MA Literary Studies

This unique and intellectually rigorous Masters programme gives you the opportunity to develop the study of literature from a variety of perspectives through a number of flexible pathways.

Your chosen pathway through this programme will ground and further your knowledge in a particular area of literary studies (see below), but you will also have the opportunity to study other areas related to other pathways – bringing different literatures and approaches into exciting, original and productive dialogues with each other.

The pathways you can take are:

• Pathway in American Literature & Culture
• Pathway in Comparative Literature & Criticism
• Pathway in Literature of the Caribbean & its Diasporas
• Pathway in Critical Theory
• Pathway in Modern and Contemporary Literature
• Pathway in Romantic & Victorian Literature & Culture

These enable you to combine theoretical angles with the close reading of a wide range of texts, from different media (literary, filmic, visual), periods, and cultural, geographic and linguistic backgrounds – though all texts will be studied in English, in English translation, or with English subtitles.

Skills

You'll develop transferable skills, including:

• enhanced communication and discussion skills in written and oral contexts
• the ability to analyse and evaluate different textual materials
• the ability to organise information; the ability to assimilate and evaluate competing arguments

Careers

Graduates of this programme have gone on to pursue careers in:

• publishing
• journalism
• public relations
• teaching
• advertising
• the civil service
• business
• industry
• the media

Students should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least upper second class standard in a relevant/related subject. Students might also be considered for some programmes if they aren’t a graduate or their degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that students have the ability to work at postgraduate level.