Program Overview

The English MA offers the best of both taught and research-focused postgraduate courses, enabling you to concentrate on your chosen assessments and individual interests while training you in the practical skills involved in humanities research. You will graduate equipped with the skills to pursue a wide variety of careers, from publishing to event management, teaching, research, or progression onto a Ph.D.

The flexible course structure will enable you to explore your independent research goals while working collaboratively with others in similar fields across English studies and the Humanities. Past projects have often evolved into Ph.D. projects, exploring topics such as African-Americans in fiction and film, the role of screenwriting in film adaptations and representations of the nine worthies in medieval and early modern writing. The choice and freedom to develop your own specialisms will help you to produce your best possible work and the curriculum is designed for you to build on your skills from one module to the next. This course is ideal for students who are self-motivated, with good time management and the ability to work independently, as these skills will be developed throughout.

You will examine a range of methods of research and investigate how approaches (e.g. feminist, Marxist, editorial, and adaptation) can be applied to literary texts. This will culminate in the designing of your own research project and the production of a sustained piece of writing.

The course also covers the practical skills involved in humanities research, ranging from first-hand experience of conference management, presenting work and writing for publication. You will be encouraged to participate in the DMU research community through research events, international conferences and networking with the Centre for Adaptations and the Centre for Textual Studies.

Key features

• Receive expert teaching and supervision for your dissertation from our specialist academics with expertise ranging from medieval manuscripts to postmodernism.
• Benefit from collaborative teaching and individual learning experiences and receive personalised feedback to reach your independent research goals.
• You will have access to DMU’s extensive and specialised archives, such as the Andrew Davies archive of scripts, correspondence and unperformed screenplays, as well as archives further afield at the British Library or British Film Institute in London.
• Practical training in presenting work, writing for publication, research and organising a conference will give you real-world skills for a career in teaching, publishing, research, or event management.
• The focus on individual research provides ideal preparation for progression to Ph.D.
• Take part in major research events to enhance your learning through the Centre for Adaptations and Centre for Textual Studies, as well as international conferences where you can meet researchers from all over the world.