Masters Degrees (Studies)

Our MRes programme provide a personalised and focused introduction to postgraduate research allowing you to develop as an independent researcher with the support of an expert in Modern Languages and Cultures. It provides a rigorous overview of the current state of scholarship in your selected field, guides you, through a programme of directed, individualised reading, to the selection of a feasible research project, and allows you to complete a substantial piece of research.

Within Modern Language and Cultures, we offer pathways in:

- Latin-American Studies
- Hispanic Studies
- Spanish Studies
- Portuguese Studies, Catalan Studies
- Basque Studies
- French Studies
- German Studies
- Italian Studies
- Film Studies
- Chinese Studies.

As an MRes student you will benefit from your membership of the university research community, both students and academic staff. You will also have access to facilities available to doctoral students e.g. free Interlibrary loans, a print allowance and a research allowance.

Why Department of Modern Languages and Cultures?

We are a smaller department than many, but manage at the same time to maintain a variety of very distinctive areas of strength in research. As a result we are uniquely placed to offer taught programmes which are tailored to the individual in a friendly, supportive atmosphere and, for research students, close contact with your supervisors from the outset.

There is a high degree of interdisciplinary activity, with students and staff from all disciplines interacting through institutional research centres, cross-School reading groups, research groups and seminars.

We offer an MA in Latin American Studies and an MA in Modern Languages (French / German / Hispanic Studies/Italian) and supervision on a wide range of topics for both MPhil and PhD study.

Applications are welcome for both full-time and part-time study. Postgraduate students form an integral part of our research culture, and are encouraged to become involved in conference, workshops and seminar series, in addition, we have postgraduate reading groups and a regular programme of postgraduate workshops involving leading scholars visiting the institution. We have an active and vibrant research community, with staff engaging in research covering eight language areas consisting of French, German, Italian, Spanish, Galician, Catalan, Portuguese and Corsican. Research interests range from medieval manuscripts to contemporary cyber literature, and cover a wide geographical remit, with staff working on American, Latin American, and Caribbean, African and Indian contexts as well as European ones.

We are home to three scholarly journals: Bulletin of Hispanic Studies, Bulletin of Latin American Research, and Migrations and Identities as well as a number of prominent book series.

Research Overview

Our research activities are broadly organised around four research groups in addition to the Research Institute of Latin American Studies. The groups are engaged in interdisciplinary work, taking in literary, visual and historical sources, and collaborating across the language areas.

French Studies

Research interests in French Studies cover all areas of French literature, culture and history, including Medieval studies, sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth century studies, French theatre, French cinema, travel literature, francophone postcolonial studies (including French language representations of India),modern and contemporary France, and sociolinguistics. Colleagues are actively involved in interdisciplinary research centres, namely the Research Centre in Eighteenth-Century Studies, the Centre of International Slavery, the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies and the India in the World Research Centre.

German Studies

Postgraduate teaching and supervision in German Studies covers the full range of modern (post 1750) German literary and cultural studies, including German cinema. It also offers tuition and supervision in many areas of social history, where staff specialisms include gender and women’s history since the eighteenth-century, twentieth-century labour history, Holocaust studies, issues of race and ethnicity (Afro-German and Gypsy studies), the culture and politics of East and West Germany and contemporary Berlin. The University Library’s Special Collections include uniquely rich holdings on German and European Gypsy studies. Research contacts exist with numerous universities and institutes in Germany and the United States.

Hispanic Studies

The University has the oldest chair of Spanish in the country (established 1908). It has a distinguished tradition of excellence within an extensive area of Hispanic Studies teaching and research which includes not only the Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), but also Latin America (Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, etc). Among the section’s achievements and publications in research are the Bulletin of Hispanic Studies, a quarterly journal of international influence (published by Liverpool University Press), Hispanic Textual Research and Criticism (TRAC) and a scholarly series of books and editions. Postgraduate supervision and courses are offered in diverse specialist subjects within the broad range of Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan and Latin American Studies. This reflects the varied research interests and publications of members of staff in the section. Postgraduate students have at their disposal in the Sydney Jones Library large holdings in Hispanic books and periodicals, which are among the most comprehensive in the country.

Italian Studies

Postgraduate supervision in Italian is provided in the following areas: sociolinguistics, Italian dialectology, Italian cinema and crime/detective fiction. Postgraduate students benefit from the remarkable digitised collections and resources available in the Sydney Jones Library and the personalised services provided by library staff.

Latin American Studies

Latin American Studies is one of Modern languagesa dn Cultures' major research specialisms. The six permanent members of staff have research interests in the following domains of Latin American Studies: anthropology, cultural studies, history, literature, politics, and sociology and extend to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Central America, the Caribbean and southern USA. The Sydney Jones Library is an acknowledged centre of excellence for collections in Latin American Studies. Additional facilities for all postgraduates include access to regular seminars and short conferences, language tuition, and use of the University’s networked computer facilities.

Career prospects

Former postgraduates in French, German and Hispanic Studies are currently employed in senior positions at the universities of: Aberdeen, Sussex, Leeds, Sheffield, Kings College London, Loughborough, Salford and Liverpool, as well as in a variety of careers.

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The Master’s programme in English Studies helps you develop your expertise in areas that are often separated in other programmes: English language and linguistics, literature in English, and the teaching of English. Upon graduation, you will have excellent command of the English language. By working in a stimulating environment with accomplished researchers and teachers, you will also develop other skills needed in your future career, such as skills in presentation, independent and group work, and project management.

An MA in English Studies prepares you for a variety of jobs, and our graduates have been successful in finding employment. If combined with mandatory pedagogical studies, the Master’s degree in English Studies qualifies you to be a language teacher. Alternatively, you can find employment in media or publishing, business, or international organisations where language skills are required. English is used globally as the language of science, culture, business and tourism, and experts in English are required in all of these fields.

The University of Helsinki will introduce annual tuition fees to foreign-language Master’s programmes starting on August 1, 2017 or later. The fee ranges from 13 000-18 000 euros. Citizens of non-EU/EEA countries, who do not have a permanent residence status in the area, are liable to these fees. You can check this FAQ at the Studyinfo website whether or not you are required to pay tuition fees: https://studyinfo.fi/wp2/en/higher-education/higher-education-institutions-will-introduce-tuition-fees-in-autumn-2017/am-i-required-to-pay-tuition-fees/

Programme Contents

Courses in English Studies focus on several topics relating to the English language, literatures in English, and teaching English. You can choose to combine courses from one or more lines according to your interests. In Linguistics courses you will focus on the structure and uses of English as well as on language variation and change, sociolinguistics and corpus linguistics. In the Literature courses you will study several areas of the various literatures in English from narrative, cognitive, postcolonial and ecocritical perspectives. Courses in Applied Linguistics are tailored especially for future language teachers.

As a student in English Studies, you will attend lectures but also work in collaboration with other students, partly in digital learning environments. To assess your learning progress, several methods are used, such as examinations, essays and learning diaries. In English Studies you will also practice your spoken and presentation skills.

During your Master’s studies, you can:
-Progress further in your linguistic or literary studies and choose the most interesting courses.
-Strengthen your understanding of theory in your chosen field.
-Strengthen your language skills, academic writing skills and presentation skills.
-Participate in research projects.
-Participate in the Master’s thesis seminar, during which you will write your thesis.
-Complete studies abroad as an exchange student (if you have not done so already).
-Complete practical training, by working as a trainee or a substitute teacher, for instance.

Selection of the Major

You can choose between two specialisations, Teacher Training and General. For the teacher’s specialisation, pedagogical studies are mandatory, and there is a separate selection process for these studies. If you choose the General specialisation, you can combine English Studies with other studies according to your interests.

Programme Structure

The scope of the Master’s degree is 120 credits (ECTS). The degree contains the following studies:
-Advanced studies in the discipline (60–120 credits) and
-If needed, you can take other courses to achieve the minimum credit requirement for the degree (a total of 120 credits).

With full-time studies you should be able to complete the Master’s degree in two years.

During your Master’s studies, you will focus mainly on your major subject, deepening your knowledge through coursework and writing your Master’s thesis. The advanced studies in your major subject include professional skills courses, which are typically completed as practical training.

Depending on your interests, you can also include minor subjects and other supporting studies.

To help you complete your studies systematically, you will prepare a personal study plan (PSP) at the beginning of your Master’s studies, with support especially from the programme staff and from the Faculty and University administrators.

Career Prospects

English Studies will prepare you for several careers in business and culture, as well as in public administration and education:
-With careful selection of supporting studies, you can find employment in government, the media, libraries and other cultural institutions, national and international organisations, or tourism.
-If you complete pedagogical studies for subject teachers, you will be qualified to teach English at comprehensive and upper secondary schools as well as in adult education.
-After successfully completing your Master’s degree, you can also apply to continue your studies as a postgraduate student and later build a career as a university researcher or teacher.

The University of Helsinki has the most comprehensive selection of disciplines in Finland, making it easier for you to plan your major and supporting studies to benefit your future career. Feel free to include the ones you find most interesting and useful in your degree.

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The MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Arabic Studies) is text based. Students taking the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Arabic) will be introduced to the analytical tools required for studying texts in Arabic Literary and Grammatical Tradition, Science and Religion, Qu'ran and Hadith, Islamic Law. Students will also be introduced to primary sources and bibliographical methods.

During the year, MPhil students attend various training courses offered by the Department in subjects such as codicology, text reading, and other skills. They are also encouraged to attend fourth-year undergraduate lectures and language courses where relevant. They must attend graduate work-in-progress seminars where they have an opportunity to present their own work to their peers for feedback in a supportive environment.

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

Course detail

The one year course MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Arabic Studies) will have the following structure:

- (i) three modules each assessed by a written examination or a 5,000 word essay or by an Alternative Exercise.

The cumulative score of these three papers will be worth 50% of the final mark.

- (ii) a 15,000 word dissertation. The mark for the dissertation constitutes 50% of the overall mark for this course.

The following papers will be available for the MPhil pathway in Classical Arabic Studies in 2016 - 2017. You need to choose three of the following papers:

- Classical Arabic Literary Creativity
- Science and Religion in Medieval Islam
- Qur’an and Hadith
- Islamic Law
- The Arabic Grammatical Tradition
- Modes of Legitimation in the pre-modern Islamic world
- Alternative Exercise [to be arranged with specific instructors]

An individual student or a group of students sharing similar interests can arrange an 'Alternative Exercise'. Possible topics include:

- Al-Jahiz and the Ninth Century
- The Qira’at Tradition
- The Arabic Geographical Tradition
- Al-Ash’ari’s K. Maqalat al-Islamiyyin

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the MPhil programme, students will be expected to have:
- acquired the ability to read, interpret and translate primary sources in Classical Arabic;
- acquired a good knowledge of the general scholarship on Pre-Modern Middle Eastern culture(s);
- acquired an in-depth knowledge of the secondary literature relevant to the subject of their dissertation;
- developed the ability to formulate original research questions and produce a well-constructed, argument to answer them, in the form - of an independent piece of research based on the use of primary and secondary sources;
- acquired the skills to use library and internet resources independently.

Assessment

- For the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Arabic Studies), students will submit a thesis of not more than 15,000 words, including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography on a subject approved by the Degree Committee. All MPhil dissertations must include a brief Abstract at the start of the dissertation of no more than 400 words.

- For the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Arabic Studies), students may submit essays as part of their degree:
With the approval of the Degree Committee, a candidate may offer, in place of one or more of the examination papers, the same number of essays, each of not more than 5,000 words, including footnotes, but excluding bibliography, or equivalent Alternative Exercises approved by the Degree Committee.

- For the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Arabic Studies), students may take examinations as part of their degree:
Three written examination papers on subjects approved by the Degree Committee, which shall fall within one of the fields specified in the Schedule to these regulations. With the approval of the Degree Committee, a candidate may offer, in place of one or more of those papers, the same number of essays, each of not more than 5,000 words, including footnotes, but excluding bibliography, or equivalent Alternative Exercises approved by the Degree Committee.

- There is no practical assessment associated with this course.

- An oral examination on the thesis and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls, but at the Degree Committee’s discretion the requirement for an oral examination may be waived.

Continuing

Applicants for the PhD will be expected to have scored at least 67% or above (or the equivalent from an overseas University) in their Master's degree which should be related to the PhD programme they wish to pursue. All applicants should submit with their GRADSAF (graduate application) a workable and interesting research proposal and demonstrate that they have the required academic knowledge and skills to carry out their project.

Admission is at the discretion of the Degree Committee, which judges each graduate applicant on his or her own merits and in accordance with its own set rules and regulations.

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

Funding Opportunities

- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) -

NB: Applicants should check the Faculty's website before the academic year 2016 - 2017 is due to start to see if AHRC funding is available to apply for. Home PhD and MPhil students and EU students who satisfy home residency criteria may be eligible for a full studentship which covers the University Composition Fee and College Fees plus an annual maintenance stipend. EU students are eligible for a fees-only award.

Further information: http://www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/fees-and-funding/funding/ahrc-funded-students

- Pembroke College Graduate Studentship in Arabic and Islamic Studies -

This studentship covers the University and College fees at the UK Home rate for applicants who are applying for a PhD and MPhil in Arabic Studies, Persian Studies or Islamic Studies and who are affiliated with Pembroke College.

Further information for this studentship can be found at the following web address:
http://www.pem.cam.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduates/fees-and-financial-support/scholarships-and-bursaries/

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Our MRes programme provide a personalised and focused introduction to postgraduate research allowing you to develop as an independent researcher with the support of an expert in Latin American Studies. It provides a rigorous overview of the current state of scholarship in your selected field, guides you, through a programme of directed, individualised reading, to the selection of a feasible research project, and allows you to complete a substantial piece of research.

As an MRes student you will benefit from your membership of the university research community, both students and academic staff. You will also have access to facilities available to doctoral students e.g. free Interlibrary loans, a print allowance and a research allowance.

Key Facts

REF 2014
We're ranked in top 50% for 4* and 3* research with 90% of environment at 4* and 3* (world leading and internationally excellent).

French
Since 2001, the Department has housed three major AHRC-funded projects in French; it also continues to be one of the leading centres in French studies for innovation in the application of IT and new technology to text-based research and the creation of international research networks. A major new monograph series, Liverpool University Press’s ‘Contemporary French and Francophone Cultures’, is co-edited within Modern Languages and Cultures.

German
Research in German studies at Liverpool continues to develop its breadth and vitality, through new appointments, and through a strategy directed towards promoting cooperation among staff in different subject areas. Colleagues are actively involved in interdisciplinary research centres, namely the Research Centre in Eighteenth-Century Studies, the Centre for the Study of International Slavery, and CAVA (The Centre for Architecture and the Visual Arts). These research centres provide a dynamic context for the development of staff and postgraduate research, and underpin and vitalise interdisciplinary research within the section and department as a whole.

Hispanic Studies
We continue to extend research activity over a broad range of areas in Iberian and Latin American Studies. The School is now at the forefront of high profile research in literary, historical, linguistic and cultural studies. Our research emphasises our understanding of ‘Hispanic studies’ in the broadest sense, as relating to the multiple geographical and linguistic contexts that make up the Hispanic and Lusophone worlds.

Latin American Studies and Italian Studies
The section has recently made new appointments including a new post extending our expertise to North America and the Caribbean. We have consolidated research clusters in American, Brazilian, Hispanic and Caribbean Studies, enhancing the research environment by providing institutional support to colleagues with related and overlapping interests. A University-wide research centre Research Institute of Latin American Studies (RILAS) fosters a robust research environment based in the Department.
Research in Italian studies is a recent addition to the School’s portfolio. The focus is on the contemporary and staff are involved in interdisciplinary research projects which feature, amongst others, the Linguistic Landscape, Italian political cinema and European cinema.

Why Department of Modern Languages and Cultures?

Introduction to Modern Languages and Cultures

We are a smaller department than many, but manage at the same time to maintain a variety of very distinctive areas of strength in research. As a result we are uniquely placed to offer taught programmes which are tailored to the individual in a friendly, supportive atmosphere and, for research students, close contact with your supervisors from the outset.

There is a high degree of interdisciplinary activity, with students and staff from all disciplines interacting through institutional research centres, cross-School reading groups, research groups and seminars.

We offer an MA in Latin American Studies and an MA in Modern Languages (French / German / Hispanic Studies/Italian) and supervision on a wide range of topics for both MPhil and PhD study.

Applications are welcome for both full-time and part-time study. Postgraduate students form an integral part of our research culture, and are encouraged to become involved in conference, workshops and seminar series, in addition, we have postgraduate reading groups and a regular programme of postgraduate workshops involving leading scholars visiting the institution. We have an active and vibrant research community, with staff engaging in research covering eight language areas consisting of French, German, Italian, Spanish, Galician, Catalan, Portuguese and Corsican. Research interests range from medieval manuscripts to contemporary cyber literature, and cover a wide geographical remit, with staff working on American, Latin American, and Caribbean, African and Indian contexts as well as European ones.

We are home to three scholarly journals: Bulletin of Hispanic Studies, Bulletin of Latin American Research, and Migrations and Identities as well as a number of prominent book series.

Research Overview

Our research activities are broadly organised around four research groups in addition to the Research Institute of Latin American Studies. The groups are engaged in interdisciplinary work, taking in literary, visual and historical sources, and collaborating across the language areas.

Latin American Studies

Latin American Studies is one of Modern languages and Cultures' major research specialisms. The six permanent members of staff have research interests in the following domains of Latin American Studies: anthropology, cultural studies, history, literature, politics, and sociology and extend to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Central America, the Caribbean and southern USA. The Sydney Jones Library is an acknowledged centre of excellence for collections in Latin American Studies. Additional facilities for all postgraduates include access to regular seminars and short conferences, language tuition, and use of the University’s networked computer facilities.

Career prospects

Former postgraduates in French, German and Hispanic Studies are currently employed in senior positions at the universities of: Aberdeen, Sussex, Leeds, Sheffield, Kings College London, Loughborough, Salford and Liverpool, as well as in a variety of careers.

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The aim is to equip students to carry out independent academic work, including training in how to use Japanese-language sources for research purposes, which lies at the heart of the programme. Our guiding principle is to ensure that each student receives the best possible education, providing a coherent course but with the flexibility to cater for individual needs.

All students in the year group attend the Theories and Methodologies in Japanese Studies Seminar, at which they meet regularly and are introduced to various disciplinary approaches in Japanese Studies. In addition they are guided through the various steps of academic research, writing, presentation and career development. They are free to choose two courses from a variety of options so that each student receives a tailor-made education. Approximately half of the time is allocated to individual research and the writing of a dissertation under the guidance of leading scholars.

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

Course detail

At the end of the MPhil programme, students will be expected to have:

- acquired the ability to read, interpret and translate primary sources in Modern and/or Classical Japanese;
- acquired a good knowledge of the general scholarship on Modern and/or Classical Japanese culture(s);
- acquired an in-depth knowledge of the secondary literature relevant to the subject of their dissertation;
- developed the ability to formulate original research questions and produce a well-constructed, argument to answer them, in the form of an independent piece of research based on the use of primary and secondary sources;
- acquired the skills to use library and internet resources independently.

Format

1: Dissertation (50 % of the grade)

In their dissertation, students will be required to demonstrate research competence using Japanese-language sources, and to conduct research that addresses contemporary and/or historical issues of relevance to Japan. Prospective students are asked to contact potential supervisors before applying to Cambridge to ensure that an appropriate supervisor is available.

2: Three papers (50% of the grade)

Each of the three papers (a paper is an exam for which teaching is provided) is assessed either by a research essay of maximum 5,000 words or an alternative exercise agreed by the Degree Committee and counts for one sixth of the total grade (i.e. 16.67 percent). Please note that papers are usually only offered if there are at least two takers.

2.1: MPhil in Japanese Studies - Theories and Methodologies in Japanese Studies

The theory and methodology seminar meets throughout the first two terms, connecting Japanese Studies to various disciplinary approaches and theories. Students will also receive training on sources and resources, library searches, academic writing, analysis and presentation skills, writing a research proposal or grant application, career planning etc., and will have opportunities to engage in peer review as they present their dissertation proposals.

2.2 Two from the following four groups of papers (A-D):

A: Graduate papers in Japanese Studies

- Historical Narratives of Ancient and Medieval Japan
- New Approaches in Early-modern Japanese Literature
- Asia in Theory
- Topics in modern Korean history: Japanese imperialism in Korea

B: Advanced research seminar papers in Japanese Studies (maximum one of these papers)

- Classical Japanese Texts
- Modern Japanese Cultural History
- Contemporary Japanese Society
- The East Asian Region

C: Language options (maximum one of these papers)

- Modern Japanese Texts
- Literary Japanese
- Classical and Literary Chinese
- Readings in Elementary Korean

D: Theory and methods, papers borrowed from other faculties (maximum one of these courses)

Papers in the discipline related to the research topic of the dissertation. These papers will be mainly borrowed from other faculties, e.g. Anthropology, Literature Studies, History, Politics, Gender Studies.

Assessment

- For the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Japanese Studies), students will submit a thesis of not more than 15,000 words, including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography on a subject approved by the Degree Committee. All MPhil dissertations must include a brief Abstract at the start of the dissertation of no more than 400 words.

- For the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Japanese Studies), students submit essays as part of their degree:

Most papers are assessed by essay, as described in Form and Conduct. Essays are not more than 5,000 words, including footnotes, but excluding bibliography. Candidates may apply to the Degree Committee for approval of an equivalent Alternative Exercise.

- For the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Japanese Studies), students may take examinations as part of their degree:

Some courses may be assessed by written examination, as described in Form and Conduct. With the approval of the Degree Committee, a candidate may offer, in place of one or more of those papers, the same number of essays, each of not more than 5,000 words, or equivalent Alternative Exercises approved by the Degree Committee.

Continuing

Those who would like to apply for the PhD after the MPhil will be expected to have scored at least 67% or above (or the equivalent from an overseas University) in their Master's degree which should be related to the PhD programme they wish to pursue. All applicants should submit with their GRADSAF (graduate application) a workable and interesting research proposal and demonstrate that they have the required academic knowledge and skills to carry out their project.

Admission is at the discretion of the Degree Committee, which judges each graduate applicant on his or her own merits and in accordance with its own set rules and regulations.

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

Funding Opportunities

- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) -

NB: Applicants should check the Faculty's website before the academic year 2016 - 2017 is due to start to see if AHRC funding is available to apply for. Home PhD and MPhil students and EU students who satisfy home residency criteria may be eligible for a full studentship which covers the University Composition Fee and College Fees plus an annual maintenance stipend. EU students are eligible for a fees-only award.

Further information: http://www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/fees-and-funding/funding/ahrc-funded-students

- Faculty Funding Opportunities -

Further information: http://www.ames.cam.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding/faculty

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The aim of the programme is to offer grounding in the theories on Cultural Studies which draws on Marxism, Structuralism, Post-Structuralism, Post-Marxism, Feminism, and Post-Modernism and their use, application and adaption in the cross-cultural contexts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. It provides an examination of the main historical concepts in Western culture such as ideology, power, class, identity, race, nation, subjectivity, representation, and memory and how these are challenged by scholars working in non-Western cultures of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The aim is to explore the different and plural cultural histories and memories of these contexts to which Cultural Studies must adapt.

Theoretical paradigms covered will reflect on issues of class, ‘race’, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, representation and religion. The course will investigate central questions of epistemology and methodology in relation to the application of Cultural Studies theories in non-Western contexts. The programme is theory and practice based and therefore, it draws on case studies from a diversity of cultural practices, genres and contexts to elucidate complex theoretical concepts and challenge their limitations and/or validity in the context of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

The programme aims to equip students with sufficient knowledge to understand and evaluate the way in which Cultural Studies theories and methods are used in cross-cultural contexts and hence develop analytic skills for undertaking their own research projects.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/degrees/macultstud/

Structure

The Programme will consist of modules valued at 3 units and a dissertation of 10,000 words.

Full-time students will be allowed to enrol for four units during term one (part-time students two or three), if one of the units is a language acquisition unit. At the end of term one they will have to withdraw from one unit, leaving units to the value of three (pro rata for part-time students) and a dissertation.

MA Cultural Studies Programme Specification 2012/2013 (pdf; 40kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/cclps/degrees/macultstud/file53952.pdf

Employment

A postgraduate degree in Cultural Studies from SOAS provides its students with expertise in non-European cultures, in-depth regional knowledge, and strong research and critical analysis skills. As well as subject expertise, Postgraduate students are equipped with the transferable skills needed to continue in research as well as the skills needed to enable them to find professional careers in the private and public sectors. These include familiarity with methods of research; the ability to absorb and analyse large quantities of information; organisational skills. A postgraduate degree is a valuable experience that provides students with a body of work and a diverse range of skills that they can use to market themselves with when they graduate.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

The Department

The SOAS Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS) exists to promote the disciplines of Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies and Postcolonial Studies in relation to Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The Centre is housed in and administered by the Faculty of Languages and Cultures, but as a Centre dedicated to interdisciplinary study it is not subordinate to any single Department in the Faculty, either administratively or intellectually.

Many theorists and scholars in the different disciplines of Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies and Postcolonial Studies are stressing the need for a move toward the study of non-European literatures and non-European aesthetic and cultural practices. The range of expertise in non-European literatures and cultures offered at SOAS aims to respond and contribute to current critical and theoretical debates in these disciplines.

The mission of the CCLPS is therefore to promote research on non-European cultures and literatures in the disciplines of Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies and Postcolonial Studies, with the aim of having an impact on the debates and of eventually reinvigorating and pioneering certain dimensions of the disciplines. The SOAS CCLPS also aims to promote comparative critical thought and postgraduate research in critical methods derived from the study of non-European literatures and aesthetic and cultural practices, in addition to written literatures in European languages.

The SOAS CCLPS provides an administrative and intellectual home for the School’s MA Comparative Literature, MA in Cultural Studies and MA in Postcolonial Studies, as well as the MPhil/PhD programmes in these three disciplines. The Centre places its emphasis on the acquisition of critical theoretical skills and in-depth regional knowledge across disciplines. Members of the Centre and current research students work on an exceptionally wide range of topics, both theoretical and critical. Supervision for research students can be provided across this wide range. MPhil/PhD students may register for a degree in Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies or Postcolonial Studies while being supervised by an associate member based in a SOAS department.

The Centre organises a training programme in the three disciplines for research students, in coordination with the faculty wide Research Training Seminar, which is supported by regular Centre seminars. The Centre also liaises with other discipline-based centres and departments over the following MA degree programmes offered faculty wide: MA African Literature, MA Chinese Literature, MA Japanese Literature, MA Korean Literature, MA Arabic Literature, MA Gender Studies, MA Theory and Practice of Translation.

Membership of the SOAS Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies is open to all academic staff and students at SOAS as well as to individuals based in other higher education institutions in the UK with an academic interest in the disciplines of Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies and Postcolonial Studies. Membership will operate on an annually renewable basis. Members will be listed under the following headings: Steering Committee, SOAS Staff (listed by discipline), SOAS Postgraduates (listed by discipline), International Advisory Board (to be invited by Chair through Steering Committee), Visiting Scholars and Affiliated Scholars. An up-to-date list of current members will be maintained by the Centre and will be subject to the Data Protection Act.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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