Program Overview

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MA English Literature by Research

Course Overview

Our English Literature degrees are taught in small tutorial groups by experienced academics with international research profiles.

Start and Duration

• Sep, 1 year
• Sep, 2 years
• Jan, 1 year
• Jan, 2 years

Level and Qualification

• Research
• Master of Arts by Research

UK and International Fees

• UK: £8,267 (full-time), from £4,134 per year (part-time)
• International: £14,500 (full-time), from £7,250 per year (part-time)

Campus and School

• Buckingham
• School of Humanities and Social Sciences

About the Course

Course Outline

The MA in English Literature by research is taught through seminars, group sessions, and personalised one-to-one teaching with a first and second supervisor. A postgraduate reading group, and seminars led by staff and guest speakers, gradually develop the insights needed to complete your research project.

There are four parts to the qualification:

• a research proposal
• a bibliography
• a short essay
• a longer Dissertation

There are no exams.

This is an opportunity to work closely on a writer or topic that fascinates you, within a supportive environment. You can undertake research in most literary topics within the period 1550 to the present day. You start by developing the Project Preliminaries with your supervisors: the research proposal, bibliography, and essay. Then you progress to the full Dissertation (25,000-30,000 words), written under the guidance of your supervisors.

The MA commences in September or January each year, on a full- or part-time basis. The MA takes one year full-time, two years part-time.

For the MA, full-time attendance on campus is not required, but overseas students in particular, or home students wishing to use libraries intensively, may apply for a room in University accommodation. Alternately, you can travel in for the teaching days, usually Wednesdays during term. The one-to-one sessions with your supervisors can be arranged for any day of the week.

Application Process

Please fill in the application form, giving as much detail as possible. In the “Personal Statement” section, give an outline of your ideas so far for your research project (300-500 words). This could include:

• the general area (e.g. “I am interested in the general area of Modernist writing and in particular the work of T. S. Eliot. I propose to consider in depth … ̕”
• your method or approach to study (e.g. “I intend to work with the new edition of T. S. Eliot’s work by Christopher Ricks, to consider how it changes our understanding of …”; “I want to consider the way gender-based approaches to Eliot’s work…” )
• a short bibliography of relevant works.

At this stage, we do not expect a fully-formed view of the project, rather an indication of the area you are interested in. If you would like to discuss your research ideas before applying, please e-mail: Dr Peter Sloane: peter.sloane@buckingham.ac.uk

For other queries about the MA, contact the Admissions Office on +44 (0)1280 820227 or admissions@buckingham.ac.uk

Recent Projects

• The treatment of the family in the novels of Elizabeth Bowen
• C. S. Lewis, scholar and writer
• form and vision in the works of Jeanette Winterson
• the staging of evil in
• Enlightenment feminism in the novels of the Brontës
• the supernatural in the novels of Joseph Conrad
• form and experiment in Modernist narratives.

Entry Requirements

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry level required for this course is as follows:

• a first or second-class honours degree from a recognised university or,
• a recognised professional qualification with relevant work experience

Mature Students

Age is no barrier to learning and we welcome all applications from suitably qualified students. Due to their flexibility, our MAs by research attract a wide variety of applicants from a range of backgrounds, including people in full-time employment and retirees. Our current students range in age from 21 to 75.

International Students

We are happy to consider all international applications and if you are an international student, you may find it useful to visit our international pages for details of entry requirements from your home country.

The University is a UKVI Student Sponsor.

English Levels

If English is not your first language, please check our postgraduate English language requirements. If your English levels don’t meet our minimum requirements, you may be interested in applying for our Pre-sessional English Language Foundation Programmes.

Teaching & Assessment

Quality Teaching

We offer high-quality, traditional Oxbridge-style teaching, which leads to our degrees being recognised around the world. The standards of degrees and awards are safeguarded by distinguished external examiners – senior academic staff from other universities in the UK – who approve and moderate assessed work.

Teaching Methods

At the heart of the MA is the close working relationship between candidate and supervisor. While the final thesis must be the candidate’s independent work, it is the supervisor who offers advice on refining the topic (if necessary), on primary sources, on secondary reading, on research techniques and on writing the final thesis. Supervisors and candidates meet frequently throughout the year, and not less than twice a term; and the supervisor is always the candidate’s primary contact for academic advice and support.

Those with limited time may prefer to spread the writing of their dissertation over two years, in which case an individual timetable of lectures and supervisions will be arranged.

After Your Course

Graduate Employment

Our graduates have gone on to further study at most of the world’s leading universities, including Harvard, London, Oxford and Cambridge and secured jobs in senior positions around the world. Among our alumni, we have a graduate who became the head of his country’s civil service and one who became a leading Formula One motor-racing driver. Another secured a position as the Minister of Sabah and one female law graduate became the first British lawyer to become a French Advocate.

Course Fees

The fees for this course are:

Start	Type	First Year	Total Cost
Sep 2025	Full-time (1 Year)	£8,267	£8,267
Sep 2025	Part-time (2 Years)	£4,134	£8,267
Jan 2026	Full-time (1 Year)	£8,267	£8,267
Jan 2026	Part-time (2 Years)	£4,134	£8,267

The University reserves the right to increase course fees annually in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI). If the University intends to increase your course fees, it will notify you via email of this as soon as reasonably practicable.

Course fees do not include additional costs such as books, equipment, writing up fees and other ancillary charges. Where applicable, these additional costs will be made clear.

Scholarships and Bursaries

We have bursaries and scholarships available for both home and international students at undergraduate and postgraduate level, and these are awarded based on location, merit or financial need.

Funded scholarships and bursaries may be awarded across all schools of study, and represent a partial remission from tuition fees. Bursaries are means-tested and are intended for those who need a contribution towards their fees in order to study at Buckingham.

Students applying for this course may be eligible for the following:

UK Students

• Postgraduate First-Class Scholarship
• Royal Charter 40th Anniversary Scholarship

International Students

• Postgraduate First-Class Scholarship
• Royal Charter 40th Anniversary Scholarship
• Sheikh / Mubarak Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah Scholarship (Postgraduate)