Modern Languages and Cultures

Deepen your critical understanding of how language, identity, culture and place intersect in an increasingly interconnected and complex world.

This MA helps you develop a deeper understanding of modern languages and their dynamic cultural contexts. It provides a solid foundation in cultural studies.

It combines study into your specific language area of interest with a cross-cultural approach: we look within and across linguistics and national borders. The course will guide your research on current topics and ideas, and help you understand their application in cross-cultural contexts.

Key concepts of the course are: intersectionality, power, race, ideology and gender in Western and non-Western cultures, including Francophone and Lusophone Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. You'll examine case studies from different disciplines, such as multilingualism and environmental studies, as well as literature, linguistics, cultural studies, history, visual and film studies, politics, society, migration studies, postcolonial, decolonial and neocolonial studies, and gender studies.

The flexibility of the programme allows you to focus on a single area of study (for example French Studies, Spanish and Latin America Studies, Germanic Studies) particularly in your own research projects. You can also take an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approach.

The course is ideal if you have a background in Modern Languages but it is not a requirement as the course is taught in English. Our study materials are available in multiple languages.

This MA is designed to prepare you for a career in the arts and cultural sectors and beyond, as well as doctoral study. You’ll build knowledge in your chosen specialist field through your choice of modules and dissertation topic, which could be the foundation for a PhD project. We’ll provide guidance on how to construct a research proposal and apply for scholarship funding, as well as support you towards other careers in the cultural sector.

Please see our University website for the most up-to-date course information: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/courses