Program Overview

English Literature MA is an exciting opportunity to study local and global literatures from the Renaissance through to the present day.

The course aims to equip you for further academic study as well as employment in public and private sector research organisations.

It fosters transferable analytical, critical, organisational and research skills that are in demand in a wide variety of workplaces, industries and careers, and should prepare you to be active and engaged citizens in a time of global environmental crisis.

In the decarbonising economies of the coming decades, in Britain and the wider world, our graduates should be ready to participate in the careers and industries that will emerge to tackle the climate crisis.

Why you should study this course

• Engaging with cutting-edge critical theories and through embodied learning, you will consider the importance of literature for the regional and global concerns of the 21st century.
• You can expect to explore a range of topics including regional studies and spatiality (including the literature of the English Midlands), postcolonial literature, Shakespearean Spaces, Romantic literature, literatures of the American West and Gothic literature.
• This course emphasises real-world engagement and experiential learning. There are opportunities for field trips that encourage you to reflect on how the environment shapes the work of writers and your own work.
• You could also have the chance to conduct in-depth case studies of how literature has galvanised communities of resistance in response to environmental catastrophes.
• You will have the option to apply for a ‘professional experience’ opportunity, designed to further develop your skills and knowledge with the aim of maximising your employability prospects. See the 'What you'll study' section for more information.