Latin American Studies MRes

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.

The normal requirement for entry on to a taught programme is a BA or BSc degree of 2:1 standard in a subject relevant to the proposed field of research.