Masters Degrees in German Society & Culture

The German Studies MA offers a wide range of courses covering many aspects of German language, culture and history. This highly flexible programme allows students from a diversity of backgrounds to pursue topics in more depth, to acquire new areas of interdisciplinary expertise and to enhance their German language skills.

Degree information

This MA enables further exploration of aspects of German literature, culture, history, politics, and social and political thought, within an explicitly thematic and theoretical framework. Students can specialise in particular areas of interest through the optional courses. Text-based language teaching is available for students wishing to develop their linguistic skills.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme offers two pathways: taught and research.

Taught: one core module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits), and a dissertation (60 credits). Research: one core module (30 credits), two taught modules (60 credits), and a research dissertation (90 credits). A Postgraduate Diploma, one core module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits), full-time nine months or part-time two years, is offered. A Postgraduate Certificate, one core module (30 credits), one optional module (30 credits), full-time three months, part-time six months, is offered.

Core module
-Language, Culture and History. This core module permits research into two areas of major contemporary interest; for example, topics explored during the current year include the following: Trauma; Memory; Visual Culture; Queer(y)ing Sexuality

Optional modules - students take a choice of optional modules on topics such as the following:
-Wolfram's Parzival
-Reading Modern Novels
-Theoretical Issues in History and Literature
-Staging the Past: German Historical Drama since 1770
-Writing and Rewriting Marchen and other Fantastic Tales
-Discussion and Essay in German: Intensive Essay Writing
-Translation from and into German: Advanced Translation
-Geman Literature and Psychology

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a 60-credit dissertation of 12,000 words, or a 90-credit dissertation of 18,000 words.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials. Formal teaching occurs in the first two terms and the third term is devoted to revision sessions, examinations and detailed supervision of the dissertation project. Student performance is assessed through coursework essays, a dissertation, and unseen written examinations.

Careers

The MA provides an excellent foundation year for subsequent doctoral research in all areas of the department's research specialisms. Many students progress from one of our MA programmes to an MPhil or PhD research degree.

First destinations of recent graduates include:
-GTZ: intern
-University of Cambridge: PGCE secondary English
-Kent County Council: teacher
-BPP: Graduate Diploma in Law
-Rosecliffe Associates: principal consultant

Employability
With their specialist knowledge and language skills, German Master's graduates can be found in business, finance, the media, international agencies, teaching and academia.

Why study this degree at UCL?

UCL German is recognised in the UK and overseas as a premier department for the study of German culture, history and language. In the RAE 2008, UCL German was tied for first place in percentage of research judged to be 'world leading' and received the second highest rating overall.

UCL's central location offers students easy access to excellent resources, including the British Library, the Institute for Germanic Studies, the German Historical Institute and the Institute of Historical Research. The cultural offerings of the Goethe Institut, the Austrian Institute, and a wealth of exhibitions, films and theatrical performances are all nearby.

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The German History MA allows students to investigate in depth the rich, diverse traditions and violent upheavals of German and Austrian history. Drawing on the expertise of an unparalleled range of specialists at UCL, this programme provides a foundation for understanding some of the most important junctures and developments of the modern era.

Degree information

The MA offers students the opportunity to explore a range of aspects of German history, and gives students a grounding in one of the principal areas of modern history, essential for an understanding of contemporary Europe and its past. Text-based language teaching is available for students wishing to develop their linguistic skills.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme offers two pathways: taught and research.

Taught: one core module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits), and a dissertation (60 credits). Research: one core module (30 credits), two taught modules (60 credits), and a research dissertation (90 credits). A Postgraduate Diploma, one core module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits), full-time nine months or part-time two years, is offered. A Postgraduate Certificate, one core module (30 credits), one optional module (30 credits), full-time three months, part-time six months, is offered.

Core module
-The core Language, Culture and History module permits research into two areas of major contemporary interest, such as: Trauma; Memory; Visual Culture; Queer(y)ing Sexuality

Optional modules - students take a choice of optional modules on topics such as the following:
-Theoretical Issues in History and Literature
-Parzival
-Reading Modern Novels
-Staging the Past: German Historical Drama since 1770
-Writing and Rewriting Marchen and other Fantastic Tales
-Language, Power and Ideology
-Translation From and into German Language; Advanced Translation
-Discussion and Essay in German Language; Intensive Essay Writing
-German Literature and Psychology

Dissertation/report
All MA students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 12,000 words (taught pathway) or 18,000 words (research pathway).

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials. Formal teaching occurs in the first two terms and the third term is devoted to revision sessions, examinations and detailed supervision of the dissertation project. Student performance is assessed through coursework essays, a dissertation, and unseen written examinations.

Careers

The degree offers a graduate qualification in its own right, as well as serving as a pathway towards doctoral research in the field of German and European history. Many students progress from one of our MA programmes to an MPhil or PhD research degree. First destinations of recent graduates include:
-DAAD: Doctoral Research
-Finds Liaison Officer: Portable Antiquities Scheme
-Rainbow Language in Business: Administrator
-University of Reading: PGCE.

Employability
With their specialist knowledge and language skills, German Master's graduates can be found in business, finance, the media, international agencies, teaching and academia.

Why study this degree at UCL?

UCL German is recognised in the UK and overseas as a premier department for the study of German culture, history and language. In the RAE 2008, UCL German was tied for first place in percentage of research judged to be 'world leading' and received the second highest rating overall.

UCL's central location offers students easy access to excellent resources, including the British Library, the Institute for Germanic Studies, the German Historical Institute and the Institute of Historical Research.

The cultural offerings of the Goethe-Institut, the Austrian Institute, and a wealth of exhibitions, films and theatrical performances are all nearby.

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This Graduate Diploma in German Studies is designed to develop your German language skills and/or increase your knowledge of German culture, as well as improving your research and study skills.

Why study this course at Birkbeck?

Arts and humanities courses at Birkbeck are ranked third best in London and 11th in the UK in the Times Higher Education 2015-16 World University Subject Rankings.

Provides a 1-year qualification in German studies.
Ideal if you wish to undertake Master's-level study of German, but you require further training at undergraduate level before commencing postgraduate study.

Our research

Birkbeck is one of the world’s leading research-intensive institutions. Our cutting-edge scholarship informs public policy, achieves scientific advances, supports the economy, promotes culture and the arts, and makes a positive difference to society.

Birkbeck’s research excellence was confirmed in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, which placed Birkbeck 30th in the UK for research, with 73% of our research rated world-leading or internationally excellent.

In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), Modern Languages and Linguistics achieved 100% for a research environment conducive to producing research of the highest quality, while 73% of our research was recognised as world-leading or internationally excellent.

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Our doctoral programme aims to respond to the needs and interests both of students seeking an academic career or other professional employment and of those who wish to pursue a line of intellectual enquiry for its own sake. We aim to recruit both recent graduates and mature students who now have the time to pursue an intellectual enthusiasm, perhaps after a lifetime of professional work.

We offer supervision in most areas of German studies, including: baroque literature; eighteenth- to twenty-first-century literature, especially the novel; Anglo-German cultural relations; German literature in philosophical context; gender studies and women's writing; twentieth-century German history; history of German thought; German film and memory studies. There are also opportunities for supervision in interdisciplinary research, and candidates with such interests are especially welcome.

Our research

Birkbeck is one of the world’s leading research-intensive institutions. Our cutting-edge scholarship informs public policy, achieves scientific advances, supports the economy, promotes culture and the arts, and makes a positive difference to society.

Birkbeck’s research excellence was confirmed in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, which placed Birkbeck 30th in the UK for research, with 73% of our research rated world-leading or internationally excellent.

In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), Modern Languages and Linguistics achieved 100% for a research environment conducive to producing research of the highest quality, while 73% of our research was recognised as world-leading or internationally excellent.

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We can offer research degree supervision in all of our main research areas: Germany in comparative European context; the politics and policies of unified Germany; Political parties in Germany and in a comparative context; transitional politics and the politics of memory; German foreign and security policy; EU external interventions; EU counter terrorism policies; Germany within the European Security System; German literature, history and culture since 1600; The role of Germany within the European Union; German gender politics; prisons and prisoner narratives; Baader-Meinhof and West German terrorism.

About the School of Government and Society

The School of Government and Society is one of the leading UK and International centres for governance, politics, international development, sociology, public management, Russian and European studies.

Established in 2008, the School comprises three Departments: Politics and International Studies (POLSIS); International Development (IDD) and Local Government Studies (INLOGOV).

POLSIS: The Department of Political Science and International Studies (POLSIS), one of the largest and most academically vibrant departments of Political Science and International Studies in the UK. In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF) Politics and International Studies at Birmingham was ranked the 6th best in the power rankings highlighting the large number of staff in POLSIS producing world-leading and internationally excellent research.

IDD: Be part of global effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Contribute to conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction. Help build capacity of nations and communities to adapt to climate change. Study with us to gain the skills and knowledge essential for working in international development in the 21st Century.

INLOGOV: The Institute of Local Government Studies (INLOGOV) is the leading academic centre for research and teaching on local governance and strategic public management. We enrich the world of local public service with research evidence and innovative ideas, making a positive difference.

Funding and Scholarships

There are many ways to finance your postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham. To see what funding and scholarships are available, please visit: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding

Open Days

Explore postgraduate study at Birmingham at our on-campus open days.
Register to attend at: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/visit

Virtual Open Days

If you can’t make it to one of our on-campus open days, our virtual open days run regularly throughout the year. For more information, please visit: http://www.pg.bham.ac.uk

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About the course

You’ll develop a critical understanding of the most important current issues and controversies within Germanic Studies.

You choose one specialised area within the general field of Germanic Studies (for instance German politics, 19th and 20th-century German and Dutch literature, German thought, German and Dutch linguistics or Luxembourg studies).

This focus helps you develop in-depth knowledge and the capacity for independent investigation and critical analysis.

This course will prepare you for doctoral research and improves your chances of obtaining funding from the AHRC and other funding bodies.

About us

You’ll study in a lively, sociable and intellectually stimulating environment. We’re part of the School of Languages and Cultures. We have nine permanent academics, a DAAD Lektor, an Österreich-Kooperation Lektor, and numerous language assistants and research associates. Our teaching is informed by new developments in the field and by our strong interdisciplinary outlook.

Your degree is rooted in our long and distinguished history of research. Our expertise spans Germanic languages, literature and society from the Enlightenment to the present day. Our research is world-leading and internationally recognised.

Fortnightly research seminars bring together students, departmental staff and visiting academics from the UK and abroad.

First-class facilities

We’re based in modern premises at the heart of the University campus. Shared with the School of Languages and Cultures, English and History, the building is designed with student needs in mind, and features modern flexible learning, teaching and research spaces.

Our library has a wide range of materials, including major collections in modern literary, cultural and social studies, nineteenth-century German studies, contemporary German theatre and drama, Germanic linguistics, Dutch studies and Luxembourg studies.

Excellent training

Your course will train you in the techniques you need to prepare, write and present your work. You’ll also learn about research principles and ethics, interview techniques, formulating professional applications and the academic job market.

Studentships

For information about funding opportunities for postgraduate study, please visit our website.

Pathways

Choose either the Research Track or the Programme Track, depending on your future plans. Each can last one year (full-time study) or two years (part-time study).

Core modules

Approaches to Germanic Studies I; Approaches to Germanic Studies II;
Research Methods in Modern Languages; Research Colloquium; Dissertation.

Optional specialisation

Choose from: Modern German Political Culture; German Intellectual History; Nineteenth-Century German Literary Studies; Twentieth-Century German Literary Writing; Post-War German Politics; Germanic Sociolinguistics and Pragmatics; Dutch Linguistics; Dutch Literature Since 1945; Luxembourg Studies.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching takes place through small group seminars (on average two to three students) and one-on-one supervisions. Assessment depends on the module.

Research Methods in Modern Languages is assessed by two 1,500-word reviews of texts in your chosen area, as if for publication in a suitable journal (including initial draft, revisions, adapting to journal house style and copy-editing).

Approaches to Germanic Studies is assessed by a 3,000-word essay. Research Colloquium is assessed by a presentation and participants are required to actively participate in the organisation of the colloquium. Your final dissertation will be 18,000–20,000 words for 90 credits.

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About the course

You’ll develop a critical understanding of the most important current issues and controversies within Germanic Studies.

You choose one specialised area within the general field of Germanic Studies (for instance German politics, 19th and 20th-century German and Dutch literature, German thought, German and Dutch linguistics or Luxembourg studies).

This focus helps you develop in-depth knowledge and the capacity for independent investigation and critical analysis.

If you’re sure you don’t want to progress to a PhD, choose this course. It has a shorter dissertation and a greater proportion of coursework than the research track.

About us

You’ll study in a lively, sociable and intellectually stimulating environment. We’re part of the School of Languages and Cultures. We have nine permanent academics, a DAAD Lektor, an Österreich-Kooperation Lektor, and numerous language assistants and research associates. Our teaching is informed by new developments in the field and by our strong interdisciplinary outlook.

Your degree is rooted in our long and distinguished history of research. Our expertise spans Germanic languages, literature and society from the Enlightenment to the present day. Our research is world-leading and internationally recognised.

Fortnightly research seminars bring together students, departmental staff and visiting academics from the UK and abroad.

First-class facilities

We’re based in modern premises at the heart of the University campus. Shared with the School of Languages and Cultures, English and History, the building is designed with student needs in mind, and features modern flexible learning, teaching and research spaces.

Our library has a wide range of materials, including major collections in modern literary, cultural and social studies, nineteenth-century German studies, contemporary German theatre and drama, Germanic linguistics, Dutch studies and Luxembourg studies.

Excellent training

Your course will train you in the techniques you need to prepare, write and present your work. You’ll also learn about research principles and ethics, interview techniques, formulating professional applications and the academic job market.

Studentships

For information about funding opportunities for postgraduate study, please visit our website.

Pathways

Choose either the Research Track or the Programme Track, depending on your future plans. Each can last one year (full-time study) or two years (part-time study).

Core modules

Approaches to Germanic Studies I; Approaches to Germanic Studies II; Research Methods in Modern Languages; Research Colloquium; Dissertation.

Optional specialisation

Choose from: Modern German Political Culture; German Intellectual History; Nineteenth-Century German Literary Studies; Twentieth-Century German Literary Writing; Post-War German Politics; Germanic Sociolinguistics and Pragmatics; Dutch Linguistics; Dutch Literature Since 1945; Luxembourg Studies.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching takes place through small group seminars (on average two to three students) and one-on-one supervisions. Assessment depends on the module.

Approaches to Germanic Studies is assessed by a 3,000-word essay. Research colloquium is assessed by a presentation and participants are required to actively participate in the organisation of the colloquium. Your final dissertation will be 12,000–15,000 words for 60 credits.

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The master Art, Literature and Society addresses contemporary debates in literature, art, religion, philosophy and culture. The key term here is interdisciplinarity: you learn to approach debates not as a philosopher, student of literature, sociologist or art historian, but rather as a student of culture who can combine different approaches from all of these various disciplines.

You will use interdisciplinary insights to debate issues such as:

- The critique of nationalism in recent German literature
- The humanities in academia
- Architecture and politics
- Fascism and modernism
- Darwinian aesthetics
- Are we our brain?
- The role of art in the future of democracy

The debates and discussions you will have during the programme, as well as the lectures and skills trainings, will help you:

- Develop broad insights into current issues in art and literature that are of national and international importance
- Gain experience engaging in impassioned debates and tackling a range of contemporary controversies
- Learn to infuse your academic practice with an element of personality, just as an artist would with a painting

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A combination of taught modules, research skills training, and individual research. All students take a core module in German Cultural Studies, which considers key critical debates that have shaped German understandings of culture in the C20, plus two modules from a range of options offered by the Department of German Studies and collaborating partner departments (Film and TV; History; Centre for Translation Studies; Language Centre). The subject-librarian and module tutors offer training in bibliographical and filmographic research. A dissertation of 15000 words, on a topic chosen in consultation with the Course Director, completes the course. More information on http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/german/postgraduates/ma_cultural_studies/

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This is a one-year programme in which you choose your own research topic, conduct independent research, and submit a 40,000-word thesis. You will be supported throughout the project through regular tutorial meetings with your supervisor and research training from specialist staff including the German subject librarian. The programme is tailored to your own needs and interests, ideal if you have a strong research interest in a particular topic you wish to pursue for one year only, or which lays the groundwork for a larger project to pursue at PhD level.

Research interests

Specialist areas of our staff range across the whole of the Modern period, from the 18th-century Enlightenment to the present day, with notable areas of expertise in:
-German Classicism and Romanticism
-Orientalism in German Culture from 1800 to the Present
-German Diasporic Cultures and Literatures
-Nationalism and Anti-Semitism
-Weimar Cultures
-Contemporary German History
-GDR History; Gender, Terrorism and Prison Writing
-Post-War German Literature and Culture
-German Memory Cultures
-Temporality and Deceleration in Contemporary German Culture
-Critical Theory

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Your programme of study

More and more of us want to know about how people lived in the UK and Europe, what sort of cultures existed and why these cultures were named Celtic or Anglo Saxon. Why did these people travel or move to the UK as we know it now, what other people were on the scene and how did they influence these people? We know that the Celts came to Britain 500 years ago and Anglo Saxons from 400-1066, joining the Jutes and Frisians from Demark with the language we know today in Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Wessex. The programme allows you to learn more about specific areas of the UK and their influences and folk tales plus history. If you enjoy history you will be fascinated with this discipline and subject areas.

You learn about European Celts, German invaders with Roman culture and legacy. There are in-depth insights of kingdoms, cultures, invasions and accounts of who we really are. The programme offers theories, method and languages, history and literature.

Courses listed for the programme

Semester 1
Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Research Seminar

Optional Courses
Modern Gaelic for Postgraduates
Modern Irish Language for Postgraduates
M.Litt Special Study in Language and Literature 1
Modern Gaelic for Postgraduates
M.Litt Special Study in Language and Literature

Semester 2
Celtic & Anglo- Saxon Research Seminar
Dissertation Preparation

Optional Courses
Modern Gaelic for Postgraduates
Modern Irish Language for Postgraduates
M.Litt Special Study in Language and Literature 1
Modern Gaelic for Postgraduates
M.Litt Special Study in Language and Literatures 1

Semester 3
15000 word dissertation

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The MA by Research (German) at Royal Holloway is a flexible programme that allows you to undertake in-depth study (both full and part-time), under the supervision of international experts, on a broad range of subjects, including literature, visual or cultural studies or comparative topics.

The core of the MA by Research is a 25,000 word dissertation on a subject of your own choosing, intended to give you the scope to explore your area of interest in real depth and to develop sophisticated critical and analytical research and writing skills.

You will also complete a research-focused, taught module which will equip you with a range of theoretical and historical approaches to the study of literature, art and culture, enabling you to articulate, refine and persistently test your approach to your chosen topic within this broader theoretical and methodological framework.

See the website https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/mllc/coursefinder/magermanbyresearch.aspx

Department research and industry highlights

Research drives the School of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures at Royal Holloway. Academics in the School all contribute to teaching and are active researchers with international reputations. Our research environment has a basis in our expertise in French, German, Hispanic, Italian and Comparative Studies, and encourages collaboration and exchange across traditional disciplinary boundaries. Our strengths span literature, thought, film and the visual arts from the medieval to the twenty-first century.

Course content and structure

Students take one core taught course and complete a dissertation.

- Core course units:
Theories of Literature and Visual Culture
This course is the core taught course for all students and is taught across two terms. It provides you with knowledge of a range of historical and modern theoretical approaches to the study of literature and the visual arts. It refines your theoretical understanding and provides you with the methodological tools needed to proceed to PhD research if you so wish.

Dissertation:
A 25,000 word dissertation on a subject of your choice. You will receive one-on-one support from a dedicated supervisor/advisor.

On completion of the course graduates will have:
- Joined a community of scholars who are working at the cutting edge of their chosen discipline.

- Learnt to undertake focussed research, developed written and presentation skills, and honed your skills in critical analysis.

- Gained an understanding and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights in literature, film, cultural studies or the visual arts.

- Demonstrated self-direction and originality and the independent learning and initiative required for continuing professional development

Assessment

The taught course is assessed by essay and presentation. The dissertation is examined by a Visiting Examiner and includes a viva voce.

Employability & career opportunities

Our graduates are highly employable and, in recent years have entered many different language-related fields including international management, consultancy, sales and marketing, media and publishing, banking, the arts, politics, the Civil Service, teaching, travel and tourism, translating and interpreting. This course also equips you with a solid foundation for continued PhD studies.

How to apply

Applications for entry to all our full-time postgraduate degrees can be made online https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studyhere/postgraduate/applying/howtoapply.aspx .

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Research profile

One of the University’s larger modern language subject areas, German has earned its place as a significant centre for research, with half of our research ranked as internationally excellent or world leading in the latest Research Assessment Exercise.

The size of our graduate school means we are able to support a broad range of German and Austrian cultural and literary research themes, from the medieval period to the present.

Current interests include:

• 18th century and Romanticism studies
• censorship studies
• contemporary German literature
• cultural and political studies and literary theory
• gender studies
• German and Austrian Jewish literature
• identity studies
• literature and culture of the German/Austrian fin-de-siècle
• literature and culture of the Weimar Republic and the National Socialist era
• migrant literature in German
• palaeography and Medieval textual studies
• post-Holocaust literature
• post-war West and East German literary and cultural studies
• the Medieval German epic
• theatre and performance studies
• travel writing
• Turkish-German literature

Training and support

We promote the connection between language and culture through a number of extracurricular programmes, both formal and informal.

You will have the opportunity to take part in our annual play, which is commonly a collaborative effort with a noted German author or playwright.

We organise regular film nights, followed by Stammtisch, and gallery visits are also offered.

We maintain close links with the Scottish arm of the Goethe Institut and the Edinburgh German Circle, which both provide opportunities to make contacts and socialise with the city’s sizeable German community.

Facilities

Testament to our breadth of research expertise and lively graduate school community, our RAE ranking also reflects world-class resources (such as our well-stocked libraries and the expansive Karin McPherson collection of GDR writing) and commitment to publishing, most notably through our production of the esteemed Edinburgh German Yearbook.

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This is the only MA programme in the United Kingdom focusing exclusively upon the history, theory and practice of Anglo-German cultural relations from circa 1800 until the present. The programme deals mainly with the literary, theoretical and cultural dimensions of these relations, and also contains a unique practical component, in which students are taught by practitioners from British and German cultural institutions, as well as by experts from the fields of publishing, translating and the media. As such the programme provides a pathway either for future academic study or for a career outside of academia.

Programme outline
You will take the core module: Theory and Practice of Anglo-German Cultural Transfers � which includes the study of inter- and intracultural relations between (national) cultures and will analyse the theory and history of Anglo-German cultural transfers from the late Eighteenth-Century to the present day. The second part will bring students into contact with practitioners in this field and introduce them to the reality of cultural transfers.

You will also take two out of the following three module options:

Anglo German Aesthetics in the �Long� Eighteenth-Century
Anglo-German Travel Writing
In Pursuit of Prejudice? Mutual Perceptions of Identity
You may be permitted to take one option offered as part of another MA programme in the School or within the Faculty of Arts, provided that the MA convenor agrees that this would be beneficial for your intellectual development and research plans. In the case of options outside the School, admission to such modules requires the further agreement of the module convenor.

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The German MLitt comprises taught and research-based elements, allowing you to focus in depth on one aspect of German studies. Our research interests cover all aspects of German culture, literature and language from medieval to modern times.

We offer expert supervision in the following areas:
-20th century German and Contemporary literature (Dr T Ludden, Dr B Müller)
-GDR literature and censorship (Dr B Müller)
-Representations of the Holocaust and/or World War II (Dr B Müller)
-Literature and philosophy - cultural and critical theory (Dr T Ludden)
-Women's writing (Dr T Ludden)
-Medieval German and Comparative Literature (Dr E Andersen)
-Morphological theory - morphology, phonology and dialectology of German and Dutch (Dr C Fehringer)

You will normally work on a research project which comprises two to four research assignments and a longer dissertation. Your supervisor will be an expert in your chosen field, and will receive support if necessary from an experienced research supervisor. The programme is well suited as preparation for PhD research.

Our research staff work in a diverse range of fields from sociocultural, historical and political studies, to film and literature, linguistics and sociolinguistics. The School has strong links with interdisciplinary research centres and groups, including:
-Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
-Centre for Research in Linguistics and Language Sciences
-Research Centre in Film and Digital Media
-Gender Research Group
-Medieval and Early Modern Studies
-Postcolonial Research Group

You will also have the opportunity to attend festivals and conferences with a direct bearing on your course:
-Talking to the World Conference
-VAMOS festival

As a student in the School of Modern Languages, you will benefit from the Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) Faculty research training programme. You will choose these research modules in consultation with your supervisors.

Up to £250 per year is available to support your attendance at conferences or for archival research. You can also request an inter-library loan allowance.

The School of Modern Languages is part of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Northern Bridge Doctoral Training Partnership and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) North East Doctoral Training Centre. Through training courses provided by these partnerships, you will gain knowledge and skills to undertake high-quality social science research.

Delivery

This course is delivered by the School of Modern Languages, with the possibility of joint supervision with other schools. You will mainly be based in Newcastle’s city-centre campus. Attendance is flexible and agreed between you and your supervisors depending on the requirements of the research project.

Full-time students are expected to undertake 40 hours of work per week with an annual holiday entitlement of 35 days (including statutory and bank holidays). Part-time study requires a commitment of at least 20 hours per week.

The MLitt includes a formal research training component where you develop research skills and methodologies (20 credits). You complete a portfolio of essays chosen in consultation with your supervisors according to your interests and experience (80 credits). You then undertake a dissertation of 16,000–24,000 words consisting of a sustained piece of original research (80 credits).

Study consists mainly of tutorials and independent learning supported by research training. Supervisors will advise applicants on how to develop their research proposals.

Facilities

You will have access to a dedicated quiet study space, as well as use of a common room with kitchen facilities. The School also houses the Language Resource Centre, with an extensive range of language learning facilities and resources, including:
-Access to 24 satellite television channels from around the world
-Listen and record facilities for speaking practice
-Interactive language learning software
-An international film collection of over 800 titles

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