ObjectivesThis MA aims to enable students to develop an understanding of the literature and cultural history of the period 1860-1940. You will build a body of knowledge on modernity and modernism by conducting a high-level analysis of a range of literary texts and other cultural documents. The programme aims to promote methodologies of reading and interpretation and independent research skills which would provide the basis for progressing to a PhD.
Entry requirementsEntry requirements Normally a 2:1 degree in English or related Humanities subject from a UK university or equivalent. An IELTS score of 7 or equivalent.
Academic titleMA English: Literature, Culture and Modernity
Course descriptionGeneral programme structure
The postgraduate diploma/masters programme is designed according to a modular framework in which the student undertakes two introductory core modules:
-Modernity 1 - will provide a grounding in research skills and an introduction to current literary debates
-Modernity 2: Civilisation and its Discontents - explores key concepts and topics which are central to an exploration of writing in the period, including time and memory, commodity culture, aesthetics and gender
two further modules, which in 2008/2009 are Edwardian Writing and Culture and Literature Between the Wars, complete the taught programme
All the taught modules on the programme will be taught in the form of small group seminars to encourage the presentation, discussion and exploration of ideas. Assessment will normally be in the form of written essays and presentations for which you will be given tutorial guidance and support.
The successful completion of this part of the programme will result in the award of a PgDip, which can be converted to an MA with the addition of a 20,000-word dissertation on a topic of the student’s choice and with the support and guidance of a personal tutor.
Detailed programme structure
Full-time route
Term 1
-Modernity 1: Research Methods and Current Debates
-Modernity 2: Civilisation and its DiscontentsTerm 2 (two modules from the following):
-Edwardian writing and culture 1901-1915
-Ghosts of modernity
-The City: Metropolitan Life and Culture 1860-1940
-The Legacy of War: Fiction of the 1920s and 1930s
-Part-time route
Terms 2 and 3
Part-time students will take one module per term over two years and undertake their dissertation in the second year of the programme.
Learning and assessment
Each module will be taught predominantly in small group seminars to foster an informal yet lively and rigorous environment for critical debate. You will also be taught relevant library skills including approaches to archival research and the use of appropriate electronic resources, and effective methods of presenting your work, both orally and in written format, through the staging of a mini-conference.