Masters Degrees in French Literature & Language, United Kingdom

Our MA in French and Comparative Literature involves the postgraduate study of literature beyond national and linguistic borders with a particular focus on French culture.

Comparative Literature at Kent involves the study of literature from two or more European cultures, to gain an intercultural and transnational understanding of cultural practice. The MA in French and Comparative Literature introduces you to a wide range of theoretical perspectives, enriching your appreciation of the cultures, texts and critical practices examined in the programme’s various modules. You benefit from expert teaching from members of the Department of Modern Languages (http://www.kent.ac.uk/secl/modern-languages/index.html) and the Department of Comparative Literature (http://www.kent.ac.uk/secl/complit/index.html) and thus participate in an interdisciplinary dialogue.

Kent provides an ideal location in which to study French culture; our Canterbury campus is close to mainland Europe, with Paris only a couple of hours away by Eurostar.

In the Autumn and Spring terms, you take a choice of four modules, before undertaking a 12,000 word dissertation over the summer with supervision from an expert within the department. There is also a version of this programme which allows you to spend the spring term in Paris.

This programme is ideal for modern languages graduates who wish to consolidate their knowledge in a wider context; English graduates wishing to diversify their interests; and graduates in other humanities subjects (history, philosophy, theology) who would like to apply their knowledge to literary and visual material.

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/secl/modern-languages/postgraduate/taught-french-and-comparative-literature.html

Assessment

Assessment is by one 5,000-word essay for each module and the dissertation.

Programme aims

The programme aims to:

- provide the opportunity for you to obtain a postgraduate qualification (MA) in one year, and to allow, if required, a smooth transition to doctoral studies

- allow you to study modules in both modern French studies and comparative literature

- develop your knowledge and understanding of relevant aspects of contemporary Paris and the cultural history of the city as reflected in modern French, European, English and American literatures and other artistic media

- enhance your comprehension and communication skills in both French and English

- develop your awareness of various critical and research methodologies and of the interplay between literature, art and cultural context

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

- provide a deepening of intercultural awareness and understanding

- provide opportunities for the further development of personal, communication and research skills and other key skills appropriate for graduate employment both in industry and in the public sector

- provide further development of critical, analytical, problem-solving and other transferable skills.

Research areas

Staff interests broadly fit within the parameters of French literature and thought from the 18th century to the present, with research clusters organised around the following areas: the European Enlightenment and Counter-Enlightenment; Ekphrasis; Franco-Sino relations; Life Writing; Medical Humanities; Philosophy and Critical Theory; French Surrealism; Cubism; the Avant-Garde; the interface between visual arts and text.

Recent publications have focused on authors, artists and thinkers including the following: Apollinaire; Artaud; Badiou; Barthes; Blanchot; Cocteau; Crébillon fils; Deleuze; Diderot; Djebar; Flaubert; Foucault; Houellebecq; Lacan; Maupassant; Mérimée; Nimier; Proust; Sade; Yourcenar; Zola.

Centre for Language and Linguistic Studies (CLLS)
Founded in 2007, the Centre for Language and Linguistic Studies (CLLS) promotes interdisciplinary collaboration in linguistic research and teaching. Membership embraces not just the members of English Language and Linguistics but also other SECL members with an interest in the study of language, as well as researchers in philosophy, computing, psychology and anthropology, reflecting the many and varied routes by which individuals come to a love of language and an interest in the various disciplines and subdisciplines of linguistics.

Centre for Modern European Literature
Many of the most significant European writers and literary movements of the modern period have traversed national, linguistic, and disciplinary borders. Co-directed by members of Comparative Literature, French, and German, the Centre for Modern European Literature aims to promote collaborative interdisciplinary research that can do justice to these kinds of border crossing.

Ranging across English, French, German, Italian and Spanish literature, the Centre focuses in particular on the European avant-garde, European modernism and postmodernism, literary theory, the international reception of European writers, and the relations between modern European literature and the other arts, including painting, photography, film, music and architecture. The Centre’s activities include a lecture and seminar series and the regular organisation of conferences. It also works with the editors of the postgraduate journal Skepsi, and runs the MA in Modern European Literature.

Careers

A postgraduate degree in French studies is an extremely versatile qualification that can open the door to exciting career opportunities in many professions. Our graduates have gone on to work in the IT industry, academic administration, cultural management and to further postgraduate training and academic careers at UK and overseas universities.

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

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The French Literature & Culture MA provides teaching based on research culture. Core module in research methodology and critical theory plus a wide choice of optional modules from Medieval Occitan to Contemporary French Women's Writing. Ideal preparation for research or careers in teaching, journalism, cultural management, financial sector and the EU.

Key benefits

- Unique range of modules across all periods of French and Francophone literature.

- Modules taught by established specialists in a department with a lively postgraduate culture

- Particular strengths in literary and critical theory and medieval French and Occitan literature.

- Located in the heart of London.

Visit the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/french-literature-and-culture-ma.aspx

Course detail

- Description -

The programme is centred around a core module in literary and critical theory. Optional modules reflect the research interests of staff and range from the Middle Ages to the present day (including modern French thought and Francophone literature), giving the programme a unique depth and range. Students also have the opportunity to take our innovative web-based modules in advanced French language as well as modules from other programmes.

- Course purpose -

For students seeking to further their knowledge of French literature and culture and/or to prepare for research.

- Course format and assessment -

All modules taught by seminar. Core module and optional modules assessed by extended essay. Compulsory dissertation of 12,000 words.

Career Prospects:

Research in our department or other institutions; careers in teaching, journalism, cultural management. Many of our students work in the European Union.

How to apply: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/taught-courses.aspx

About Postgraduate Study at King’s College London:

To study for a postgraduate degree at King’s College London is to study at the city’s most central university and at one of the top 21 universities worldwide (2016/17 QS World University Rankings). Graduates will benefit from close connections with the UK’s professional, political, legal, commercial, scientific and cultural life, while the excellent reputation of our MA and MRes programmes ensures our postgraduate alumni are highly sought after by some of the world’s most prestigious employers. We provide graduates with skills that are highly valued in business, government, academia and the professions.

Scholarships & Funding:

All current PGT offer-holders and new PGT applicants are welcome to apply for the scholarships. For more information and to learn how to apply visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/funding/sources

Free language tuition with the Modern Language Centre:

If you are studying for any postgraduate taught degree at King’s you can take a module from a choice of over 25 languages without any additional cost. Visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/mlc

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The French and Francophone Studies: Language, Culture and History MA aims to encourage innovative approaches to issues in the field, as well as to sharpen students' creative and critical responses.

Degree information

The programme provides a thorough understanding of key methods and issues in textual criticism, and of aspects of French and francophone culture, within a broadly interdisciplinary focus. The modules are designed to offer exciting critical engagement with topical issues currently being addressed in French and francophone studies, such as: text and theory, text and image, historiography, film history, trauma, creativity and post-colonial theory.

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:
-Dead Things and Demolition Sites: Cultural, Visual and Historical Representations in France, 1598-1889
-Advanced Translation into French
-Advanced Translation into English
-Gender, Race and Sexuality: New Readings in Francophone Literature and Visual Culture
-The French New Wave

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project related to the broad area of French and Francophone Studies which culminates in a dissertation of 12,000 words for the taught pathway and 18,000 for research.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials. French-specific translation courses are assessed by take-home examinations. Other courses are mainly assessed by essays.

Careers

The programme provides an excellent foundation for further doctoral study in the field. Graduates of the department have entered a wide range of professions including finance, commerce, journalism, education, the media, public relations, translation and interpreting, and the police.

Top career destinations for this degree:
-Educational Researcher, TEN
-Operating graduate scheme - Graduate manager, Network Rail Ltd
-Freelance Language Teacher, Freelance French Tutor
-Graduate Diploma in Law, College of Law

Why study this degree at UCL?

UCL has a renowned tradition in both teaching and research in French, dating back to its foundation in 1826 and continuing to the present day. UCL is at the leading-edge of current debate in French, which involves challenging the boundaries of French studies and contributing to its remapping. Students are taught by nationally and internationally renowned experts in their fields.

There is a thriving research culture in the school: students can attend and participate in an extensive programme of seminars. Students also have access to conferences held at the Institute of Modern Language Research and are welcome to participate in its graduate forum.

The department has excellent research facilities, including an extensive library of films on DVD.

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The Graduate Diploma in French course offers many advantages in that it allows you to study French at your own pace, when and where you like. The Diploma is recognised by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (subject to approval) and carries a credit rating of 120 SCOTCAT points (SCQF levels 9-10).

This is a unique distance-learning course, delivered primarily over the internet, using a virtual learning environment (VLE). You will be part of a 'virtual' learning community, in regular contact with your French tutors and fellow students. Together we explore aspects of the French language and culture and share language teaching expertise.

Experienced staff and native French speakers are responsible for the module design, delivery and student support.

PLEASE NOTE: This course is scheduled to run from September 2014 to June 2016 and it will only run if sufficient numbers of students enrol.

Who can apply?

Are you:
A Secondary Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) teacher who wishes to gain a GTC recognised additional teaching qualification in French?
A Primary, Further or Adult Education teacher who would like to improve their French for teaching purposes?
An advanced student of French (Higher+) who wishes to gain a University Diploma in French for work purposes or for personal interest?

Aims of the course

The course aims to provide the challenge of an undergraduate curriculum in practical French. Learning materials are of wide general appeal as well as of interest to language teachers and are studied in modules of approximately ten weeks duration throughout the course. The choice of assessments and the project allow participants to focus on their own specific interest areas. The course covers the following

Skills and Topics:
French language, including grammar and communication skills
Culture and society
Themes such as 20th Century literature, education, the environment, French and Francophone cinema
Professional studies
Project

Immersion days

Four French Immersion Days per academic session are held at Dundee University, usually on a Saturday. They will provide a chance to meet other course participants, practice oral skills, and participate in a variety of activities in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. We are fortunate to have the support of the French Institute for this course.

Assessment

A wide variety of assessment methods are used throughout the course.
The course project consists of an extended essay and a series of lesson plans or equivalent for non-teachers. At the end of the course there is a two and a half hour written examination and an oral examination, both normally held in Dundee.

Course materials

You will be expected to buy the course textbook, a reference grammar book, a good bilingual French-English dictionary, and occasional literary texts. Please note that you will be required to have Internet and Skype access.

Residence abroad

For those taking the Diploma course as an additional teaching qualification, residence abroad is normally a pre-requisite for GTC(S) registration in French (Secondary). This period of residence has to be arranged by course participants themselves.

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The Department pursues high-quality, interdisciplinary research across the range of French studies - medieval and early-modern literature and thought, nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first century literature, contemporary French culture, society and politics, French thought and critical theory, feminist and gender studies, Francophone and postcolonial studies, cinema and the visual arts, linguistics and translation studies. All current 21 full-time members of stasff are research-active. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise the Department was ranked third in the UK in terms of "Research Power", which takes into account the number and proportion of research-active staff submitted in each unit. The Department publishes its own journal, Nottingham French Studies, founded in 1961. The Department also has a thriving postgraduate community.

This programme offers students the opportunity to conduct a sustained piece of research in a wide range of disciplines in French and Francophone Studies. Thanks to our exceptionally wide range of research expertise we can offer supervision of research degrees at MA and PhD level across the chronological spread of French studies, including the following areas: medieval literature, early modern literature and thought, 19th, 20th and 21st century literature, contemporary French culture, society and politics, French thought and critical theory, feminist and gender studies, Francophone and postcolonial studies, cinema and the visual arts, linguistics and translation studies.

Students join a thriving postgraduate community and are fully integrated into the Department’s dynamic research environment. They are invited to all seminars and research events and have their own, dedicated Work in Progress seminar programme. They have jointly organised a number of conferences, and are encouraged to present their research at national and international conferences.

Entry requirements

Those whose first language is not English must achieve an overall score on the British Council IELTS test of at least 7.0 with no less than 6.0 in each element, or a TOEFL score of 600 (250 for
computer based tests) with a TWE of at least 4.5, or a TOEFL iBT score of 100 (with no less than 19 in any element). Test results should be no more than two years old.

Course structure

The MA by Research will appeal specifically to students who have a clear research area in mind and who are keen to research that area under the guidance of the appropriate supervisor(s). The programme is devised to suit either those students who intend to continue with their studies to PhD level, or those who want to study for an MA for its own interest.

Students who wish to proceed to take a PhD are required to have completed an MA course in order to acquire the necessary research skills in their chosen field of study. We require all MA students to
follow a module of research training that is delivered jointly by staff within the Department and the Graduate School which offers courses of generic training.

The course can be completed one year full-time or two years part-time and comprises:

• a course of guided reading under the supervision of the appropriate member(s) of staff
• a module of research training in research methodology and presentation
• attendance, at the regular French postgraduate work-in-progress seminars

Information about staff research interests and publications can be found at http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/french

Assessment

Students submit a 30,000-word dissertation deriving from their directed reading and completed under the supervision of the appropriate member(s) of staff. The research module is also assessed.

Careers

Many MA graduates in French Studies at Nottingham have gone on to further study for a PhD, both at Nottingham and elsewhere, and several are now in full-time lecturing posts. Others work in a
wide range of careers.

Candidates are encouraged to apply online at https://pgapps.nottingham.ac.uk

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The French MLitt comprises taught and research-based elements, allowing you to focus in depth on one aspect of French studies. We offer a range of study topics including cinema, literature, popular culture and French linguistics.

We offer expert supervision in the following research areas of French studies:
-Contemporary women's writing (Dr Robson, Dr El-Maïzi)
-19th century literature and culture (Prof Harkness, Prof Cross)
-Dialectology (Dr Hall)
-French and Algerian cinema (Prof Austin, Dr Leahy)
-History, politics and gender (Prof Cross, Prof Harkness)
-Language change (Dr Hall, Dr Waltereit)
-Popular culture (media, sport, music) and public policy (Dr Dauncey)
-Postcolonial cultures (Prof Austin, Dr El-Maïzi)
-Trauma and culture (Prof Austin, Dr Robson)

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. It 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.

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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At MPhil/PhD level we aim for students to make the transition into fully fledged, independent academic researchers, with the skills necessary to present their research orally as well as in writing, in addition to pushing back the frontiers of knowledge. Such independence is achieved on the basis of a full appreciation of the hallmarks of good scholarship, such as original thought, the proper use of references and background material, appropriate use of methodology and accountable reporting procedures, and it is these priorities that we aim to impart to our students.

Once equipped with the generic and discipline-specific tools for carrying out research, you pursue your particular research interests, supported by regular meetings with your supervisor and attendance at MPhil/PhD seminars.

We are able to provide supervision in most aspects of French language, literature and culture, including: the Renaissance; classicism; the Enlightenment; literature from the eighteenth to the twenty-first century; travel literature; the fantastic; literature and the visual arts; literary criticism; gender studies; history of French thought; contemporary literature; French linguistics; bilingualism; French cinema; colonial and contemporary French history. Supervision in interdisciplinary subjects is also possible.

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This Master's degree offers you an opportunity to engage critically with the study of comparative literature. The primary focus is on English-, French-, German-, Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking cultures, and while we welcome students able to work in these and other languages, you may work exclusively through the medium of English.

Students with a particular interest in French or German culture and/or with high-level French or German language skills are encouraged to apply, as it is possible to take a French or German pathway through the programme.

You will have the opportunity to develop your understanding of key critical concepts associated with the comparative study of literature and cultures, such as literary history and the canon, genre, theme, influence, intertextuality and translation across genres and media. You will gain practical experience of working with these concepts in your reading of texts. You will also be given a grounding in twentieth- and twenty-first-century literary theory, exploring its development in a cross-cultural context and investigating how it can change the way we read texts and the cultures that produced them.

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.
Explore literature from a comparative perspective and in the context of other cultural forms.
Examine the ways in which literary and cultural theories can change how we read cultures and the texts they produce.
Follow a pathway in French and/or German culture and language, if this is your specialist interest.
Courses taught in English by subject specialists from a variety of language areas.
Ideal if you wish to embark on doctoral research, further your career prospects (particularly in arts-related fields), or build on a personal interest.
You will have access to outstanding specialist libraries, including the collection of the Institute of Modern Languages Research at Senate House.
The departments involved in teaching this programme run a series of research events for both their taught and research postgraduates.

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Research profile

We offer supervision for the PhD, MPhil and MSc by Research degrees in most areas of French cultural studies.

The PhD and MPhil degrees allow you to pursue a research topic in depth and produce a substantial thesis.

The MSc by Research programme is designed to enable students who have taken a first degree in French to specialise in an aspect of French literature or culture which interests them, while acquiring core skills in theories and methods of study applicable to their topic.

Students spend the first half of the degree programme doing preliminary research and writing two essays on their chosen field of study, while following a taught course according to their specialisation. They then write a dissertation, on a topic agreed with their supervisor.

French at the University of Edinburgh has enjoyed a consistently excellent record in research and publications, confirmed in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, which ranked 55% of our research as world leading or internationally excellent.

Language, to us, is inseparable from culture. As such, we encourage you to think broadly and explore the implications of language in a wider perspective. Our research expertise covers a wide range of areas including:

• adaptation studies
• contemporary politics and institutions.
• film studies
• Francophone and post-colonial studies
• French thought
• literature from the Middle Ages to the present day
• self-writing
• translation studies
• word and image
• word and music

Training and support

All research students follow a core course in Theory and Methods of Literary Study plus a course of research training, which includes bibliographic skills, project development and dissertation and thesis writing. You will participate in regular research seminars run by French, Film Studies, European Theatre and Translation Studies.

Facilities

As a member of our dynamic and enterprising postgraduate research community, you will have access to a comprehensive range of resources, including world-class libraries (the National Library of Scotland holds one of the best French collections in the UK), membership of the Institut Français d’Ecosse, and access to a number of specialised facilities, such as the Centre de Recherches Francophones Belges which hosts a regular programme of talks and conferences.

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The MA by Research (French) 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/mafrenchbyresearch.aspx

Why choose this course?

You will have the opportunity to:
- Pursue in-depth, directed research through the 25,000 word dissertation with one-to-one supervision, regular feedback and other departmental support

- Follow a taught course with your peers on theories of literature and visual culture

- Participate in the energetic research culture in the School of Modern Languages, Literatures and cultures and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Royal Holloway – libraries, seminars, symposia including the regular postgraduate work-in-progress seminars and our annual Postgraduate Colloquium

- Enjoy proximity to London’s unparalleled facilities, including the British Library, Senate House library, and the Institute of Germanic and Romance studies

- Take advantage of professional and research development training on campus and at the Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies

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

Core course units:

Theories of Literature and Visual Culture (40 credits)
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 (140 credits)
A 25,000 word dissertation on a subject of your choice. You will receive one-to-one support from your supervisor.

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

• Learned to undertake focused research, developed written and oral presentation skills, and honed 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

Theories of Literature and Visual Culture is assessed by an 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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Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Modern Languages at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).

Modern Languages at Swansea encompasses Arabic, French, German and Hispanic Studies with research strengths in written culture from the medieval period to the present day, including contemporary European cinema. We also have language expertise in Italian and Mandarin Chinese, but, depending on your choice of topic, advanced knowledge of a language is not an entry requirement. Some comparative projects in both literature and film can be researched in English translation.

The MA by Research in Modern Languages is ideal for those who want:

an MA qualification in niche areas where taught programmes are not offered;

the experience of a research degree without committing to a PhD at the outset.

Research proposals are invited on any topic in Modern Languages for which staff can provide supervision. It is advisable to email a member of academic staff in the appropriate area before applying (see staff web pages).

Key Features

An MA by Research in Modern Languages gives you the chance to pursue a project based around your own passions and interests, leading to a qualification which can open the door to an academic career or boost employment prospects outside academia (typically in the private sector, the Civil Service, or education).

It will give you the freedom to explore a topic of your choosing in Modern Languages and develop a methodology under the close supervision of two experienced academics but without attending regular classes as required in taught programmes.

You will be supervised closely by two experienced academics in your field. Typically, you will meet them fortnightly in the first term and at regular intervals thereafter. Meetings are logged and goals agreed each time.

All research students in Modern Languages are required to attend skills and training courses at College and Institutional level. They give presentations to other research students and staff at departmental seminars and the annual departmental postgraduate symposium in June and the College of Arts and Humanities conference in October. Advanced research students may have opportunities to teach undergraduate tutorials and seminars. You have a budget (currently £200 per year) to attend conferences outside Swansea.

MA by Research degrees typically last from one year (full-time study) to two years (part-time study). Some students choose to ‘upgrade’ at the end of their first academic year to an MPhil or PhD. This can be permitted on the recommendation of the two supervisors. If they do upgrade their year on the MA counts towards the MPhil or PhD.

Research Expertise

Our expertise in Modern Languages ranges from the French medieval lyric and Enlightenment drama, women's writing and feminism; travel; the conflicted memories of World War Two; film and literature about the Baader-Meinhof Group; and the works of the Nobel Laureates, Elias Canetti, Jean Cocteau, Günter Grass, Mario Vargas Llosa, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Herta Müller. Our dynamic research environment which has won attention and funding from outside bodies such as the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the Modern Humanities Research Association, the Wellcome Trust and the EU.

We support the following research centres all of which also house postgraduate research students:

Contemporary German Culture (http://www.swansea.ac.uk/riah/researchgroups/ccgc);

Gender in Culture and Society (GENCAS, http://www.swansea.ac.uk/gencas);

The Comparative Study of the Americas (CECSAM, http://www.swansea.ac.uk/riah/researchgroups/cecsam);

Medieval and Early Modern Research (MEMO, http://www.swansea.ac.uk/riah/researchgroups/memo).

For further information on research specialisms and supervisory interests of our staff visit: http://www/swansea.ac.uk/artsandhumanities/about-us/.

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If you’re interested in the literature of the Romantic period in Britain and abroad, this innovative course will enable you to explore the literary migration of ideas and texts during the Romantic and revolutionary period between 1770 and 1830 in western Europe.

You’ll study with world-leading academics, taking modules from across the Faculty of Arts, and developing excellent research skills through your final dissertation. It would be helpful to have a reading knowledge of French, German or Italian, but you don’t need these to complete the course successfully.

Many of our postgraduates progress to PhD level study in the field of comparative literature, while others have developed careers in translation, teaching and marketing.

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Are you keen to specialise in academic study of your chosen language and culture, and do you have the curiosity and motivation to develop an individual research path, leading potentially to PhD study? This innovative course, combining cross-School taught modules with languagespecific research, offers an advanced preparation for doctoral research.

You’ll work with the support of leading researchers of international reputation, drawing on our expertise in critical theory, research skills, and key research themes from across the School of Modern Languages and Cultures. You’ll benefit from a broad introduction to critical theories and perspectives across the European and North American intellectual traditions, as well as the opportunity to develop your research specialism in French, German, Hispanic or Italian Studies, or in comparative analysis of these cultures. We also provide research skills training, helping you to build subject-specific and transferrable skills.

Our researchers collaborate to teach the core critical modules, and we encourage interdisciplinary teaching or supervision within and outside Modern Languages through optional taught modules, Advanced Study Options, and your dissertation. Advanced Study Options enable you to pursue individual research pathways with the guidance of a tutor or tutors before undertaking your dissertation.

The skills you’ll acquire in research, critical analysis and advanced argumentation, written and oral presentation, project design, and time management will prepare you thoroughly for doctoral research and an academic research career. Equally, you’ll be well placed to pursue professional routes into sectors such as publishing, media, and non-academic research.

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Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Literary Translation at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).

We are an established centre for research into literary translation with expertise in the following languages: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Welsh. We are currently leading a project on the Visualisation of Translation Variation and are particularly interested in proposals which articulate with it. See: http://www.delightedbeauty.org/vvv/Home/Project.

Key Features of MA by Research in Literary Translation

An MA by Research in Literary Translation gives you the chance to pursue a project based around your own passions and interests in Literary Translation, leading to a qualification which can open the door to an academic career or boost employment prospects outside academia (in the private sector, the Civil Service, education, or the translation industry).

The Literary Translation research programme will give you the freedom to explore a topic of your own choosing in Literary Translation and develop a methodology under the close supervision of two experienced academics but without attending regular classes as required in taught programmes.

As a student enrolled on the MA by Research in Literary Translation, you will be supervised closely by two experienced academics in your field. Typically, you will meet them fortnightly in the first term and at regular intervals thereafter. Meetings are logged and goals agreed each time.

All research students are required to attend skills and training courses at College and Institutional level. They give presentations to other research students and staff at departmental seminars and the annual departmental postgraduate symposium in June and the College of Arts and Humanities conference in October. Advanced research students may have opportunities to teach undergraduate tutorials and seminars. You have a budget (currently £200 per year) to attend conferences outside Swansea.

MA by Research in Literary Translation degree typically lasts from one year (full-time study) to two years (part-time study).

The MA by Research in Literary Translation is ideal for those who want:

-an MA qualification in niche areas where taught programmes are not offered;

- the experience of a research degree without committing to a PhD.

Research proposals are invited on any topic in Literary Translation for which staff can provide supervision. You may analyse multiple translations of a classic text, for instance, or the consistency of the translation decisions taken by a particular translator. You may like to investigate a whole genre, such as crime fiction, or you may want to try your own hand at a piece of literary translation, explaining your strategy in a detailed theoretical commentary. It is advisable to email a member of academic staff in the appropriate area before applying (see staff web pages).

For informal enquiries regarding Literary Translation please contact Professor Julian Preece ([email protected]).

Research Interests

Staff research interests in Translation and Interpreting cover a range of themes, including:

• Literary Translation

• Theatre translation/adaptation

• Translation Theory (including non-Western)

• History of Translation

• Comparative Translation Studies

• Translation and Social Discourse

• Corpus-based Translation Analysis

• Translation and the Lexicon

• Computer-based Lexicography and Terminography

• Translation processes: psycholinguistics of translation, translation workflows

• Translation tools and technologies

• Translation visualisation

Research proposals are invited on any topic in Literary Translation for which staff can provide supervision. You may analyse multiple translations of a classic text, for instance, or the consistency of the translation decisions taken by a particular translator. You may like to investigate a whole genre, such as crime fiction, or you may want to try your own hand at a piece of literary translation, explaining your strategy in a detailed theoretical commentary. The Department benefits from extensive library holdings in print and online form. All postgraduate students have access to two computer-based language laboratories, an advanced Translation and Media computing lab, and a more specialised Translation Research facility housing the latest digitisation, corpus analysis and computer assisted translation tools.

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The PGCE course in Modern Foreign Languages prepares students to teach their main target language to pupils aged 11-18 and, where applicable, their subsidiary language to pupils aged 11-14. The emphasis is on interaction, critical reflection, high linguistic levels, imagination and hard work.

There has never been a more pressing time to teach languages and we aim to promote and extend pupils' experiences so that they are ready to be citizens of our globalised world. We want to prepare passionate linguists who will encourage more pupils into language learning and who are ready to meet the challenges set out by the Welsh Government's Global Futures strategic document.

The South West Wales Centre of Teacher Education has excellent graduate employment rates with 99% of graduates going into employment or further study (DLHE 14/15).

Course Overview

The course includes interactive seminars, lectures and workshops. These provide students with key principles, practical ideas and resources that equip them to teach modern foreign languages. 12 weeks of the course are spent in university and 24 in schools. There is an emphasis on developing subject knowledge using ICT, as well as opportunities for group work with native speakers.

During the year the students submit coursework assignments with the possibility of gaining credits towards a Master’s degree. During school placements practising teachers and tutors formally observe and assess a number of lessons. At the end of each term the students receive written reports which summarises their progress towards meeting the standards for the award of QTS.

You can choose from the following language options:
-French (UCAS course code: 2X6B)
-French and German (UCAS course code 2X67)
-French with Spanish (UCAS course code 2X6C)
-Spanish with French (UCAS course code 2X6F)

Key Features

-Induction course for foreign nationals
-Language enhancement sessions
-Field trips
-Financial incentives (training grant)
-Placements in either English or Welsh medium schools
-We are geographically well placed to serve the whole of South Wales
-Our programme is the largest provider of Secondary PGCE training in Wales
-Long established English and Welsh medium partnership schools and very experienced school /college mentors
-Excellent subject and ICT resources available for students
-Post-course CPD opportunities
-We have the best employment rate in Wales

Career Opportunities

The South West Wales Centre of Teacher Education has excellent graduate employment rates with 99% of graduates going into employment or further study (DLHE 14/15).

Many school and college departments, both locally and nationally, are staffed with several of our teachers and many of our trainees have gone on to forge successful teaching careers at strategic, professional and management levels at home and abroad.

Our PGCE graduates usually remain in close touch with us as they make their careers in the teaching profession and they often become Subject Mentors on the programme. This creates a very strong, sustainable professional network of teachers which is a rich source of continuing professional development.

Recently our PGCE Modern Foreign Language graduates have gone on to work as Secondary teachers in many independent and state schools in Wales, England and abroad including (but not limited) to: Builth Wells High School, Monmouthshire Comprehensive (Newport), Dylan Thomas Community School (Swansea), The Royal Alexandra and Albert Co-ed Boarding School (Reigate), Cymer Afan Comprehensive School (Neath Port Talbot) and Fitzalan High School (Cardiff)

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