Program Overview

MA English Literature

About this course

MA English Literature at LJMU offers you the opportunity to pursue advanced study, at the leading edges of the subject, within a vibrant community of scholars.

• Embark on this interdisciplinary MA that studies literature in its diverse forms as a way of exploring complex questions about what it means to be human
• Enjoy a thematic approach to study, based around ideas of place, mobility, bodies and objects
• Explore an eclectic range of texts, periods, theories and genres within these broad themes
• Join a supportive research culture and work alongside emerging and established scholars at the cutting-edge of their subject
• Benefit from a valuable foundation for progression to doctoral research and many other careers in the cultural and heritage industries

The course explores the deeper potential of that most eclectic and interdisciplinary of subjects and extends your reading and research into exciting new areas. You will master skills of research, analysis, argument and writing that are both a vital preparation for doctoral research and highly valued by employers.

The MA English Literature is designed to help you think critically about the role of literature in history and explore some of the new directions scholars in English are taking.

Course modules

Core modules

• Research Methods for English Studies (30 credits)
  • This module introduces and develops research skills for students in English Studies. It is intended to guide them as they undertake postgraduate level study, helping them to develop high-level skills in recognising and evaluating research methods and reflecting on and developing their own research and academic writing skills.
• Mobilities (30 credits)
  • Students studying on this module will demonstrate and apply detailed and informed knowledge and understanding of theoretical and critical concepts in mobility studies, transnationalism, diaspora studies and the global humanities through verbal and visual forms.
• Dissertation (60 credits)
  • The dissertation assesses your ability to present, in scholarly form, a sustained piece of research which demonstrates knowledge and understanding of a relevant field, methodologies and critical context, organises material into a clear and relevant argument, and shows the ability to work independently.
• Place (30 credits)
  • Students will be introduced to advanced aesthetic, theoretical, and conceptual approaches to the study of a range of permutations of place. These may include: homes, housing and the country house; the country and the city; urban, suburban, and peri-urban places; the landscape of the everyday; littoral landscapes; the relations of the local, national and the global.

Optional modules

• Public Culture and Collaborative Practice (30 credits)
  • Students are supported in finding experience in an institution or sector which interests them as a possible future career. Support is offered from the ML, Student Futures, and Placement Support teams. Representatives from collaborating cultural partners will be involved in facilitating access to resources and expertise within their organisations and will include the possibility of experience on LJMU-affiliated research and archival projects.
• Bodies and Objects: Materiality and Literary Studies (30 credits)
  • On objects, the module introduces students to object-orientated ontologies and the social biography of things. The material turn in literary studies has led to a renewed interest in objects in daily life and their significance in works of literature of different period. The module will also explore theories of subject and object relations. On bodies, the module deploys a variety of theoretical perspectives, from gender theory to the medical humanities, to trace the literary history of the body, and to analyse sexuality, race, and class at a corporeal level.

Your Learning Experience

• Teaching: The English Literature programme at LJMU benefits from expertise in a wide variety of research areas: early modern cultures, romanticism, nineteenth-century print cultures, contemporary literature and culture, national literatures (especially Irish, Scottish and American) and postcolonial and world literatures.
• Assessment: Assessments have been designed to develop a creative engagement with different material and confirm your confidence in the discipline. There will be a variety of assessments spread across modules, including in-class presentations, posters, online contributions, critical reflections and portfolios. The most common piece of assessment will be the extended essay, allowing you to develop advanced techniques of reading, research, writing and presentation.

Career paths

• Further your career prospects: LJMU has an excellent employability record with 94% (HESA 2022) of our postgraduates in work or further study fifteen months after graduation. Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.
• The MA English Literature will enhance your prospects in a wide variety of careers, such as teaching, freelance writing, research, academia, print journalism and the creative and heritage industries.

Tuition fees and funding

• Home: £8,390
• International: £17,750
• Fees: The fees quoted above cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as library membership and student IT support with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources including programme-appropriate software and on campus wifi.
• Financial Support: There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you’ll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages.

Entry requirements

• Home: 2:1 or above in Literature, Cultural History, or a related subject
• International: IELTS English language requirement: 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each component)
• Alternative qualifications considered: Applications are welcomed from highly motivated, non-standard entry students with relevant experience, but without the necessary formal qualifications
• RPL is accepted on this programme

How to apply

• To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU online application form. You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.