English Literary Research (MA)

Entry requirements

2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in English Literature or related subject, for example literature in other languages.

If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.

Additional Requirements

As part of your application you also need to provide

• an outline of your preferred area of research (up to 500 words)
• a sample of your academic writing about literature (approximately 2,000 words

Months of entry

October

Course content

Why Lancaster?

• Develop your own scholarly, theoretical, critical, or even critical-creative writing through one-to-one supervision
• Study on campus in the University Library’s bespoke Postgraduate Study Space, or in the Castle Quarter within the University’s Postgraduate Study Hub at The Storey, the city’s Victorian-build arts venue.
• Be inspired by our rich programme of literary events on campus, online, and in the city’s historic Castle Quarter
• Enjoy the benefits of our partnership with the archive-rich Wordsworth Grasmere, including internship opportunities
• Present your work at the Department’s Masters Literary Studies Conference, usually held in the impressive surrounds of the medieval Castle.
• Get involved with our four student-run literary journals: Cake, Lux, Flash, and Errant

This degree gives you the opportunity to undertake your own independent study and so is intended for students who have a clear sense of their research interests. You will have one-to-one supervision, and will take the Department’s Master’s Research Methods Module. We require in-person attendance at these seminars, but otherwise it is entirely possible to complete this Master’s via distance learning.

Literary community

Many of our special literary events, such as talks from visiting scholars and authors, take place in the Castle Quarter, with the Department’s October Lecture and May Gathering being usually held at Lancaster’s ancient Priory. In addition, we have a unique partnership with the archive-rich Wordsworth Museum at Grasmere, which includes internships, an annual study retreat day, and free entry at any time of the year.

Department Bursaries and Prizes

Thanks to a generous endowment, the Department is able to offer:

• The Bailrigg Awards – these are awards of up to £150 and are open to any student in the Department who is suffering financial hardship endowment.

Libraries

You will have access to a rich array of libraries, archives and special collections, enabling you not only to develop as a critic or author but also, if you wish, to develop skills relating to work as an archivist, librarian, or curator. For more, see here

Supervision

Before formally applying, we would encourage that you learn more about our many areas of research interest, and get in touch us with by email. For more, see here.

Careers

This programme will enable you to develop a host of high-level professional skills from within literary studies such as independence, researching, evidencing, and communicating. Your skills will be valued by a range of sectors -- from marketing to law, social work to professional services, and business to the media.

Our extensive events programme will provide many opportunities to network and create the connections needed to progress beyond Masters.

Some of our graduates continue their studies at PhD level, and then progress to an academic career. Many others go on to careers outside the academy in fields such as:

• Publishing
• Journalism
• Copywriting
• Television and the media
• Teaching
• Archives
• Museums
• Librarianship

Information for international students

We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.

We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 7.0, and a minimum of 6.5 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications.

If your score is below our requirements, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes.

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

Fees and funding

Learn more at our fees and funding page.