Masters Degrees (English Literature)

Take advantage of one of our 100 Master’s Scholarships to study English Literature at Swansea University, the Times Good University Guide’s Welsh University of the Year 2017. Postgraduate loans are also available to English and Welsh domiciled students. For more information on fees and funding please visit our website.

The MA in English Literature offers an exciting array of modules from the traditional core of English studies in the context of contemporary approaches to the subject.

Key Features of MA in English Literature

The MA in English Literature allows you to range widely across English studies rather than confine yourself to a narrow field and draws on the individual research expertise of members of staff.

From the student’s point of view the MA in English Literature is openly structured. As a student enrolled in the English Literature programme, you define your own pathway through the Department’s MA provision. This means that as well as choosing modules from the MA in English, you can select modules in any combination from the other specialist MAs offered by the Department, such as the MA in Welsh Writing in English and the MA in Gender and Culture.

As a MA in English Literature student, you develop your dissertation project on a topic of your own choosing in consultation with a supervisor.

The full-time English Literature course comprises three modules taken in each academic semester (a total of six modules) and then a dissertation over the summer. The dissertation component draws on issues and themes developed throughout the year, or emerges from a topic of the student's proposing in English Literature. Part-time study is available for the MA in English Literature.

Students of the MA in English Literature will benefit from the College of Arts and Humanities' Graduate Centre. The Graduate Centre fosters and supports individual and collaborative research activity of international excellence and offers a vibrant and supportive environment for students pursuing postgraduate research and taught masters study. The Centre provides postgraduate training to enhance academic and professional development and facilitates participation in seminar programmes, workshops and international conferences.

Modules

Modules on the MA in English Literature typically include:

• Practising Ideas: Advnaced Research Skills
• ‘The Unsex’d Females’: Women Writers and the French Revolution
• Women Writing India
• The Romantic Sublime
• Gender and Culture: An Introduction
• The Modernist Novel: James Joyce
• Angela Carter
• Dylan Thomas and the Idea of Welsh Writing in English
• Locating Wales: Comparative Perspectives
• ‘American Wales’: Writing the Transatlantic
• Welsh Identities: Literature and Nationhood
• Saints and Sinners in Christian Late Antiquity
• Fin’Amor and Marriage in the Medieval English Secular Lyric
• Gender and Humour in Medieval and Early Modern Europe
• Lost in Europe: History, Biography, Ideology through the Short twentieth Century (1914-89)
• Neo-Victorian Mutinies: Gender & Racial Trauma in Neo-Victorian Fiction (& Film)
• Writing Poetry
• Writing the Self

Careers

Career expectations are excellent for English Literature graduates. Our Graduates enter careers in education, professional and creative writing, publishing, global marketing and advertising, media, international and national recruitment, heritage and tourism, and relief/humanitarian organisations. Some Graduates go on to pursue further postgraduate study leading to a PhD and a career in Academia.

Research Interests

The Department of English Language and Literature is home to three research centres and groupings:

• the Centre for the Research in the English Literature and Language of Wales (CREW)
• the Centre for the Research into Gender in Culture and Society (GENCAS)
• the Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Research (MEMO)

All staff in the Department are research active and publish books and articles in their areas of expertise. Books published by staff in recent years include studies of medieval women’s writing, William Blake, Dylan Thomas, American fiction, Walt Whitman, narratives of the European border, Angela Carter, contemporary English language studies and many other areas. Regular research seminars
and lectures are run through these groups and also through the Research Institute for Arts and Humanities (RIAH) which students are encouraged to attend.

Student Quote

"The MA in English Literature at Swansea offers students a unique opportunity to expand their intellectual horizons in an environment that brings people together from across the globe. I've had the chance to study with people from Ireland, England, America, and Germany and the differing views and experiences that each of us bring to our classroom discussions have been an invaluable part of my education here. One of the other enormous benefits of studying in Swansea is its location. In few other places can a student read a poem by Dylan Thomas or William Wordsworth and then walk through the same streets and countryside that inspired that poet. At Swansea University a student can find a learning experience that breaks free of the confines of the classroom and that may lead them out into all the beauty and history of the city and its surrounding areas. To top it off the small class sizes create an intimate and informal atmosphere where passionate professors challenge you to make the most of your love of literature. In all I'd describe my time here at Swansea as an experience that has both deepened my love of literature while allowing me to come to view it from a more global perspective."


Robert Tretin, English Literature, MA

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This programme gives you the opportunity to pursue your own interests in English Literature at postgraduate level across a wide range of courses led by internationally renowned experts. A core research training course will introduce you to key skills in postgraduate study, while a flexible degree structure allows you to select from the rich variety of optional courses on offer from the School of Critical Studies and elsewhere in the College of Arts, or even beyond. You can also pursue one of the specialist pathways offered by English Literature, including Fantasy, Medieval and Early Modern, Modernities, and Victorian Literature. The programme ends with an opportunity to write a dissertation on an appropriate English Literature-related topic of your choice.

Why this programme

◾The structure of the degree allows you to follow either a bespoke English Literature MLitt programme, constructing your own pathway through a range of different courses, or one of several specialist pathways to suit your interests (see below).
◾You will have access to world class libraries and museums, as well as the extraordinary diversity of cultural, literary and artistic events that makes Glasgow such a vibrant place for postgraduate study.
◾The core research skills programme includes tailored workshops with the University’s archives and world-class Special Collections, as well as providing the academic and technical skills you will need to succeed at postgraduate level in the university and other professional environments.


[[Programme Structure}}

There are five different pathways through the MLitt in English Literature at Glasgow:
◾MLitt in English Literature
◾MLitt in English Literature: Fantasy
◾MLitt in English Literature: Medieval and Early Modern Literature and Culture
◾MLitt in English Literature: Modernities: Literature, Culture, Theory
◾MLitt in English Literature: Victorian Literature

Each pathway will give you a different mix of core and optional courses. All students take our 20 credit core English Literature Research Training Course. You then take five more 20 credit courses, some of which may be compulsory for your chosen pathway, and one 60 credit dissertation.

The structure for full-time students is as follows:

Semester 1: English Literature Research Training Course plus two 20 credit courses

Semester 2: Three 20 credit courses

Summer: Dissertation

The two semesters of coursework are followed by one term of supervised work towards a dissertation of up to 15,000 words which you will submit at the beginning of September. The topic normally arises out of the work of the previous two semesters, but the choice is very much open to the student’s own initiative. If you are on a named pathway, then your dissertation topic should fall within the scope of that pathway. If you are on the general pathway, you are welcome to choose a topic from anywhere in the field of English Literature. Your supervisor helps you to develop the proposal and plan the most appropriate reading and methodology.

It is also possible to write a dissertation made up of creative writing with a critical component. Normally this possibility is only available to students who have taken the Creative Writing Fiction Workshop (cross-discipline) as one of their options.

Part-time students

Part-time students take the English Literature Research Training Course and three 20 credit courses in their first year of study, and two 20 credit courses and the dissertation in their second year.

Career prospects

Our MLitt programmes provide excellent preparation for PhD studies and an academic career. They also develop key skills sought by many employers, including: the ability to find, select and manage large quantities of information; confident and persuasive oral and written communication; and problem solving through creative and critical thinking.

Past Glasgow MLitt graduates have gone on to pursue successful careers in writing, editing, publishing, teaching, the media, heritage and creative industries, and numerous other related professions.

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The Masters in Medieval and Early Modern English Literature and Culture is a flexible, interdisciplinary programme taught by Glasgow’s internationally renowned team of experts. It offers students the practical, historical, and theoretical skills needed for advanced study in this area. The programme’s flexibility means that you can tailor your study according to your own research interests. Students are also able to draw on Glasgow’s exceptional holdings of medieval and early modern manuscript and printed materials.

Why this programme

● This Masters is taught by an internationally renowned team of experts in medieval and early modern studies.
Students are able to draw on the superb medieval and early modern holdings in the University Library Special Collections and the Hunterian.

● The major research libraries in Glasgow and Edinburgh are easily accessible and you will be part of a vibrant community of academics and students working in the field.

● You will be part of MEMNET (the Medieval and Early Modern Network) at Glasgow and have the opportunity to hear distinguished guest speakers and to participate in events and conferences.

● The programme offers the option of studying languages, which may include medieval Latin, Old English, Old Icelandic, Old Irish and Old French as well as a range of modern languages.

● You can tailor the programme to your own interests and requirements, while gaining an excellent grounding in the technical skills required for advanced study in this field.

Programme Structure

Core courses:

• From Medieval to Early Modern
• Current Issues in Medieval and Early Modern Literary Studies
• Research Methods

Optional courses:

• Gender and Religion in Medieval English Literature
• Alternative Continuities: Scottish Literature, 1425-1625
• Early Modern Mythmaking
• Seventeenth-Century Women Writers
• Humour, Opposition, and Literature in Early Modern England
• Introduction to English Medieval Manuscripts
• Medieval Palaeography
• Early Modern Palaeography
• Independent study option (in consultation with Course Convener and member of staff)

Resources and Facilities

• Special Collections, University of Glasgow Library
• Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery
• Proximity to the major research libraries in Glasgow and Edinburgh, including the National Library of Scotland

Please refer to our website to look at the [[Research Environment ]]http://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/medievalandearlymodernenglishliteratureandculture/#/whythisprogramme,programmestructure,researchenvironment

Please refer to our website to look at

Career Prospects

http://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/medievalandearlymodernenglishliteratureandculture/#/careerprospects

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Whether undertaken for the continued love of literature, or for personal or professional development, studying our MA English Literature will help you gain a more confident critical voice and advanced analytical and research skills.

This course is taught by internationally recognised scholars who are at the cutting-edge of their areas of research. You will work with us on the latest developments in literary criticism.

The Humanities department runs a number of exciting research groups, many of which are interdisciplinary in method and scope. The English division has particular strengths in the Early Modern period, the Long Eighteenth Century, Modernism, Gender, and Popular Culture.

This course has several available start dates and learning methods - for more information, please view the relevant web-page below:
2 years part time - https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/english-literature-dtpegl6/

1 year distance learning - https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/english-literature-dtdegl6/

2 years distance learning - https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/english-literature-dtpegld6/

Learn From The Best

This MA reflects – and is informed by – staff interests across periods, locations, and theoretical approaches: from the Early Modern period to contemporary writing; British, American and transnational literature; sexuality; and cultural heritage.

Each MA module is reflective of areas of staff expertise, ranging from the gory delights of the Gothic to how associations between authors and locations lead to the development of literary heritage sites, such as Dove Cottage.

Northumbria’s Humanities department works with a range of cultural partners including New Writing North, the co-operative movement, Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums and Shandy Hall, providing students with direct industry exposure and live project opportunities.

Teaching And Assessment

During the English Literature MA you will be encouraged to become more aware of the production and determination of meaning by historical, social, political, stylistic, ethnic, gender, geographical and other contexts.

This heightened awareness is facilitated through examining literature produced within a wide range of contexts: different periods; geographical locations; as well as a variety of social backgrounds (institutional, gendered, private, public, domestic). This wide-ranging critical examination opens up new perspectives on literary texts and provides you with the strategies needed to discuss literature in expert and critically informed ways.

You will choose your non-core modules from a pool while the core modules Critical Contexts and Research Methods: Traditional and Digital will run in all years. You conceive your dissertation topic individually in conjunction with a supervisor of similar research interests.

Module Overview
EF0126 - E.S.A.P. in FADSS Level 7 (Optional, 0 Credits)
EL7016 - Dark Tourism: Urban Underworlds and Modern City Spaces (Core, 30 Credits)
EL7018 - Final Frontiers: future worlds, cyberspace and alternative realities (Optional, 30 Credits)
EL7019 - Research Methods: Traditional and Digital (Core, 30 Credits)
EL7021 - Critical Contexts (Core, 30 Credits)
EL7022 - MA English Literature Dissertation (Core, 60 Credits)
EL7027 - Writers in their Place: Literature and Heritage (Optional, 30 Credits)

Learning Environment

The delivery of the MA offers a degree of flexibility by allowing you to choose your learning environment. The MA in English Literature is offered in a traditional classroom setting with regular face-to-face supervision, or alternatively you can complete the course via distance learning through a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

The Humanities department is made up of a community of learners all the way through from first year undergraduate to final year PhD level. All Humanities staff are engaged in research and actively create the knowledge that is taught in the department.

English Literature MA students, as part of Northumbria’s Humanities department, will have access to the new Institute for Humanities which houses a range of specialist research resources.

Research-Rich Learning

The subject area of English and Creative Writing produces high quality research and has been successful in securing external funding for research projects from the British Academy, the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and the Leverhulme Trust.

Northumbria is rated in the UK top 15 for the quality of its English Literature, Language and Creative Writing publications. You can explore some of the key themes here.

Furthermore, as an MA student in English Literature you will engage with the activities of the Institute for Humanities, which is home to five international journals in English studies and which regularly hosts an exciting range of seminars, symposia and conferences on topics as varied as Memory, Heritage and Identity; Transnationalism and Societal Change; Digital Humanities; Medical Humanities; and American Studies.

Give Your Career An Edge

On completion of the MA, you will have improved your employability through enhancing your critical skills and attitudes, presentation skills, and reflective and evaluative abilities. You will be self-motivating, be capable of making decisions in complex situations, and possess a thirst for independent learning.

In addition to these personal skills, you will have demonstrated a critical awareness of the current research and scholarship within your discipline, facilitating your ability to interpret knowledge in a variety of professional fields.

The MA builds on undergraduate skills, distinguished by the level of intensity, complexity, and density of study. Advanced communication skills and media literacy must be demonstrated along with exceptional ability for time management, ethical and professional understanding, and highly developed research and inquiry skills.

From the start of the course you are encouraged to access the central university Careers and Employment Service, and to use this service regularly to seek advice on areas such as career guidance.

Your Future

There are considerable opportunities for you to advance your studies further, and advice in writing PhD and funding applications is available. The course offers a qualification that may enhance promotion prospects in some professions – most notably teaching, professional research, museums/archives, public policy, and project management.

Julie Orme came to Northumbria as a mature student and achieved a distinction in the English Literature MA. She says:

“Studying at Northumbria allowed me to develop good analytical and research skills and to attain the grades and display the work ethos necessary for becoming a good prospect for employers. It has also opened the door to further, vocational study.

The best thing about my MA was the way that one's critical skills were developed to the point of autonomous study whereby, one graduated from being a student to being a literary critic."

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Course Overview

​MA English Literature & Creative Writing is a rewarding taught degree, combining the study of English Literature with the theoretical and practical component of fiction writing.

The MA is taught by published writers and researchers. The course is aimed to support you while you develop and hone your critical and creative writing skills, particularly in the field of fiction. You can take our MA for professional development purposes, in order to enhance your career and to increase your likelihood of publication. The MA will also help you specialise in the areas of creative practice as well as contemporary and historical literature in relation to place and space in order to pave the way for doctoral study.

We have expertise across a number of fields and our academic community is vibrant and dynamic with strong industry links.

The English Literature part of the degree analyses historic and contemporary textual representations of place, theorising cultural practices of location and space. The Creative Writing modules are specifically designed to develop you as a writer of fiction.

One of the great strengths of the programme is its flexibility. MA English Literature and Creative Writing can be studied either full or part time. Modules can be taken individually, allowing you to control the pace and depth of your postgraduate study. Programme delivery is enhanced by the university’s commitment to e-learning​.

See the website https://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/education/courses/Pages/English-and-Creative-Writing---MA.aspx

Course Content​​

All of our modules are core and are delivered over one year full time or two years part time.
Term 1
- Researching Humanities
Researching Humanities will introduce you to research methods at MA level. The module provides a thorough breakdown of research methods across the fields of Creative Writing and English Literature. This module is taught across all of our MA Creative Writing and English Literature pathways and it is also a great opportunity for you to get to know your peers.

- Short Story Writing
Short Story Writing provides a thorough introduction to the short story. This is done through two distinct, but integrated, approaches: a critical analysis of the development of the short story, with particular focus on twentieth century and contemporary writing; and through the creative practice itself. Each week you'll be encouraged to explore key techniques and approaches in your own writing through writing workshops.

- Literature and Landscapes
In Literature and Landscapes, you’ll examine artistic and literary representations of landscape, and engage with the complex social, cultural and aesthetic factors that contribute to the formation of identity. The module provides a comparative foundation from which you’ll consider representations of the urban encountered in Writing the City.

Term 2
- Novel Writing
Novel Writing extends and deepens your engagement with fiction writing. The module provides you with a thorough introduction to the novel as a distinct fictional genre focussing on the contemporary. As well as examining key works, you'll also be working on your own creative practice. A key part of the module focuses on the preparation of your work for publication.

- Writing the City
In Writing the City you'll explore representations of urban space through set texts and in your own creative writing. In this module you’ll examine texts that explore the urban in literary fiction, particularly throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

- Critical Practice
Critical Practice prepares you for your dissertation through which you'll be able to submit a substantial body of creative work along with a contextualising critical commentary.

- Dissertation
The Dissertation module is your opportunity to create a portfolio of writing, such as a collection of short stories or an excerpt of a novel that you are working on. The creative work will be accompanied by a critical reflection in which you contextualise your writing within a critical framework and with reference to other texts.

Learning & Teaching​

​Most modules are taught through group workshops and seminars. Some modules will also include individual tutorials and the dissertation module is delivered entirely through one-to-one tutorials with your supervisor.

In workshops and seminars full use is made of University technology and course materials will be delivered and stored through our Virtual Learning Environment. It will be possible for you to access the Virtual Learning Environment remotely and you will be encouraged to do so.

Most modules are 20 or 30 credits although we also have a 10-credit module and the dissertation is worth 60 credits.

In a 10-credit module you will receive 11 hours of timetabled teaching and you will be expected to conduct 89 hours of independent study. In a 20-credit module you will receive 22 hours of timetabled teaching and you will be expected to conduct 178 hours of independent study. In a 30-credit module you will receive 33 hours of timetabled teaching and you will be expected to conduct 267 hours of independent study. The 60-credit dissertation is mainly conducted with independent study. You will receive 6 hours of tutorial supervision (this includes supervisors looking over your work) and you will be expected to conduct 594 hours of independent study.

Each student is appointed a personal tutor who will be available for academic advice, pastoral support and personal development planning. Tutors also have weekly office hours.

A critical but supportive environment is achieved through a combination of workshops, research seminars and e-learning. You will be introduced to the practicalities of preparing and submitting your work for possible publication.

Assessment

We have a variety of approaches to assessment across the programme depending upon the module. All creative practice modules (Short Story Writing, Novel Writing, Dissertation) are assessed through portfolios of creative work and accompanying critical essays in which you are required to reflect on your creative practice and to contextualise your work with reference to other texts. These modules also include class-based formative peer-assessment in the form of writing workshops. These do not count towards your final grade but the sessions do help you grow and reflect as a critical and creative writer.

In some modules (Writing the City) you can choose your method of assessment (creative portfolio and critical essay, or essay, or reflection, for example). In other modules (Literature and Landscapes) you will be asked to produce an essay.

In the introductory Researching the Humanities module you will be ask to produce a visual representation of a chosen research method, in the form of a poster. In other modules, such as Writing the City, you will be asked to post your work to a reflective blog.

Modules also make use of Virtual Learning Environments for assessments and you may be asked to view material online and then to respond to it.

You will receive tutor support in class and through our VLE in order to prepare you for each assessment point. We also have library facilities online and at campus.​

Employability & Careers​

Many of our students use the course to generate and hone their own writing for publication. Our creative practice modules are designed with eventual publication in mind. For example, in our Novel Writing module you will be taught how to write a synopsis for submission to an agent or publisher. Several of our students have had publication success (see below).

The MA is also a great choice for those wishing to enhance their employment and professional opportunities in editorial and publishing careers. The programme is suitable for those who would like to become teachers of English literature and creative writing as well as those who are already teachers. For example, teachers of English at ‘A’ Level and GCSE often find the course suitable for professional development purposes, providing them with skills to enhance their teaching of English literature creative writing within their current curricula or skilling them up to deliver the new Creative Writing ‘A’ Level.

Our MA is appropriate for those who would like careers in community-based education and practice. The course also prepares you for further study at PhD level at Cardiff Metropolitan University and beyond.

This degree will encourage you to develop the valuable transferable skills of autonomy, effective collaboration, self-direction, organisation, initiative and adaptability that are highly regarded in the workplace.

Recent student publishing successes:
Barbara A Stensland (MA Creative Writing) writes a blog about living with MS that has recently been published as a book, Stumbling in Flats (2015). It has been shortlisted for The International Rubery Book Award 2015.

Emre Karatoprak (MA Creative Writing) had his first novel published on Amazon, Türbülans (2013).

Alex Sambrook (MA Creative Writing) had a short story shortlisted in the prestigious Bridport Short Story Competition (2012).

​Stacey Taylor, (MA English & Creative Writing), won the It Started With a Kiss competition run by Authonomy in November 2011 with a 416 word flash fiction.

Find information on Scholarships here https://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/scholarships

Find out how to apply here https://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/howtoapply

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Course Overview

The MA English Literature is a rewarding taught degree offering an exhilarating analysis of English Literature using texts from the 'long nineteenth century' to the present day.​

The degree focuses on historic and contemporary textual representations of place, theorising cultural representations and practices of location, space, history and textuality, and the effect of these on constructions of identity. Where possible, the modules encourage you to explore interdisciplinary boundaries and texts.

The MA is taught by published writers and researchers. The course is aimed to support you while you develop and hone your critical writing and research skills, particularly in relation to literature that addresses history, place and space. You can take our MA for professional development purposes, in order to enhance your career and to increase your employability in the arts and heritage sectors. The MA will also help you specialise in the areas of contemporary and historical literature in relation to place and space in order to pave the way for doctoral study.

We have expertise across a number of fields and our academic community is vibrant and dynamic with strong industry links.

One of the great strengths of the programme is its flexibility. MA English Literature can be studied either full or part time. Modules can be taken individually, allowing you to control the pace and depth of your postgraduate study. Programme delivery is enhanced by the university’s commitment to e-learning​.

See the website https://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/education/courses/Pages/English---MA.aspx

​Course Content​​

All of our modules are core and are delivered over one year full time or two years part time.

Term 1
- Researching Humanities
Researching Humanities will introduce you to research methods at MA level. The module provides a thorough breakdown of research methods across the fields of Creative Writing and English Literature. This module is taught across all of our MA Creative Writing and English Literature pathways and it is also a great opportunity for you to get to know your peers.

- New & Experimental Writing
In New and Experimental Writing you will encounter a range of transgressive texts from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Starting with the avant-garde, the module proceeds chronologically to the contemporary. We interrogate what it means to transgress aesthetic norms at various points in time and take into consideration historical and cultural context to consider whether there might be a connection between the challenging of literary and social standards. You will be able to approach these texts via a number of methodologies, including theoretical and creative.

- Literature and Landscapes
In Literature and Landscapes, you’ll examine artistic and literary representations of landscape, and engage with the complex social, cultural and aesthetic factors that contribute to the formation of identity. The module provides a comparative foundation from which you’ll consider representations of the urban encountered in Writing the City.

Term 2
- Representing ‘the Past’
In Representing 'the Past', you will consider how we interpret 'the past' within a cultural context. Looking at both textual and extra-textual appropriations, and by showing how meanings of 'the past' are contested at any one time, you will consider how certain interpretations are naturalised and legitimated within culture.

- Writing the City
In Writing the City you'll explore representations of urban space through set texts and in your own creative writing. In this module you’ll examine texts that explore the urban in literary fiction, particularly throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

- Critical Practice
Critical Practice prepares you for your dissertation through which you'll be able to submit a substantial body of creative work along with a contextualising critical commentary.

- Dissertation
The Dissertation module is your opportunity to create a portfolio of writing, such as a collection of short stories or an excerpt of a novel that you are working on. The creative work will be accompanied by a critical reflection in which you contextualise your writing within a critical framework and with reference to other texts. ​

Learning & Teaching​

​Most modules are taught through group workshops and seminars. Some modules will also include individual tutorials and the dissertation module is delivered entirely through one-to-one tutorials with your supervisor.

In workshops and seminars full use is made of University technology and course materials will be delivered and stored through our Virtual Learning Environment. It will be possible for you to access the Virtual Learning Environment remotely and you will be encouraged to do so.

Most modules are 20 or 30 credits although we also have a 10-credit module and the dissertation is worth 60 credits.

In a 10-credit module you will receive 11 hours of timetabled teaching and you will be expected to conduct 89 hours of independent study. In a 20-credit module you will receive 22 hours of timetabled teaching and you will be expected to conduct 178 hours of independent study. In a 30-credit module you will receive 33 hours of timetabled teaching and you will be expected to conduct 267 hours of independent study. The 60-credit dissertation is mainly conducted with independent study. You will receive 6 hours of tutorial supervision (this includes supervisors looking over your work) and you will be expected to conduct 594 hours of independent study.

Each student is appointed a personal tutor who will be available for academic advice, pastoral support and personal development planning. Tutors also have weekly office hours.

A critical but supportive environment is achieved through a combination of workshops, research seminars and e-learning. You will be introduced to the practicalities of preparing and submitting your work for possible publication.

Assessment

We have a variety of approaches to assessment across the programme depending upon the module.

In some modules (Writing the City) you can choose your method of assessment (creative portfolio and critical essay, or essay, or reflection, for example). In other modules (Literature and Landscapes) you will be asked to produce an essay.

In the introductory Researching the Humanities module you will be ask to produce a visual representation of a chosen research method, in the form of a poster. In other modules, such as Writing the City, you will be asked to post your work to a reflective blog.

Modules also make use of Virtual Learning Environments for assessments and you may be asked to view material online and then to respond to it (Representing ‘the Past’).

You will receive tutor support in class and through our VLE in order to prepare you for each assessment point. We also have library facilities online and at campus.

Employability & Careers​

The MA is also a great choice for those wishing to enhance their employment and professional opportunities in the arts or heritage sectors. The programme is suitable for those who are teachers of English Literature at ‘A’ Level or GCSE and would like to enhance their expertise for professional development purposes.

The course also prepares you for further study at PhD level at Cardiff Metropolitan University and beyond.

This degree will encourage you to develop the valuable transferable skills of autonomy, effective collaboration, self-direction, organisation, initiative and adaptability that are highly regarded in the workplace. A Master's degree in English Literature may lead to a variety of careers which include the particularly relevant areas of teaching, research, journalism, public relations, the Civil Service, publishing, the media, and employment in the public or voluntary sectors.

Find information on Scholarships here https://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/scholarships

Find out how to apply here https://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/howtoapply

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Research profile

It’s not every graduate who can claim to have earned a degree at the oldest department of English Literature in the world. We first offered courses on ‘rhetoric and belles lettres’ 250 years ago, and have been renowned as a vigorous centre of scholarship, teaching and learning ever since.

At the last Research Assessment Exercise, we were awarded the highest research rating possible, 5*A, making us one of the top three departments of English Literature in the UK.

We have one of the largest graduate offerings in English Literature in the country, with an expansive range of research possibilities. These include each of the main periods of English and Scottish Literature – Medieval, Renaissance/Early Modern, Enlightenment, Romantic, and the 19th and 20th centuries – along with all genres of literary analysis: literary and critical theory, literary history, the history of the book, cultural studies, gender studies, post-colonial literature and American studies. Scottish literature is particularly favoured: we are home to the Centre for Scottish Writing in the 19th Century.

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.

Our interdisciplinary approach also encourages the development of research projects that span various subject areas across our School, the wider University and the cultural life of the city itself.

Masters by research

The MSc by Research English Literature I programme is a highly flexible programme allowing you to undertake a research degree by writing two substantial essays of 6,000 words on related topics of your own choice, as well as Research Skills and Methods assignments, before building on this with a dissertation of 15,000 words.

The MSc by Research English Literature II programme allows you to undertake a research project of your own devising, leading to a 30,000 word dissertation.

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.

You can also apply your analytical and critical skills to the UK’s oldest and most distinguished literary awards: PhD students form part of the judging panel for the prestigious James Tait Black Prizes.

Facilities

Our location in the first UNESCO City of Literature places you at the heart of a major cultural centre, enriching your experience with opportunities for literary engagement through world-class facilities and events.

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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Our MA English Literature is an open and flexible programme designed to give you the possibility of exploring the full diversity of English literature.

We want you to join in the debates over the nature of literature, the future of English literature, and the past and new cultural experiences of writing and communication which are shaping our lives, with our team of active researchers and committed teachers.

We see research as a public activity, and the course offers ways in which to explore the research process as engagement in the cultural conversation.

Our modules offer the opportunity to research a diverse range of literary periods and forms – from the Early Modern to Contemporary fiction, engaging with genres including historical fiction, fantasy literature, modernism, e-writing, and film.

The MA also explores a wide range of critical and theoretical approaches, including historical and textual analysis, ethical reading, cognitive poetics, and critical theory.

Home Tuition Fees for 2017

1 Year full time: £6300.00

Part time - Module Fee £1050.00. Dissertation Fee £2100.00

Alumni discount 10% for students applying within five years of completion of an undergraduate course at Chichester.

Overseas Fees 2017 £10,920.00

Please take the time to look out for updates on our funding page: http://www.chi.ac.uk/study-us-0/fees-finance/funding-and-money-advice-0/funding-postgraduate-students

Our facilities
The Department of English and Creative Writing is a thriving and successful Department, with a staff of active researchers and committed teachers.

The Department hosts the Centre for Research in Folklore, Fairytales and Fantasy, the South Coast Eighteenth-Century and Romantic Research Group, which hold regular research events, alongside a full Departmental programme, including film showings, visiting speakers, and theatre talks.

Recent visiting speakers include Dame Gillian Beer, Professor Jacqueline Simpson, Dr Frances White, and Professor Jacqueline Labbe.

In collaboration with our colleagues in Creative Writing, we also have regular events with writers and poets Simon Brett, Matthew Sweeney, Mavis Cheek, Helen Dunmore, Michele Roberts, and Jo Shapcott.

The Department has close contact with local cultural institutions: the Chichester Festival Theatre, Pallant House Gallery, the Chichester Public Records Office, and other local institutions.

These offer you further research opportunities. Chichester and the local area has a strong literary history, attracting writers from the eighteenth-century radicals William Blake and Charlotte Smith, to H. G. Wells and Mervyn Peake.

Learning Resource Centre

The Learning Resource is the hub of the learning environment. It has two upper floors of library resources, one for silent study and one for quiet study, both of which have recently been refurbished.

On the ground floor, you’ll find the Support and Information Zone, Media Centre, Otter Gallery, Costa Coffee and a variety of IT resources.

The Bishop Otter LRC also offers:

130 open access PC workstations
45 Apple iMacs
Ample printing facilities
Netbooks available on loan
Professional editing suites
Media loans counter
Wi-Fi and plug points throughout
Where this can take you
Our MA is designed to transform you into an active and confident researcher in the broad field of English Literature.

The course is a gateway to PhD research, providing an opportunity to focus your research, develop your independence in a supportive environment, and refine your research skills.

The MA is also for anyone who wants to develop their skills, subject knowledge, and confidence in research and the presentation of research.

It is particularly relevant for careers in research-related fields, from librarianship to arts management, for teachers in English Literature and related subjects, and for careers requiring high-level abilities in writing, presentation, and critical analysis.

Indicative modules
Literature in the Present Moment

What is literature and how do we think literature today? The concept of ‘literature’ is crucial and elusive, expanding under the impact of digitalisation and new forms of creative and critical writing. In this course students will explore new techniques in archival research, issues in intellectual history, theoretical developments, and the transformations of the very concept of ‘literature’, past and present.

Theatres of Pain and Pleasure, 1400-1700

Focusing on the Renaissance stage this course explores the theatre as a site of bodies engaged with forms of pain and pleasure: crime, sexuality, war and religion. Ranging across Shakespeare, Jacobean Tragedy, and Restoration Comedy, you will explore the space of the city and a rich diversity of sites, local and national, of theatrical representation.

Visions of the Real: Literature, Myth, and Science, 1800-Present

Fiction has always has a tense relationship with reality. Is fiction more real than reality, as literary characters come to ‘life’, or is fiction a betrayal of reality? In this course you will engage with the blurred lines between literature, science and myth. From the moment of the Enlightenment and Romanticism, in tension between the ‘clear’ vision of reality and the power of myth, the course traces out the crisis of realism, from fantasy literature to modernism to the avant-garde.

Activating Research

How do you become a researcher? Exploring the research process as one that involves integrating a range of ‘voices’, from primary texts, archives, peers, critical and theoretical work, and audience, this course gives you the capacity to engage with this diversity. While research is often presented as an intensely private and personal activity, this course will help you develop your research project as a public process, giving you the tools to find your own critical voice and the confidence to engage with peers, the academic community, and the public.

Teaching and Assessment
You will be assessed over four modules, three with an assessment of an essay of 5,000 words.

The module on ‘activating research’ will be assessed by a presentation (25%) and a written submission (3000 words).

The Dissertation will be a 15,000 assessment.

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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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About the course

The MA in English Literature at Brunel University London offers a combination of various approaches to the study of literary texts, including the historical, author-oriented readings, periodization and a postmillennial focus. It is underpinned by certain core issues: identity, culture and literary engagement; historical contexts; the ideological and social function of literature; exploring self and others through literary forms and genres; how we might more effectively read texts and the world.

The course offers the opportunity to study a range of topics and periods including the contemporary, and it is designed to appeal to you if: you are preparing to undertake further research in literary studies; wishing to take your general studies in English literature to the next level; or, hoping to enhance your career prospects.

The introductory module, Reading, Research & Writing, reinforces and further develops all the required skills and competencies relevant to literary studies, ensuring that from the third term you will be able to pursue self-directed research on an agreed topic of your choice and submit a 15,000 word dissertation.

Aims

You will explore the diversity of literary and cultural production through innovative modules designed to cross disciplinary, historical, and geographical boundaries, thereby offering a wide scope within which students of the master’s can develop their own interests.

The MA in English Literature will equip you with a detailed and sophisticated understanding of English and related literatures. It will support your critical and creative engagement with issues central to and at the cutting edge of English literary studies.

If, following the completion of the postgraduate English MA course, you wish to continue your studies at doctoral level, you will have essential research skills, and the opportunity to join a flourishing research culture at Brunel.

Course Content

You will take five core modules, four of which study a range of texts and a fifth which involves preparing a 15,000 word dissertation on an agreed topic of your choice.

All five compulsory modules have been designed to meet the requirements of the Arts and Humanities Research Council in terms of preparation of graduate students for advanced level study and doctoral research.

Reading, Writing and Research
Postmillennial Literature
A British Literary Decade: A Historical Approach
Author(s) Study
Advanced Project: 15,000 word dissertation

Special Features

This master’s degree is taught by world-leading specialists in post-1789 literature and theory, each with an international reputation for publication, their work informing the content of our programme.

The course offers innovative approaches and module topics which combine different periods, author-studies, and both a contemporary and a historical focus.

The location of Brunel University in West London places it in the heart of contemporary literary and cultural life in the UK.

Access to various Brunel archives, including the Fiction and Cultural Mediation of Ageing (FCMAP) archive, the Burnett Archive of Working Class Autobiographies and South Asian Diaspora Arts Archive (SADAA).

Our staff have expertise in a wide range of literatures, and you will benefit from events and activities organised by the Brunel Centre for Contemporary Writing.

There are financial benefits offered to alumni of the Brunel MA programmes to help you on your way.

Teaching

The English Literature MA is taught through workshops and seminars, led by distinguished research-active staff working in the field. English students will be expected to contribute to discussions, present your own interpretations and raise new questions for debate.

Assessment

This English Literature Master's course is taught through workshops and seminars, moderated by distinguished research-active staff working in the field. You will be expected to contribute to discussions, present your own interpretations and raise new questions for debate.

You will be assessed using a variety of methods including written work (essays and dissertation), oral presentations, seminar attendance and performance, and organisation and planning of the dissertation. Some assessments will be formative, i.e you will be given feedback but not graded; this will enable you to improve and work towards graded assessments.

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The MA Education & English Literature programme is an innovative Masters level education programme, which is designed to enhance the subject knowledge and pedagogical knowledge of practising teachers, educators and others who have an interest in education.

The programme will provide participants with the opportunity to research and improve their own practice, by discovering the new skills that can be gained from studying their subject specialism to an advanced academic level. This process is supported by the study of contemporary education theory, through modules designed to provide the skills and critical understanding necessary to innovate in a rapidly evolving educational landscape.

This programme emphasises education as an academic field of study and the importance of research in the development of teaching practise. It is expected that practitioners who graduate from this course will have the skills and academic knowledge that will prepare them for education in the 21st century. It has been designed for practising teachers, educators and others with a personal or professional interest in the field of education. The programme aims to provide opportunities for engagement with key theories, concepts and ideas in Education and English Literature that link to the national curriculum.

The structure of the programme is designed to meet the needs of those seeking to develop a more academic understanding of Education and English Literature. The combination of modules available allows teachers, educators and others to gain a named award and enhance their subject knowledge. The pedagogic framework provides theoretical and conceptual perspectives, including key ideas in Education and English Literature that serve to deepen the learning experience.

The English Literature route enables the development of an advanced understanding of the work of a range of authors across a variety of literary genres, and in doing so aims to inform and integrate with educators’ own work with the current GCSE and AS/A2 English curricula. Taught by academics actively engaged in research in their fields, the programme provides the opportunity to make a detailed examination of literary texts within their historical and cultural contexts, whilst also exploring a variety of theoretical approaches.

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This programme encourages you to consider the relationship between literature from a variety of historical periods, regions, contexts and theoretical paradigms.

You will benefit from the expertise of a vibrant, multidisciplinary group of published authors and academics and will have access to a full calendar of thought provoking literary events.

PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

The MA in English Literature will equip you with a critical understanding of English literary studies, and the ability to reflect on significant questions: How have ideas about literature and literary value changed over time? What effects do innovations in printing and publishing have on writing? How much do political and social factors condition and define authorial identities and practices?

It is ideal for students wishing to pursue doctoral research, those who seek a broad overview of Anglophone literary culture, and those looking to develop expertise in specific literary areas.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time over two academic years. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation.

On successful completion of the programme, students may go on to do the PhD in English literature. The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
-Research and Writing Skills I
-Research and Writing Skills II
-Literary Scholarship and Creativity I
-Literary Scholarship and Creativity II
-English Dissertation
-Open Essay I
-Open Essay II
-Special Author I
-Special Author II
-Advanced Studies in 19th century Literature
-Advanced Studies in 20th and 21st century Literature
-Literature and Science
-Issues in Literary Translation
-Identity: Communication in Practice
-Organisations and Written Communications
-Children’s Literature
-Screenwriting

ACADEMICS AND EVENTS

As a student on this Masters, you will benefit from the expertise of a vibrant, multidisciplinary group of published academics and authors.

You will also have access to a number of conferences, seminars and workshops hosted throughout the year. These events cover a range of topics to broaden your thinking in the fields of literature, language and linguistics, cultural studies and creative writing.

Academics to have recently spoken at the University of Surrey include:
-Rod Mengham
-Bernard O’Donoghue
-Edward Larrisy
-Robert Hampson
-Adam Roberts
-Helen Hester
-John Wrighton
-J.H. Prynne
-Robert Fitterman
-Allen Fisher
-Barbara Hardy
-Gilbert Adair

They have been joined by novelists Iain Sinclair, Monica Ali, Jaspreet Singh and Nikita Lalwani, to name a few.

Each year’s cultural activities begin with the Morag Morris Poetry Lecture on campus by a visiting speaker and feature readings by students at the Guildford School of Acting.

EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME

The English Literature MA programme will prepare graduates to undertake a PhD programme in the relevant field.

It will also provide students with the transferable skills of critical thinking, analysis, communication, and textuality that are attractive to a wide range of employers, from the cultural industries to marketing and advertising to tourism and leisure to the civil service and public/private partnerships.

Devoted to the requirements and complexities of textual analysis and critical reading, the programme also provides advanced understanding of the contexts, theoretical paradigms, methodologies and modes of interpretation that are vital in contemporary literary studies.

The main aims are to:
-Acquire sound knowledge of the major principles of literary criticism
-Develop the critical language and terminology to carry out in-depth analyses of literary texts from across the diverse range of periods, areas, and approaches to the study of English literature
-Reflect on their own practice as literary critics

The programme will help students to apply scholarly approaches to critically evaluate the major schools of literary criticism and literary theory in light of current and the possibilities of future development.

As a Master’s level programme, it also aims to instil in students the capacity for carrying out independent research in an area of literary studies.

PROGRAMME LEARNING OUTCOMES

Knowledge and understanding
-Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the main principles and challenges of literary studies
-Relate developments in the field of literary studies to the social, political and historical contexts of the literary work (or works)
-Distinguish different approaches to literary studies and reflect upon these in their own
-Develop a critical engagement with various theoretical approaches and methods
-Recognize the critical language required in advanced literary studies
-Identify and explain relevant techniques and strategies for analyzing texts from a variety of perspectives

Intellectual / cognitive skills
-Able to critically appraise scholarly writing on a wide range of literary studies subjects
-Able to strategically develop research skills for retrieving information crucial for understanding the context of textual production
-Able to conduct conceptual and advanced research related to specific periods in the study of literature
-Able to formulate and address research questions relating to the field of study

Professional practical skills
-Able to produce high-quality analyses of a variety of literary genres which are appropriate to their context
-Able to verbally present abstract ideas and concepts in a clear and appropriate fashion
-Able to confidently deal with reading complex texts
-Able to acquire a sound knowledge of the key debates in literary studies
-Able to acquire review/evaluation skills for textual analyses at level 7
-Able to combine an understanding of text and context within and between periods

Key / transferable skills
-Display competence in a range of skills at postgraduate level, including advanced analysis and synthesis of arguments, presentation, the conducting of independent research, and the efficient processing of complex ideas and arguments
-Collaborate by working in small groups to exchange ideas and engage in debates
-Develop knowledge in a specialized subject, area or period and command of terminology
-Organize, research and deliver a sustained piece of work to a high standard
-Create and carry out a research project of significant complexity
-Reflect upon the knowledge gained and incorporate this into independent learning strategies
-Manage learning self-critically
-Exercise initiative and personal responsibility

GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES

We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.

In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.

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Programme description

It’s not every graduate who can claim to have earned a degree at the oldest department of English Literature in the world. We first offered courses on ‘rhetoric and belles lettres’ 250 years ago, and have been renowned as a vigorous centre of scholarship, teaching and learning ever since.

Research profile

At the last Research Assessment Exercise, we were awarded the highest research rating possible, 5*A, making us one of the top three departments of English Literature in the UK.

We have one of the largest graduate offerings in English Literature in the country, with an expansive range of research possibilities. These include each of the main periods of English and Scottish Literature – Medieval, Renaissance/Early Modern, Enlightenment, Romantic, and the 19th and 20th centuries – along with all genres of literary analysis: literary and critical theory, literary history, the history of the book, cultural studies, gender studies, post-colonial literature and American studies. Scottish literature is particularly favoured: we are home to the Centre for Scottish Writing in the 19th Century.

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.

Our interdisciplinary approach also encourages the development of research projects that span various subject areas across our School, the wider University and the cultural life of the city itself.

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The course furnishes the student with the opportunity to pursue English literary studies at an advanced level, developing the skills and knowledge required for textual, theoretical and historical analysis in the candidate’s chosen field. It offers one-to-one supervision from experts in the field. You are also encouraged to participate in the lively research environment of the School and College, which includes the English Literature research seminar series, scholarly reading groups, workshops and conferences.

The course consists of taught modules (Part One) mainly assessed by essays, followed by a dissertation (Part Two). The modules within the English Literature programme are grouped into four ‘pathways’ . Each of these represents a particular area of research strength at Bangor and offers an aspect of literary study in which MA students may choose to specialise.

The four pathways:

1. Medieval and Early Modern Literature

2. Material Texts

3. Revolution and Modernity, 1750 to the Present

4. Four Nations Literature

Students who prefer not to specialise by following one of the pathways may alternatively pursue a broader portfolio of advanced literary studies in English by completing the compulsory module (see below) and a free choice of three other modules.

Course Structure
Part One:

In the first part of the MA programme, all students are required to study FOUR modules of 30 credits each; for full-time students, this means two modules per semester. Of these four modules, one is compulsory: Literary Theory, Scholarship and Research (in semester 1). This module lays the foundation for the MA by introducing you to key ideas in literary theory, the analysis of texts and the techniques of advanced scholarly writing.

In addition, students are required to choose three further modules from those listed below. You may make an open selection of modules OR follow one of the four pathways described above. In order to complete a pathway, you must choose at least TWO of your three optional modules from that pathway, with the final module being a free choice (from the pathway, from elsewhere in the English Literature MA programme, or from other relevant postgraduate programmes in the School or College).

1. Modules on Medieval and Early Modern Literature:

Pre-Modern Travel
Manuscripts and Printed Books
The European Renaissance
Myth and the Early Modern Author
Women’s Devotional Writing
Medieval Arthur
Post-Medieval Arthur
Advanced Latin for Postgraduates
Editing Texts
2. Modules on Material Texts:

Manuscripts and Printed Books
Material Texts and Contexts
Print, Politics & Popular Culture
Editing Texts
3. Modules on Revolution and Modernity, 1750 to the Present:

Revolution, Modernity: 1790-1930
Welsh Literature in English
Material Texts and Contexts
Modernisms
Print, Politics & Popular Culture
Irish Literature
Editing Texts
4. Modules on Four-Nations Literature:

Revolution, Modernity: 1790-1930
Welsh Literature in English
Modernisms
Irish Literature
Editing Texts
In addition to the above pathway-related modules, the following modules are offered:

Open Essay
The Postgraduate Conference
It is possible to take one optional module from the MA in Creative Writing (if the prerequisites of creative writing experience are met). If you should so wish, and in consultation with the Director of the MA in English Literature, there is also the option of taking one MA module from another School in the College of Arts and Humanities.

Part Two:

After the completion of the four modules which make up Part One of the programme, Part Two consists of a 20,000-word dissertation (60 credits) on a subject of your choice, researched and written under the individual supervision of a subject specialist. If you are following one of the four pathways, you are expected to write your dissertation in a research area relevant to that particular pathway.

Students who have completed Part One of the MA programme but elect not to write a dissertation are awarded the postgraduate diploma.

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Pursue your love of literature at an advanced level, study modules on topics from the Renaissance to the modern day, and gain research skills that will help you stand out to employers or progress to a PhD. Our Master’s course is ideal if you want to advance your teaching career or begin the move into academia.

Overview

This course will extend your knowledge of English literature, focusing on the Renaissance, the 'long' 19th century, and the 20th and 21st century.

On each of these period-based modules, you’ll explore canonical and non-canonical texts and investigate their social and cultural contexts.

Meanwhile, on our research methods module, you’ll examine topical literary issues, such as the role of archives and digital editions, and develop essential research skills like how to formulate research questions and methodologies.

You can tailor the course to meet your own interests, with optional modules from novel writing to publishing.

You’ll study in a lively and intellectual department with a long tradition of teaching excellence and an international reputation for research.

Teaching times: Mondays and Thursdays from 6-8pm (full-time); Mondays 6-8pm or Thursdays 6-8pm during semester 1 and 2, depending on whether you are in Year 1 or 2 (part-time)

Careers

This course will give you the higher-level skills to stand out in today’s competitive job market.

If you’re a teacher, you could study with us to update your knowledge and further your existing career, or even move into another discipline. Or, if you’re hoping to move on to an academic post, this course will give you the research skills you’ll need to take a PhD, such as our PhD English Literature.

We think you’ll benefit from our links with industry and professional bodies, including Cambridge University Press, Windhorse Publishing, Sayle Literary Agency, Bloomsbury, CAMPUS (the Cambridge Publishing Society), and the Cambridge Literary Festival.

Modules

Core modules:
Major Project

Optional modules:
Renaissance Drama and Cultures of Performance
Re-reading Modernism, Practising Postmodernism
Workshop: the Short Story
Research Methods - English Literature
The Long 19th Century: Controversies and Cities
Workshop: the Novel
Special Topic in Creative Writing/English Literature
Independent Learning Module

Assessment

You’ll show your progress through a combination of essays, critical reviews and presentations, as well as a 15,000-word dissertation.

You can get advice on essay writing at consultation workshops which are built into the course.

Specialist facilities

You’ll be able to access the world-class library at the University of Cambridge as well as our own campus library, plus electronic resources including Early English Books Online and JSTOR, an interdisciplinary archive of academic journals, books and primary sources.

Activities and events

Our many extra-curricular activities include an annual three-day trip to Stratford-upon-Avon, poetry and writing evenings, Literary Society events, and research symposia and conferences. You’ll also be able to take some of our publishing and editing short courses at a discounted price.

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