Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish) (MRes)

Our MRes Comparative and Literary Cultural Studies will give you a thorough grounding in comparative literature and cultural studies in the context of modern languages. This multidisciplinary, flexible course also allows you to explore the cultures of a variety of language-speaking areas: French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Brazilian, and Spanish and Latin American. You can take a broadly comparative pathway through the degree or choose to engage with one or more specific language-speaking areas.

The course brings together a team of renowned academic experts in 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, career and personal ambitions, and language knowledge. 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 (e.g. MRes French and Spanish).

After specialist training in research skills, you will undertake a piece of independent research, culminating in a 30,000-word dissertation.

If you are interested in pursuing further research, we offer an associated MPhil/PhD Comparative Literature.

CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY

Graduates go in to careers in international organisations or businesses, translating and teaching, research and journalism. Possible professions include teacher, researcher, journalist, or translator. This degree may also be useful in becoming an academic librarian, writer, arts administrator, or advertising copywriter.

We offer a comprehensive Careers Service to help you advance your career, while our in-house, professional recruitment consultancy, Birkbeck Talent, works with London’s top employers to help you gain work experience that fits in with your evening studies.

Our standard postgraduate entry requirement is a second-class honours degree (2:2 or above) from a UK university, or an equivalent international qualification. We will review every postgraduate application to Birkbeck on its individual merits and your professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be taken into consideration positively. We actively support and encourage applications from mature learners.