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

About this degree

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 and modern language studies more widely, such as text and theory, text and image, historiography, 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 cross-language module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits), and a dissertation (60 credits). Research: one core cross-language 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; recent modules available have included Trauma, Visual Culture, Comedy, Que(e)rying 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 words for the research pathway.

Teaching and learning

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

Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Language, Culture and History: French and Francophone Studies MA

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.

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.

Research Excellence Framework (REF)

The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.

The following REF score was awarded to the department: School of European Languages, Culture & Society

74% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)

Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.

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Studying our French Literature & Culture MA means joining a lively and welcoming French department and dipping into London’s unparalleled cultural and intellectual life, including its collections of French art and its French film festival, plus other connected events. The course offers research methodology and critical theory as a core component, with a wide choice of options ranging from Medieval Occitan to Contemporary French Women’s Writing. 

Leads to careers in universities, the media, arts, teaching, journalism and many other sectors.

Key benefits

• Unique range of modules across all periods of French and Francophone literature.
• Staff in the French department pride themselves on taking a close interest in graduate students, and on offering teaching, often in small groups, that draws on the breadth and depth of their research expertise and enthusiasm.
• Modules taught by established specialists in a department with a lively postgraduate culture.
• Particular strengths in literary and critical theory and in literary studies of all periods, from medieval French and Occitan literature to the present.
• Located in the heart of London.

Description

This French Literature & Culture MA centres on a module in literary and critical theory. Our optional modules, which reflect the research interests and expertise of our staff, range from the Middle Ages to the present day, including modern French thought and Francophone literature. This gives the course a unique depth and range and offers you the opportunity to explore a variety of interests. You will also have the opportunity to take our innovative modules in advanced French language studies (subject to availability) as well as modules from other courses to provide a rich and diverse course, tailored to your own interests and needs. If you are looking to further your knowledge of French literature and culture and/or to prepare for research, this course is ideally suited for you.

Course purpose

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

Course format and assessment

Teaching

If you are a full-time student, we will provide six hours of teaching each week through lectures and seminars. We will expect you to undertake 34 hours of independent study.

If you are a part-time student, we will provide two to four hours of teaching each week through lectures and seminars, and we will expect you to undertake 16 to 18 hours of independent study.

For your dissertation we will organise a workshop and provide you with four hours of supervision.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment

We will assess you through a mixture of coursework and occasionally exams. Your coursework will normally consist of a 5,000-word essay per module (two for the required module Research Methodology). We will assess your dissertation module through an oral presentation and a 12,000-word essay.

Regulating body

King’s College London is regulated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

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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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This course will prepare you to teach French across the 11-16 or 11-18 age range. It is a 10 month course which allows graduates to train to teach, gain a postgraduate qualification and qualified teaching status (QTS).

The course combines master's level academic study of key language learning theories and methods with a range of practical experiences. Approximately two-thirds of the course is spent in our partnership schools and colleges developing practical teaching skills with the support of trained mentors and experienced modern language teachers.

The University teaching team has an international reputation for research, teaching and publications in education. We are dedicated to developing your expertise and we believe passionately in the benefits of creative, motivating and engaging language lessons in order to create the next generation of life-long language speakers. Our sessions are all interactive and good pedagogy is modelled by skilled and highly motivated tutors and guest speakers. Your University tutors combine experience as outstanding teachers with academic knowledge of innovative, current and relevant educational research.

We have strong partnerships with schools and colleges, many of which are involved in research projects with the University. We work with a large variety of schools, comprehensives, grammar schools, special schools and sixth form colleges, allowing us to personalise your placement experiences to your individual needs. University tutors and school-based mentors will support and challenge you to help you achieve your potential.

What our students say:

The PGCE at The University of Manchester balances just the right amount of University-based training with a great deal of school-based teaching practice. The many opportunities to put the theory into practice, coupled with the high level of support from the University and partner schools led to the PGCE being an enjoyable and challenging year which has prepared me well for my first year of teaching.

For more details on interviews, please visit our PGCE website .

Aims

The academic elements of the course enable trainees to research, observe and reflect on key aspects of education practice including teaching, learning and pedagogy. You will be required to complete master's level assignments on teaching, learning and assessment, and your language skills. The course will also encourage you to pursue your own specific interests in your teaching practice.

The course will:

• Equip you with the professional skills and knowledge required to become an outstanding teacher.
• Enable you to develop your own preferred teaching styles by demonstrating, and encouraging you to try out, a wide variety of teaching styles.
• Encourage you to develop your skill as a teacher through reflective practice.
• Give you a sound understanding of the development of modern language methodology and current issues.
• Enable you to use and produce teaching resources.
• Ensure that your teaching takes account of individual pupils' perspectives and learning styles.
• Ensure that your planning and teaching maximise the progress of all pupils in your classroom.
• Encourage you to make maximum use of the knowledge and experience that you already have.
• Encourage you to openly share your ideas and experiences.
• Demonstrate that teaching and learning are reciprocal processes, and that the best teachers are those who are lifelong learners.

Special features

• Top university to study a PGCE in the North of England (Good Teacher Training Guide 2017).
• Rated as 'outstanding' by Ofsted.
• Extensive classroom experience supported by experienced modern language tutors and mentors.
• 92% of our graduates in a teaching post within six months of completing the course - consistently better than the North West average (The University of Manchester 2013-2016).

Teaching and learning

The structure of our PGCEs includes both school-based and University-based learning. On our secondary PGCEs, around two thirds of your time will be spent in secondary schools, academies or colleges on placements. You will also need to undertake self-directed study in the evenings and weekends, such as background reading, creating lesson plans and completing written assignments.

The course includes a wide range of teaching methods, including: seminars; group discussion; practical workshops; lectures; and presentations. You will be an active participant in your own development as you make the transition from subject expert to excellent modern language teacher.

Coursework and assessment

School and University-based experiences are formally assessed and your school/college mentors and University tutors will help you to record your achievements and to set targets.

During each placement, a University tutor will observe your teaching and at the end of each placement you will receive a report from your mentor. The report will grade you in the following areas: teaching; planning, differentiation and assessment; learning environment; and wider professional responsibilities. The grades are awarded by your mentor in conjunction your University tutor. These reports, together with your record of achievement and development, facilitate your progression as a trainee teacher and on an ongoing basis as a newly qualified teacher.

You are also required to complete a number of written assignments which allow you to gain 60 master's level credits. Modules include: Teaching, Learning and Assessment; a School/College-based Enquiry (with supporting literature review); and a Reflection of Professional Practice. On-going guidance and support to complete these assignments will be available from your University tutors.

Scholarships and bursaries

Generous, tax-free funding is available to the best graduates training in a range of subjects. You could get a £26,000 bursary or be awarded a prestigious scholarship - which provides additional support and benefits throughout your training year.

Information about additional funding options for September 2018 can be found on the Department for Education website

Home/EU students may be eligible for a repayable tuition fee loan. Home students in England may also be eligible for a repayable student maintenance loan. The loans support available to PGCE students is similar to what is available for undergraduate students and information about government financial support for undergraduate students is available here . 

If you have graduated in the last three years from The University of Manchester with a 1st class honours degree, you may also be eligible for our Alumni Scholarship .

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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 MLitt in French Studies is a one-year taught programme run by the Department of French in the School of Modern Languages. The programme concentrates on the research-led study of major conflicts and continuities in the cultural, literary or intellectual history of French-speaking lands.

Highlights

• Students receive training in traditional and new research techniques and have the opportunity to broaden their language portfolios.
• Small class sizes of no more than 20 students provide a close-knit postgraduate community and friendly environment. 
• Teaching is geared towards encouraging and directing independent research. 

Teaching format

The taught portion of the course consists of five compulsory modules involving literary theory, research skills, and French literature and culture. Classes are delivered through a mixture of lectures, seminars and fortnightly tutorials, with class sizes ranging from individual one-to-one teaching up to 20 students. Modules are assessed through coursework; there are no final exams for this programme.

You will spend the summer months focusing on researching and writing a final dissertation of no more than 15,000 words.

Further particulars regarding curriculum development.

Modules

The modules in this programme have varying methods of delivery and assessment. For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue which is for the 2017–2018 academic year; some elements may be subject to change for 2018 entry.

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This programme allows you to explore the cultures of the variety of language-speaking areas in which we specialise - French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Brazilian Studies and Spanish and Latin American Studies - and it also gives you a thorough grounding in comparative literature and cultural studies in the context of modern languages. You can choose whether you want your focus to be broadly comparative or whether you wish to engage with one or more specific language-speaking areas.

The programme brings together the specialisms of our teaching team who are experts in a variety of different areas: cultural studies, visual studies, linguistics, comparative literature and cultures, history and thought. We will help you steer a pathway through the programme that reflects your specific interests and knowledge of the languages of those areas on which we focus. You will be able to choose whether you study texts in the original language(s) or in English translation; if you work in the original language(s) this will be reflected in the final degree title.

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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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Over the centuries French writers, philosophers and artists have shaped our ideas of freedom, citizenship and the good life, challenged our views of society, identity and cultural memory, and blazed trails of artistic expression in painting, cinema and literature. This is reflected in the interdisciplinary scope of our French studies, making Royal Holloway an ideal place to study for a postgraduate degree in French. 

This degree enables you to independently explore your area of interest in real depth, it can also provide you with the chance to test or try out an area of study in preparation for doctoral study. Whilst you will be working independently, you won’t be alone, you will receive specialist one-to-one tuition throughout your degree. You will work closely with your specialist supervisor, or supervisors, to develop a clearly defined research topic and complete a 30,000-40,000 word dissertation.

You will be part of our research-led environment in which academic staff are working at the frontiers of their subjects. The breadth of our teaching and research expertise means that we are able to provide the latest thinking, expert support and intellectual challenges. Our cutting-edge work ranges from the medieval to the 21st century and spans literature, cinema, thought and the visual arts. Current research in French is concerned with subjects such as the representation of the body, consumerism, disability, food, the Holocaust and globalisation. Other focal points for our work include cultural memory and marginality, gender and spectatorship, philosophy and ethics, the postcolonial and the transnational, and critical theory and post-theory. Our academics would be pleased to hear from anyone interested in postgraduate research in their areas of expertise.

In addition to your dissertation you will undertake a taught course designed to equip you with an array of theoretical and historical approaches to the study of literature, art and culture. This will enable you to articulate, refine and persistently test your own approach to your chosen topic within this broader theoretical and methodological framework. You will also have access to skills training and enjoy the additional support of a dedicated Research Advisor.

• Outstanding research profile: top 10 UK Modern Languages department for research quality and top in London(Research Assessment Exercise 2014).
• Strong collaborations with worldwide organisations; we generate original research that is of national and international importance fuelled by a global network of collaboration.
• Numerous opportunities for intellectual discussion includeour regular research forum which meets to discuss papers by research students and staff, research seminars and lectures delivered by staff and visiting scholars, and an annual Postgraduate Colloquium where research students present papers to renowned keynote speakers and visiting scholars. 
• A close-knit international community based in our beautiful historic campus, and within easy reach of London, France’s sixth biggest city’, with not only its wealth of French cultural resources but all of the of the libraries, talks and facilities that London has to offer.

Course structure

• Theories of Literature and Visual Culture
• Dissertation

Teaching & 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.

Your future career

On graduation you will have a proven ability to undertake focused research, improved your written and oral presentation skills, and honed skills in critical analysis. In addition, you will have an understanding and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights in literature, film, cultural studies or the visual arts. All of the these skills will be appealing to employers and enable you to pursue your chosen career. Alternatively, you will also be in a strong position to continue onto doctoral study, having demonstrated that you have the self direction, originality and initiative required.

In recent years a number of our Modern Languages, Literature and Culture postgraduates have gone on to successful academic careers both in Britain and internationally in the fields of modern languages, critical theory and film. 

Postgraduates have also embarked upon many interesting and successful careers outside academia – in the UK, continental Europe and the United States – including journalism at The Independent, work for NGOs, trade sales, publishing, professional translating, teaching, opera direction, museum curatorship, creative arts, and librarianship.

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