In the first part of the MA programme all students are required to study four modules of 30 credits each (for full-time students this means two modules per semester).

All students study the following compulsory modules:

Introduction to Literary Theory Scholarship and Research (30 credits): This module offers the opportunity to study alongside other MA students in English Literature and to share ideas about authorship the history of the book and some key contemporary perspectives on the relationship between literature and the culture in which it is produced. For writers this module offers a valuable insight into how your creative work relates to its wider context.
Material Texts & Editing (30 credits): This module explores the rich field of working with texts - from manuscripts in the early medieval centuries to screenings in the digital age. Students have the opportunity to meet for seminars in the University archives department and to work with a team of practising academics showcasing their research experience with writings from the eighth to the twenty-first century.
Student will then choose a further two modules from those on offer. In order to complete a pathway the two modules must be selected from that pathway’s list of available modules. Students following the Open pathway may choose any two modules from the full range on offer. An example of typical modules are given below:

Modules on Medieval and Early Modern Literature may include:

Manuscripts and Printed Books
Myth and the Early Modern Author
Women’s Devotional Writing
Medieval Arthur
Open Essay
Modules on Material Texts may include:

Manuscripts and Printed Books
Material Texts and Editing
Print Politics & Popular Culture
Open Essay
Modules on Revolution and Modernity 1750 to the Present may include:

Revolution Modernity: 1790-1930
Material Texts and Editing
Print Politics & Popular Culture
Open Essay
Modules on Four-Nations Literature may include:

Revolution Modernity: 1790-1930
Scottish Literature
Welsh Literature in English
Irish Literature
Open Essay
In addition to the above pathway-related modules the following modules are offered:

Open Essay
The Postgraduate Conference
It may also be possible to take one optional module from the MA in Creative Writing (if the prerequisites of creative writing experience are met) or in another Arts and Humanities subject (if the necessary academic prerequisites are met).

Part Two
Preparation of a 20 000-word dissertation on a subject of your choice researched and written under the individual supervision of a subject specialist. Those following a specified pathway will be expected to choose a subject in a relevant research area.Part Two: Preparation of a 20 000-word dissertation on a subject of your choice researched and written under the individual supervision of a subject specialist. Those following a specified pathway will be expected to choose a subject in a relevant research area.

Modules for the current academic year
Module listings are for guide purposes only and are subject to change. Find out what our students are currently studying on the English Literature Modules page.

Course content is for guidance purposes only and may be subject to change.