the postmodern, including British, American and Irish literature, postcolonial writing, 18th-century studies, Shakespeare, early modern literature and culture, Victorian studies, modern poetry, critical theory and cultural history. The international standing of the School ensures that we have a lively, confident research culture, sustained by a vibrant, ambitious intellectual community. We also count a number of distinguished creative writers among our staff, and we actively explore crossovers between critical and creative writing in all our areas of teaching and research.

The Research Excellence Framework 2014 has produced very strong results for the School of English at Kent. With 74% of our work graded as world-leading or internationally excellent, the School is ranked 10th out of 89 English departments in terms of Research Intensity (Times Higher Education). The School also received an outstanding assessment of the quality of its research environment and public impact work.

Course structure

You take two modules in the autumn term and two in the spring term; one core module (FR866: Literature and Theory) and three optional modules. You are also expected to attend the Faculty and School Research Methods Programmes.

You then write a theory-based dissertation between the start of the Summer Term and the end of August.

Modules

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take modules from other programmes so that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas that interest you.

FR866 - Literature and Theory (30 credits)
FR807 - Postmodern French Detective Fiction (30 credits)
EN889 - Literary Theory (30 credits)
EN897 - Advanced Critical Reading (30 credits)
FR872 - Theories of Art in Modern French Thought (30 credits)
CP808 - Writing the Self: Autobiography in the Modern Period (30 credits)
CP810 - Comparative Literature in Theory and Practice (30 credits)
EN852 - Colonial and Postcolonial Discourses (30 credits)
EN857 - Body and Place in the Postcolonial Text (30 credits)
TH831 - Spirituality and Therapy (30 credits)
TH833 - Contemporary Critical Approaches to the Study of Religion (30 credits)
EN876 - Dickens and the Condition of England (30 credits)
EN888 - Extremes of Feeling: Literature and Empire in the Eighteenth Century (30 credits)
EN818 - American Modernism 1900-1930 (Teaching Period I) (30 credits)
EN832 - Hacks, Dunces and Scribblers: Authorship and the Marketplace in the Eig (30 credits)
EN835 - Dickens, The Victorians and the Body (30 credits)
EN842 - Reading the Contemporary (30 credits)
EN850 - Centres and Edges: Modernist and PostcolonialQuest Literature (30 credits)
MT864 - Reading the Medieval Town: Canterbury, an International City (30 credits)

Assessment

The course is assessed by coursework for each module and by the dissertation which accounts for a third of the final grade.

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

- extend and deepen through coursework and research your understanding of modern literary and critical theory

- study the reading-practices, analytic tools and vocabularies of modern critical thought

- develop your independent critical thinking and judgement

- introduce you to the research methods that facilitate advanced theoretical study of literature

- provide a basis in knowledge and skills if you intend to teach critical theory, especially in higher education

- develop your understanding and critical awareness of the expressive and analytical resources of language

- offer scope for the study of critical theory within an interdisciplinary context, notably that provided by philosophy

- develop your ability to argue a point of view with clarity and cogency, both orally and in written form

- examine this writing in the wider context of literature, culture and philosophy

- provide teaching which is informed by current research and scholarship and which requires you to engage with aspects of work at the frontiers of knowledge

- develop your research skills to the point where you are ready to undertake a research degree, should you so wish.

Careers

Many career paths can benefit from the writing and analytical skills that you develop as a postgraduate student in the School of English. Our students have gone on to work in academia, journalism, broadcasting and media, publishing, writing and teaching; as well as more general areas such as banking, marketing analysis and project management.

Find out how to apply here - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/

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Critical theory is a rich and diverse field of enquiry that has emerged from a continuous dialogue with theories of both society and politics.

Taught in collaboration with the School of Politics and International Relations, this innovative MA provides students with a thorough understanding of the close connection between critical theory and key contemporary political and social theories that shape today’s world. Therefore, it serves intellectually as ideal preparation for doctoral studies in these areas. Students undertaking this MA join a thriving postgraduate community in the Department of Cultural Studies. Reading groups, work-in-progress presentations by doctoral students, visiting speakers and research seminars by staff create a lively, stimulating, and supportive learning environment.

Course Structure

The MA in Critical Theory and Politics can be pursued either one year full-time or two-three years part-time – and we do our best to accommodate the needs of part-time students.

Modules offered may include:
• Postcolonialisms
• Social and Political Theories
• Sovereignty and Conflict
• Technology, Science, Life
• Visual Culture
• Globalisation and its Discontents
• Europe after the Cold War
• Security Studies
• International Political Economy
• The Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1948-2004

All students are assigned personal tutors as well as dissertation tutors to guide them through their coursework.

Teaching staff from the Department of Cultural Studies, the Centre for Critical Theory, the School of Politics and International Relations, and other participating schools, offer expertise in a range of areas including social and political theory, international relations, philosophy, and cultural studies.

Assessment

Taught modules are assessed by a 5,000-word assignment and students also submit a 20,000-word dissertation. There are no examinations.

Additional Entry Requirements

Candidates whose first language is not English must achieve an overall score on the British Council IELTS test of at least 7 with no less than 6 in each element; or a TOEFL score of 600 with at least 4.5 in the Test of Written English (TWE); or a TOEFL score iBT score of 100, with no less than 19 in any element. Test results should be no more than two years old.

Careers

Written coursework encourages the development of the scholarly tools required for doctoral research, and many of our graduates go on to pursue further studies at doctoral level. The course also provides students with a high degree of cultural awareness and literacy useful for careers in the media, advertising and public relations.

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This programme offers a unique approach to the study of critical theory, referring to traditions in modern European thought in which philosophy opens out onto critical diagnoses of the historical present. It grounds its problems and concepts in the appropriate philosophical context, with particular reference to Kant, Hegel and Marx. It will prepare graduates for a wide range of careers in education, the arts, politics and public policy, and also provides preparation for doctoral research.

Key features
-You will benefit from high levels of staff-student contact, including individual tutorials, from versatile and internationally recognised teaching staff with a wide range of interests, projects and publications.
-You will be part of a large, supportive community, studying with committed and engaged peers.
-The course is based at the UK's leading Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy at Kingston University, enabling you to attend and participate in research events with visiting international speakers.

What will you study?

You will take four taught modules and prepare a dissertation on a topic of your choice. You can choose from a range of module options, balanced by a shared central core of texts, concepts and problems.

You will study the two main traditions of critical theory – the Frankfurt School and French anti-humanism – and their background in Kant, Hegel, Marx and in 19th-century European philosophy more generally. The course includes work by thinkers who have become influential in the past couple of decades – Giorgio Agamben, Alain Badiou, Judith Butler, Gilles Deleuze, Felix Guattari, Antonio Negri and Jacques Rancière.

Assessment

Short exercises, essays, and 15,000-word dissertation.

Research areas

This course is taught by internationally recognised specialists at the dynamic Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy.
Since its inception in 1994, the CRMEP has developed a national and international reputation for teaching and research in the field of post-Kantian European philosophy, characterised by a strong emphasis on broad cultural and intellectual contexts and a distinctive sense of social and political engagement. In each of the last two research assessment exercises, RAE 2008 and REF2014, 65% of the research activities of the CRMEP were judged 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent', with 25% of its outputs for REF2014 judged 'world-leading'.

Course structure

Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list.

Core modules
-Critique, Practice, Power
-Philosophy and Psychoanalysis
-Philosophy Dissertation

Optional modules
-Art Theory: Modernism, Avant-Garde, Contemporary - delivered and assessed in English
-Contemporary European Philosophies - delivered and assessed in English
-Kant and his Legacy - delivered and assessed in English
-Kant and the Aesthetic Tradition - Delivered and assessed in English
-Nietzsche and Heidegger - delivered and assessed in English
-Philosophy of Art History
-Recent French Philosophy - delivered and assessed in English
-Topics in Modern European Philosophy - delivered and assessed in English

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Critical Theory is an exciting and dynamic field encompassing diverse intellectual approaches to literature, culture, society, and politics. It entails reflection on the premises, concepts and categories used in different disciplines.

This programme provides expert-led teaching on the wide range of theoretical approaches that constitute the contemporary critical vocabulary within the humanities.

Seminar-based teaching will allow you to critically engage with theoretical approaches as diverse as poststructuralism, postcolonialism, and the Frankfurt School, and with the work of thinkers such as Heidegger, Derrida and Deleuze.

We are the oldest department of English Literature in the world, and at the last Research Assessment Exercise were awarded the highest research rating possible, of 5*A. We have one of the largest graduate programmes in this area in the country and a rich research culture covering all aspects of literatures in English.

We offer supervision in all areas of English literature, historical and/or theoretical.

The research of staff has made valuable contributions to the areas of literature and philosophy, modernism/postmodernism, medieval and early modern literature, history of the book, romanticism, transatlantic studies and performance studies.

English Literature houses the Centre for the History of the Book and is one of the UK's leading forces in this area. It works closely with the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities and with the National Library of Scotland. The latter's recently acquired Murray Archive is crucial for studies in Romanticism, Book History, Bibliography and Archive Studies.

Programme structure

Students will undertake a seminar based programme of research methods training in core research skills and subject-specific methodologies. They will also take two option courses covering areas of critical theory related to their chosen fields and will write two extended essays in relation to these courses.

The programme includes a 15,000-word dissertation, completed under the supervision of one or more of the programme tutors.

Training and support

The academic staff you will be working with are all active researchers or authors, many of them prize winners and leading scholars in their fields. As well as benefiting from their expert supervision, you will undertake a seminar-based programme of training in core research skills and subject-specific methodologies. You will also have the opportunity to develop other transferable skills through the University’s Institute for Academic Development

We encourage you to share your research and learn from the work of others through a vibrant programme of Work-in-Progress seminars, reading groups, visiting speakers and conferences.

Our postgraduate journal, Forum, is a valuable conduit for research findings, and provides an opportunity for editorial experience.

Facilities

On hand are all the amenities you would expect, such as computing facilities, study areas and a common room and kitchen. Our location gives you easy access to the University’s general facilities, such as the Main Library and our collections, as well as to the National Museum, National Library and National Galleries of Scotland at the heart of the city.

In addition to the impressive range of resources available at the University’s Main Library (more than two million printed volumes and generous online resources) and the nearby National Library of Scotland, we host a number of collections of rare and valuable archival materials, all of which will be readily available to you as a postgraduate student.

Among the literary treasures are the libraries of William Drummond, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Hugh MacDiarmid, Adam Smith, Dugald Stewart and Norman MacCaig, plus the WH Auden collection, the Corson Collection of works by and about Sir Walter Scott and the Ramage collection of poetry pamphlets.

Our cultural collections are highly regarded and include a truly exceptional collection of early Shakespeare quartos and other early modern printed plays, and world-class manuscript and archival collections.

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This innovative, interdisciplinary MA provides students with a comprehensive introduction to the critical tradition that shapes today’s human and social sciences.

Taught by an interdisciplinary team with expertise in areas such as literary theory, continental philosophy, psychoanalysis, cultural studies and political theory, the course will appeal to students, especially those graduating from cultural studies or general humanities degrees, who are interested in further studies that emphasise theoretical approaches while maintaining a focus on their application to contemporary cultural events and practices.

The largely seminar-based teaching allows students to actively engage with thinkers as diverse as Raymond Williams, Stuart Hall, Pierre Bourdieu and Jean Baudrillard, whilst exploring key critical theoretical discourses in the humanities and their application to concrete cultural practices.

Students join a thriving postgraduate community and are encouraged to take part in the Department’s various reading groups, Work in Progress seminars, visiting speaker lectures, and research seminars which combine to create a lively, intellectually stimulating, and supportive learning environment.

Course Structure

The MA in Critical Theory and Cultural Studies may be followed one year full-time or two-three years part-time – and we do our best to accommodate the needs of part-time students.

Full-time students take two core modules in the first semester and two optional modules in the second semester – one of which can be chosen from another related MA programme – and submit a dissertation. Part-time students complete this allocation within 24-36 months.

Core modules may include:
• Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice
• Material Cultures and Everday Life
• Research Skills
• Social and Political Theories
• Subject and Sign after Freud and Saussure

Optional second semester modules may include:
• Mass Media
• Postcolonialisms
• Culture Industries
• Visual Cultures

All students are assigned a personal tutor as well as a dissertation tutor to guide them through their coursework.

Information about our research interests and publications is available at http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/clas/research/index.aspx

Assessment

All taught modules are assessed by a 5,000-word assignment, submitted towards the end of the semester in which the module is
taught. Students also submit a 20,000-word dissertation, usually in early September. There are no examinations.

Additional Entry Requirements

Candidates whose first language is not English must achieve an overall score on the British Council IELTS test of at least 7 with no less than 6 in each element; or a TOEFL score of 600 with at least 4.5 in the Test of Written English (TWE); or a TOEFL score iBT score of 100, with no less than 19 in any element. Test results should be no more than two years old.

Careers

Written coursework encourages the development of the scholarly tools required for doctoral research, and many of our graduates go on to pursue further studies at doctoral level. The course also provides students with a high degree of cultural awareness and literacy useful for careers in the media, advertising and public relations.

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Critical Methodologies is a unique interdisciplinary taught course focused on the study and applications of critical theory.

Students get to explore some of the major modern schools of thought and contemporary theories and practices of interpretation, from Formalism and Structuralism through Barthes and textuality to queer theory, psychoanalysis and feminism, and materialist and postcolonial theories. The course also gives students the opportunity to follow their own interests from a wide range of optional modules across humanities and social sciences, all of which draw on the varied and lively research culture of King's in these fields.

Leads to careers in universities, the media, arts, teaching and journalism.

Key benefits

• Unique interdisciplinary course focused on the study and applications of critical theory.
• Wide range of optional modules across humanities and social science disciplines.
• Located in the heart of London. 

Description

Our interdisciplinary course in Critical Methodology is built around a required module in critical theory. This will introduce you to the main debates in current critical theory through the exploration of a series of key texts. It explores theories and practices of reading, from Formalism and Structuralism through Barthes and textuality to queer theory, psychoanalysis, materialist and postcolonial theories. In addition to this required module, you will be able to choose from a list of modules linked to critical theory in a range of subjects. You will investigate and write a dissertation on a topic that links the required module to the material of one or more of your optional modules. This course is ideally suited to you if you have a humanities degree and are looking to prepare for PhD study, or if you want to pursue a career in teaching, journalism, the media and the arts.

Course purpose

For students with arts & humanities degrees who wish to further their knowledge of critical theory and its practice across a range of fields and/or to prepare for PhD study. To develop a knowledge of the broad implications of critical theory, and the skills of interpretation and analysis in relation to specific fields of study.

Course format and assessment

Teaching

If you are a full-time student, we will provide six hours of teaching each week through lectures and seminars, and we will expect you to undertake around 34 hours of independent study.

If you are a part-time student, we will provide two to four hours of teaching through lectures and seminars each week, and we will expect you to undertake between 16 and 18 hours of independent study.

For your dissertation, we will provide a further six hours of supervision.

Assessment

We assess the majority of our modules through coursework, typically a 4,000-5,000-word essay for every 20 credits. We will assess your dissertation through an oral presentation (10%) and a 12,000-word essay.

Sign up for more information. Email now

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Philosophy at Essex takes philosophy back to its roots in everyday existential, social and political issues. Our radical approach cuts across traditional boundaries, fostering dialogue between different schools and disciplines, and we are one of the few universities in the world that bridges the divide between the two great traditions of Analytic and Continental philosophy.

Our MA Philosophy will provide you with a rigorous grounding in modern and contemporary European philosophy. We have leading expertise in critical theory, phenomenology, German Idealism, nineteenth Century German philosophy, aesthetics, existentialism, contemporary French philosophy, philosophy and psychoanalysis, and medical humanities.

You study modules of your choice, develop your research, writing, and employability skills through an intensive Writing Workshop, and prepare an MA dissertation in your chosen area of research.

Our department is widely regarded as among the very best in the UK, having been recognised as one of the top 10 UK universities for research excellence (REF 2014), and being placed in the top 10 in The Guardian University Guide in 2010, 2011, and 2013.

As an alternative to our more flexible MA Philosophy, you can focus your study on a more specific area by following one of the following pathways:

MA Philosophy (Continental Philosophy Pathway)
All of our academic staff work on Continental Philosophy, including classical German philosophy (Kant and German Idealism), Frankfurt School Critical Theory (Adorno, Habermas, Honneth), nineteenth-century philosophy (Kierkegaard, Marx, Nietzsche), and phenomenology (Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty). On this pathway you choose from a range of specified topics in these areas, in addition to some outside options and a dissertation on a topic in Continental Philosophy.

MA Philosophy (Critical Social Theory Pathway)
We are the leading centre for Critical Social Theory in the UK with five members of academic staff working on the Frankfurt School (Adorno, Habermas, Honneth), contemporary French thought (Derrida, Foucault, Rancière) and issues in Critical Social Theory, such as activist political theory, theory of recognition, aesthetics and politics, deliberative democracy, and the moral limits of markets. On this pathway you study modules on the Frankfurt School and Contemporary Critical Theory, in addition to some outside options and a dissertation on a topic in Critical Social Theory.

MA Philosophy (Philosophy and Art History Pathway)
Drawing on the collaborative and interdisciplinary approach of the School, our new Philosophy and Art History pathway enables students to get a thorough grounding in philosophical aesthetics. You explore issues in aesthetics and their bearing on other areas of philosophy (such as critical theory or existentialism) and Art History (such as aesthetic practices and curating), and profit from the wide-ranging expertise of our staff in both disciplines. On this pathway you study modules on Philosophy/Aesthetics and Art History (dealing, for example, with Art & Politics, Art, Architecture and Urbanism, or Art, Science & Knowledge), in addition to some outside options and a dissertation on a topic in Philosophy and Art History.

Our expert staff

Our courses are taught by world-class academics, and over three quarters of our research is rated “world-leading” or “internationally excellent” (REF 2014), which puts us fifth in the UK for research outputs.

Our open-minded and enthusiastic staff have an exceptionally broad range of research interests, so whatever questions in philosophy catch hold of your imagination, there is certain to be someone you can approach to find out more.

Recent projects and publications include:
-Béatrice Han-Pile and Dan Watts’ major new research project, The Ethics of Powerlessness: the Theological Virtues Today
-The Essex Autonomy Project, a major interdisciplinary project funded by the AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council), which aims to investigate the role of autonomous judgment in many aspects of human life
-Peter Dews’ The Idea of Evil, Polity, 2007
-Béatrice Han-Pile, Foucault’s Critical Project: Between the Transcendental and the Historical, Stanford University Press, 2002
-Fiona Hughes, Kant’s Critique of Aesthetic Judgement: A Reader’s Guide, Edinburgh University Press, 2007.
-Wayne Martin, Theories of Judgement: Psychology, Logic, Phenomenology, Cambridge University Press, 2006
-Irene McMullin’s Time and the Shared World: Heidegger on Social Relations, Northwestern University Press, 2013
-Fabian Freyenhagen’s Adorno’s Practical Philosophy: Living Less Wrongly, Cambridge University Press, 2013

Specialist facilities

-Graduate students have access to desk space in the School and many students work there on a daily basis
-A dedicated German-language course for graduate students in philosophy
-Attend our Critical Theory Colloquium
-Attend the Werkstatt, where recent work on phenomenology is presented
-An exciting programme of research seminars, reading groups and mini-courses that help you expand your philosophical knowledge beyond what you learn on your course
-Access a variety of philosophy textbooks and journals in the Albert Sloman Library and in our departmental library

Your future

Many of our philosophy graduates embark on doctoral study after finishing their MA. We offer supervision for PhDs in a range of fields including:
-Continental philosophy
-Critical Social Theory
-History of philosophy
-Applied ethics

Our graduates have also gone into careers in law, the media, local administration, HM Revenue and Customs, and top jobs in the Civil Service.

We work with our university’s Employability and Careers Centre to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

Example structure

-Dissertation: Continental Philosophy (optional)
-Dissertation: Critical Social Theory (optional)
-Dissertation: MA Philosophy (optional)
-Dissertation: Philosophy & Art History (optional)
-Phenomenology and Existentialism (optional)
-Kant's Revolution in Philosophy (optional)
-Hegel (optional)
-Contemporary Critical Theory (optional)
-Topics in Continental Philosophy (optional)
-MA Writing Workshop (optional)
-The Frankfurt School (optional)
-Philosophy and Aesthetics (optional)
-Collecting Art From Latin America (optional)
-Art & Politics (optional)
-Current Research in Art History (optional)
-Art, Architecture and Urbanism (optional)
-Contemporary Theories of Justice (optional)
-Environmental Politics (optional)
-Political Economy (optional)
-Political Theory (optional)
-Research Seminar in Political Theory and Methods (optional)
-Theory and Explanation in Political Science (optional)
-Ideology and Political Discourse (optional)
-The New Nature Writing (optional)
-Foundations of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (optional)
-The Protection of Refugees and Displaced Persons in International Law (optional)
-Human Rights and Development (optional)
-International Trade, Investment and Human Rights. (optional)
-Human Rights for Women (optional)
-Transitional Justice (optional)
-Psycho Analytic Theory (optional)
-Psychoanalytic Methodology (optional)

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This pathway of the MA in Literary Studies enables you to study, principally through its core module Theories of Literature and Culture, a range of theoretical issues, currents and thinkers in literary and cultural theory from the turn of the twentieth century to the present day.

This starts with Nietzsche and including, for example, Freud, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Benjamin and Adorno, Structuralism, Blanchot, Derrida, Gender and Postcolonial Theory. The main focus will be on the relationship of theory to literary and cultural criticism but you will also be able to concentrate on theoretical concepts in their own right.

While the core module gives you a strong grounding in literary and cultural theory, you also have the opportunity to pursue your wider interests thanks to the flexible structure of the MA, by studying three options from the large provision of the department, choosing at least one of these in an area that is relevant to modern literary theory. Both the core module and the options are taught by leading specialists of the subject.

You will be able to further develop your interest in literary theory or literary-theoretical approaches to literature and culture through a 15,000-word dissertation to be submitted at the end of your programme of study.

All texts will be studied in English or in English translation.

Modules & structure

Core module

• Theories of Literature & Culture

In addition to the core module and dissertation, you also take three option modules. Please visit the website for more information

Skills

You'll develop transferable skills, including:

• enhanced communication and discussion skills in written and oral contexts
• the ability to analyse and evaluate different textual materials
• the ability to organise information; the ability to assimilate and evaluate competing arguments

Careers

Graduates of this programme have gone on to pursue careers in:

• publishing
• journalism
• public relations
• teaching
• advertising
• the civil service
• business
• industry
• the media

Find out more about employability at Goldsmiths. 

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English Literature at Cardiff is taught by staff with an international reputation for innovative and influential research. Our passion for the subject and the strength and range of our scholarship enable us to offer a degree which is:

• Inclusive. We teach across the whole chronological span of English Literature, from Middle English to literature of the twenty-first century. We offer modules in a range of critical approaches, from bibliography and textual studies to contemporary women’s writing, and from Barthesian semiotics and postcolonial ways of reading, to theories of gender and queer studies. We are intrigued by the connections between literature and popular culture and literature and theory, and our teaching reflects these interests.

• Challenging. Staff offer modules on their research areas of expertise. This means that students engage with new, up-to-date ideas that are helping to shape and define the future of the discipline.

• Diverse. There are no compulsory modules. You have the freedom to use any critical, theoretical perspective to analyse any type of (aesthetic, cultural, historical) material.

• Engaged. The MA in English Literature is a successful programme of study that has a strong reputation for offering a comprehensive range of modules from all periods and genres that bring the latest developments in literary and critical theory to bear upon the reading of literary and cultural texts.

Distinctive features

• A wide-ranging programme of research-led modules taught by specialists in the field
• A series of dedicated research pathways, including Medieval and Renaissance Studies; Romantic and Victorian Studies; Modern and Contemporary Literature; Gender and Sexuality Studies; Cultural and Critical Theory
• Access to skills training and various research activities
• The freedom to assemble a programme of study tailored to personal and professional interests
• High-level training in the latest research methods, critical theory and scholarly writing and presentation skills in a non-assessed core module
• Popular two-day residential conference and workshop at Gregynog Hall, where you will present short 15-minute papers in a supportive and lively atmosphere
• One-day symposium dedicated to increasing your employability skills
• Opportunities to take part in a series of dynamic research seminar series
• Access to specialist library collections

Structure

Our flexible structure allows you to assemble programmes of study tailored to your personal and professional interests. You can opt for the open pathway, or choose one of our specialist pathways: Medieval and Renaissance; Romantic and Victorian Studies; Modern and Contemporary Literature; Gender and Sexuality Studies; Cultural and Critical Theory, which groups together groups of taught modules with related research activities and skills training available in the School.

The degree is structured in two parts.

• Part one

You choose four modules from a range of specialist options. You take two modules per semester (one module per semester for part-time study)

All teaching is by seminars and workshops structured around student participation, featuring opportunities to present your work. Each module consists of a two-hour seminar per week and is assessed by a 4,000-word essay (or equivalent).

In addition to the taught modules, you attend weekly workshops on research methods and scholarly presentation.

• Part Two

You undertake a dissertation of 16,000-20,000 words on a subject of your choice, developed in consultation with a supervisor in the field. You begin to plan and research your dissertation in the second semester for submission in September.

Core module:

English Literature Ma Dissertation

Optional modules:

The Myth of King Arthur in The Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
Violent Death in Renaissance Drama
Reading/Theory
Constructing Shakespeare
Neo-Victorian Metatextualities
Writing and Experimentation
Heroes and Villains from Chaucer to Shakespeare
Spectral Femininities
Writing Victorian Science
Children's Fantasy Fiction Since 1900
Before Homosexuality? Representing Same Sex Desire from Smollett to Sexology
Romantic Poetry and Place
Project Management and Advanced Research Skills
Narrative and Nation: Romantic Prose 1980-1830
White
Virginia Woolf's Modernism
Ecotheories
Digital Theory

Teaching

Teaching is delivered in seminar groups for all modules. The teaching for each module is text-based and revolves around the exploration of concepts and ideas from a range of literary, historical, and theoretical perspectives within the broad field of English Literature.

The learning activities vary from module to module as appropriate, but will include such as activities as interactive discussions of prepared texts/topics and, in some cases, student-led presentations.

Encouraged to explore our excellent library resources, you are expected to undertake preparation including wide-ranging reading to enable full participation.

Assessment

Each module on Part One is assessed by a 4,000-word essay or equivalent (which can include up to 10% of the module being assessed by oral presentation).

Part Two is examined by a 16,000-20,000-word dissertation.

Career prospects

Postgraduate study is a gateway to many careers within and beyond academia.

Many of our alumni enter (or return to) various professions including academia, primary and secondary education, journalism, publishing, archival and library work, the Civil Service, arts administration and the creative industries.

In addition to taught modules and academic workshops, we also offer dedicated sessions to increase your transferable skills and employability prospects. We also encourage all students on the programme to work closely with the University’s Careers and Employability office.

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The course provides students with an extensive grounding in contemporary critical theory and the way it can be applied in a range of European cultural contexts. The course offers the opportunity to specialise in specific aspects of European culture that are close to areas of staff expertise, including history, film, literature and the visual arts. You will conduct an extensive research project of your choice under close guidance in a supportive and vibrant environment.

The course provides ideal preparation for doctoral research across the humanities and social sciences. It also prepares graduates for a wide range of careers in education, the arts, politics and public policy.

What will I study?
Students take four taught modules (three compulsory, one optional), and prepare a dissertation on a topic of their choice.

Course structure
Semester 1:

LXM4002 Research Methods (30 credits, compulsory): This includes skills in academic writing, presenting, and conducting bibliographic research in different language areas.

LXM4001 Modes of Critical Theory (30 credits, compulsory): This module takes a thematic approach to critical modes of analysis and critical theories. Up to six themes are to be studied in a given academic year, including (but not limited to):

Memory
Self / Other
Aesthetics
National Identity
Conflict
Performance
Space / City
National / Cultural Boundaries
Theories of Language
Semester 2:

LXM4031 Critical Theory in Practice (30 credits, compulsory): Building on Critical Analysis 1, this module incorporates student-led case studies based on themes studied in semester 1, and requires some target-language academic writing to complement the analysis conducted.

Target Language option module (30 credits, select one from the following options):

German

LXM4007 (Non)conformity in the GDR
LXM4026 Sites of Memory in Eastern Germany
LXM4008 Writing Austria
LXM4029 German Memory Pathologies
French

LXM4010 From Decadence to Dada
LXM4011 Visions of the City in French Cinema
From 2013/14 Noirs de France: Immigration, Integration and Identity
From 2013/14 From Surrealism to Street Art: Art, Politics and Everyday Life in France
Spanish

LXM4012 Translating Spain
LXM4013 Twentieth-Century Spanish Women’s Writing
LXM2020 Watching Spain: Visual Representations of the 20th Century
Italian

LXM4016 Italian Romanticism
LXM4017 Twentieth-Century Italian Short Fiction
Summer:

LXM4018 Dissertation (60 credits, compulsory): 20,000 words on topic relevant to chosen language specialism or comparative (to be approved in Semester 1).

Assessment
Coursework includes short exercises and critical essays on Research Methods and aspects of Critical Theory; 20,000-word dissertation.

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The MPhil in European, Latin American and Comparative Literatures and Cultures provides you with the critical and theoretical tools to enable you to undertake in-depth study of specific aspects of European literature and culture or Latin American and Francophone contexts.

The course introduces you to a broad range of critical theory concepts and allows you to write a short thesis. Students take three taught courses consisting of lectures and seminars, one of which is a core course in critical theory.

Visit the website: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/mmmmmpelc

Course detail

During Lent term, students take two modules chosen from a range of module options. Two modules are run in conjunction with the MPhil in Latin American Studies, one of which is a module on Latin American Film. It is also possible to borrow modules from the MPhil in Screen Media and Cultures, and the MPhil in English Studies: Criticism and Culture, run by the Faculty of English.

Although not all students may wish to progress to higher research, this MPhil programme is designed to prepare students for continuation to PhD work. This preparation includes the academic and research training provided by the course content itself but also advice and support with PhD applications, funding applications and the drafting of a research proposal.

The Medieval and Early Modern pathway is aimed at students who wish to specialize in subjects linked to Medieval and/or Early Modern studies. The course offers tailored training to students working in this field, providing theoretical and practical tools to read, understand and work on pre-modern sources. The pathway is a flexible structure that can be adjusted to particular needs and interests offering a wide range of approaches to a variety of texts and historical contexts. This course is particularly suited to students wishing to pursue their graduate studies further and work on a PhD in Medieval and/or Early Modern studies. Students interested will have to register to the pathway at the beginning of the academic year.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the programme students will have:

1. developed a knowledge of critical theory and an ability to work with theory or specific critical approaches;
2. developed a deeper knowledge of one or more areas of European Literature & Culture and of the critical debates within that (or those) area(s);
3. developed more advanced critical judgement and sensitivity to literary texts;
4. demonstrated advanced skills in literary analysis;
5. developed intellectual and practical research skills;
6. presented their own ideas in a public forum.

Format

The EuroLit MPhil is a nine-month course that runs from October to June of any given academic year. It is classified as a research Master's. Students are expected to submit coursework and a thesis during the year, as follows:

Michaelmas Term: Core Course

During the first term of study, students attend weekly lectures and mini-seminars designed to give them a broad insight into European literature and culture. At the end of this term, they submit one 4,500-word essay. The essay focuses on a specific theoretical framework or critical approach. Additionally those following the early modern and medieval pathway may submit a paleography exercise as assessment for this course. Two hours of individual supervision are provided.

Lent Term: Modules

Students can choose from a range of module options. Some are shared with different MPhils (e.g. Screen Media and Cultures) and other Departments and Faculties within the University, such as Latin American Studies. (The list of modules can change from year to year depending on the availability of academic staff.)

During Lent Term, students attend weekly group seminars led by the module covenor, lasting around 1.5 to 2 hours per week per module. In addition, two hours of individual supervision (per essay) will be provided as students draft their module essays. Essays are submitted at the end of Lent Term.

Examples of modules

- Modern and Contemporary French and Francophone Culture: Articulations of the Real
- Searching for Happiness
- Identity and hybridity in Arthurian romance
- The alterity of medieval literature
- The Enlightenment and its Critics: from Kant to Foucault
- Memory and Subjectivity in the German Novel
- History of the Book, 1450-1650
- The Modern City
- Marginalities in Nineteenth-Century European Culture
- Europe and the Renaissance
- New Commitments: Literature, Cinema and Culture in Italy 1960 - present
- Dante: Medieval and Modern
- Women Writers in Early Modern Italy
- The Culture of East Slavic Lands from Rus to the Battle of Poltava
- Literature and Nationalism in Russia and Eastern Europe
- Revolutionising Body and Mind in Early Twentieth-Century Russia
- Al-Andalus and España: Translatio and Tolerance
- Golden Age Literature and Culture: The Baroque Marvel
- Iberian Voices
- The Consolidation and Crisis of Representation in Ibero-American Literature
- Latin American Literary Culture
- Latin American Film and Visual Arts

Assessment - Easter Term

During this term, students write a thesis. Theses must, according to the criteria laid down by the Board of Graduate Studies, 'represent a contribution to learning'. Theses must be written in English. The arrangements for their preparation are similar to those for the essays. Titles are chosen by students, in consultation with module convenors and/or prospective supervisors, and then have to be approved by the Faculty Degree Committee.

Topics and precise thesis titles must be submitted by a specific deadline in Lent Term. Up to this point the Course Director is the titular supervisor of MPhil students, but once the thesis topics are approved, a specialist supervisor is appointed for each student. Students are entitled to up to four hour-long sessions with their supervisor. (In the event that a thesis is co-supervised, a candidate may expect two hours of individual teaching from each supervisor. Only one supervisor should comment on the full draft of the thesis.)

Continuing

For those applying to continue from the MPhil to PhD, the minimum academic standard is a distinction on the MPhil.

How to apply: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying

Funding Opportunities

General Funding Opportunities http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance/funding

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A Masters degree in English is a qualification that employers understand and respect. It is powerful testimony to your intellectual competence.

Course overview

English MA combines the study of literatures, linguistics, critical theory and creative writing. The course is incredibly flexible and you can pursue your personal goals for intellectual enquiry and literary exploration, with inspiration and encouragement from our widely-published lecturers.

There is a very clear link between teaching and research on the degree with all the modules above drawing on publications by the module leaders (all of whom were recognised as ‘Internationally Excellent’ or ‘Internationally Recognised’ in the recent REF).

You will first undertake an innovative introductory module called ‘Approaching Literature’ which allows you to study applied literary, critical and linguistic theory as a basis to your whole degree. There is then a wide choice of modules based on the research specialisms of the staff including: 'Gothic', 'Late Victorian Gothic', 'Writing the Borders', ‘Language and Ideology in Children’s Fictions’, 'Early Humans in Fiction', ‘Irish Literature 1790 to 1831’, ‘Critical Theory and Creative Writing’ and 'Language and Ideology in Children’s Fictions’.

You will negotiate the topic of your Masters dissertation to reflect your personal interests. We like to push boundaries and develop modules that combine our research expertise with an awareness of your future career prospects.

The market for places on postgraduate teaching qualifications is becoming increasingly competitive. Many of our students enrol on the MA to improve their subject specialism, thereby giving them a greater chance of success at securing a place on one of these courses. With this in mind, we are attentive to developments in the GSCE and A Level curriculums, in order that our students have relevant, research led subject knowledge to bring to bear on applications.

Through the channels of Spectral Visions Press students are invited to submit their work for publication. If selected original work will be published in one of our professionally assembled annual anthologies the last two of which are currently available on Amazon. Furthermore, many of our students have written articles, reviews and interviews for organisations such as the International Gothic Association; An International Community of Gothic Scholars; and other scholarly networks such as the Open Graves; Open Minds project, Sibeal, and Feminist Studies. These networking opportunities give our students valuable access to the wider academic community, and aid in employment and progression opportunities.

Your training in research skills, together with Masters-level critical thinking, will be transferable to many different types of employment.

We also offer a part-time English MA of this course, which may suit you if you want to combine studying for a Masters degree with other commitments. For more information, please view this web-page: http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/courses/educationandsociety/postgraduate/english-part-time/

Course content

The course mixes taught elements with independent research and supportive supervision. At MA level, responsibility for learning lies as much with you as with your tutor. Modules on this course include:
Core modules
-Approaching Literature (30 Credits)

Choose three optional modules from a list that may include the following modules
-Gothic (30 Credits)
-The 1790s (30 Credits)
-Late Victorian Gothic (30 Credits)
-‘What Ish My Nation?’: Postcolonial Irish Literatures (30 Credits)
-Language and Ideology in Children’s Fictions (30 Credits)
-Reading ‘Ulysses’ (30 Credits)
-The Global City: Modern to Postmodern (30 Credits)
-Orientalism: Representations of the East in Western Travel Literature and Arab and Iranian Novels (30 Credits)
-‘Strange Country’: Irish Literature 1790 to 1831 (30 Credits)
-Critical Theory and Creative Writing (30 Credits)
-Early Humans in Fiction (30 Credits)
-Reading the Anglo-Scots Borders (30 Credits)
-Reading and Writing the Fantastic, the Marvellous and the Gothic (30 Credits)
-Irish Literature and the Supernatural (30 Credits)

Plus the compulsory dissertation
-Dissertation on a topic that you negotiate with your supervisor (60 Credits)

Teaching and assessment

We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods which include seminars and discussion groups. We often have visiting speakers and a range of research seminars to enhance your learning opportunities. This includes our widely acclaimed Spectral Visions event, held annually at the University.

Compared to an undergraduate course, you will find that this Masters course requires a higher level of independent working. Assessment methods include mainly essays. Some options require oral presentations.

Facilities & location

The University of Sunderland has excellent facilities that have been boosted by multi-million pound redevelopments.

Course location
The course is based at the Priestman Building on City Campus, just a few minutes from the main Murray Library and close to Sunderland city centre. It’s a very vibrant and supportive environment with excellent resources for teaching and learning.

University Library Services
We’ve got thousands of books and e-books on topics related to English and literature, with many more titles available through the inter-library loan service. We also subscribe to a comprehensive range of print and electronic journals so you can access the most reliable and up-to-date academic and industry articles. Some of the most important sources for your course include:
-Early English Books Online, which provides digital images of virtually every work printed in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and British North America during 1473-1800
-Eighteenth Century Collections Online, which provides 136,000 full-text publications from 1701-1800
-Periodicals Archive Online, which provides digitised literary journals
-Project Muse, which provides over 180 full-text humanities and social sciences journals

IT provision
When it comes to IT provision you can take your pick from hundreds of PCs as well as Apple Macs in the David Goldman Informatics Centre and St Peter’s Library. There are also free WiFi zones throughout the campus. If you have any problems, just ask the friendly helpdesk team.

Employment & careers

This course is relevant to a wide range of occupations because it sharpens your skills of analysis and persuasive communication. At the same time it advances your intellectual development. A Masters degree in English is a qualification that is well-recognised by employers across all sectors. Past graduates have gained employment in areas such as:
-Teaching
-Media and journalism
-Civil Service
-Publishing
-Communications
-Freelance writing
-Arts and creative industries

A Masters degree will also enhance opportunities in academic roles or further study towards a PhD.

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Learn to think in different ways about the deepest questions and problems of political life.

Overview

The MA in Political Theory addresses some of the most pressing questions in political life. What is politics for - to bring real freedom and equality for all human beings, to realise justice, or to prevent human beings from killing one another in large numbers? What do we owe the global poor? Can we close our borders? Where does power lie in democracies?

Course Content

You’ll be encouraged to explore these topics, and others, in greater depth and from different perspectives across a variety of optional modules which draw on our internationally recognized teaching and research strengths in analytical political philosophy, intellectual history and critical theory.

The MA also features a regular research seminar, where the best current work in political theory is presented by staff and eminent guest speakers from all over the world.

Modules
You'll study one core module:
-Approaches to Political Theory

Plus, five optional modules from a range of subjects:
-Analytical Political Philosophy
-Contemporary Issues in International Political Economy
-Critical Theory
-Critical Theories of International Political Economy
-Ethics and World Politics
-New Security Challenges
-State, Space and Globalisation
-Topics in the History of Political Thought
-PhD Proposal in Political Theory module

Our range of modules allow you to study issues connected with toleration, continental political theory, legal theory and political integrity.

A 10-12,000 word dissertation allows you to apply the relevant method to a problem of your choosing.

Careers

From political research to journalism, marketing and HR, a masters degree in Political Theory leads to a broad range of career opportunities. You might find yourself working for:
-Central or local government
-Non-governmental organisations
-Community and voluntary organisations
-A Social enterprise
-A university
-Accountancy and banking orgs
-Law firms
-Media companies
-International and global development bodies / organisations

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Consider a wide range of theoretical and critical ideas in relation to our contemporary cultural, political and sociological experiences. This course incorporates ideas from philosophy, sociology and cultural and critical theory to provide an integration of ways of thinking about our cultural formations and practices.

This course explores our ever changing global and technologically driven world. You will consider wide ranging ideas from questions of power, ideology, class, identity, gender, sexuality, technology, time and space through a complex array of different sociological and cultural/critical theory ideas and philosophies from contemporary continental philosophy.

The growing world of on-line communities like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have revolutionised the ways in which we ‘see’ ourselves, the ways in which we create our own identities, and the ways in which we communicate. The course aims to offer an advanced knowledge of Social and Cultural Theory, and to encourage you to develop a sophisticated and critically-informed approach to the issues described above.

Through Blackboard, you will study in a supportive and intellectually exciting study environment which is responsive to your individual needs. The course also helps to develop critical skills, including argument, analysis, theoretical exposition and description, precision, and good methodological skills and enable the development of confidence and professionalism in relation to both your work and other students.

Course content

-Contemporary Social Theory
-Researching Media, Culture and Society
-The Application of Theory within Social Research
-Culture and Identity
-Dissertation

Graduate destinations

The course will equip you with transferable skills required in the commercial and employment sectors such as social work, personnel, creative and cultural industries and marketing.

You will also receive a good grounding in theory which can be taken further in academic study at research levels.

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