MA English and American Literature

Stage 1

Advanced Research in Literary Studies

Stage 2

Dissertation:GPMS

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

• extend and deepen through coursework and research your understanding of a body of literature in English, with special emphasis on modern and postcolonial literature, and literary and critical theory
• enable you to develop a historical awareness of literary traditions
• develop your independent critical thinking and judgement
• introduce you to bibliographic methods and scholarship and foster in you the research methods that facilitate advanced literary study
• provide a basis in knowledge and skills if you intend to teach English and American literature, especially in higher education
• develop your understanding and critical appreciation of the expressive resources of language
• offer opportunities for you to develop your potential for creative writing (where such a module is taken)
• offer scope for the study of literature within an interdisciplinary context, notably that provided by history
• develop your ability to argue a point of view with clarity and cogency, both orally and in written form.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You will gain knowledge and understanding of:

• authors and texts from British, American and postcolonial literature
• the principal literary genres, fiction, poetry drama and other kinds of writing and communication
• literatures in English from countries outside Britain and America
• traditions in literary criticism
• the challenges of creative writing (where such a module is taken)
• terminology used in literary criticism
• the cultural and historical contexts in which literature is written, published and read
• critical theory and its applications
• literary criticism as a practice subject to considerable variation of approach
• inter- and multidisciplinary approaches to the advanced study of literature
• research methods.

Intellectual skills

You develop intellectual skills in:

• the application of the skills needed for advanced academic study and enquiry
• the evaluation of research findings
• the ability to synthesise information from several sources to gain a coherent understanding of theory and practice
• the ability to make discriminations and selections of relevant information from a wide source and large body of knowledge
• the exercise of problem-solving skills.

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills in:

• enhanced skills in the close critical analysis of literary texts
• informed critical understanding of the variety of critical and theoretical approaches to the study of literature
• the ability to articulate knowledge and understanding of texts, concepts and theories relating to advanced English studies
• sensitivity to generic conventions in the study of literature
• well-developed linguistic resourcefulness, including a grasp of standard critical terminology
• articulate responsiveness to literary language
• appropriate scholarly practice in the presentation of formal written work, in particular in bibliographic and annotation practices
• an understanding of how cultural norms and assumptions influence questions of judgment.

Transferable skills

You will gain the following transferable skills:

• developed powers of communication and the capacity to argue a point of view orally and in written form, with clarity, organisation and cogency
• enhanced confidence in the efficient presentation of ideas designed to stimulate critical debate
• developed critical acumen
• the ability to assimilate and organise substantial quantities of complex information
• competence in the planning and execution of essays and project work
• enhanced skills in creative writing (where the relevant module has been taken)
• the capacity for independent thought reasoned judgement, and self-criticism
• enhanced skills in collaborative intellectual work
• the ability to understand, interrogate and apply a variety of theoretical positions and weigh the importance of alternative perspectives
• research skills, including scholarly information retrieval skills
• IT skills: word-processing, the ability to access electronic data.

Many career paths can benefit from the writing and analytical skills that you develop as a postgraduate student in the School of English. Our students have gone on to work in academia, journalism, broadcasting and media, publishing, writing and teaching; as well as more general areas such as banking, marketing analysis and project management.

How you'll study

Teaching and assessment

Assessment is by a 5000-word essay for each module and a 15,000-word dissertation.