Master in Arts Renaissance and Early Modern Studies
Entry requirementsMost applicants will have an undergraduate degree with First or Upper Second Class Honours (or the equivalent) in English or such related fields as History, Cultural Studies and Media Studies. Where a North American marking scheme is used, applicants should have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.3. Promising applicants who do not meet the formal academic criteria but who possess relevant credentials and who can demonstrate their ability to produce written work at Master’s level will also be considered. Applicants may be invited to interview or asked to submit examples of written and/or creative work. We welcome applications from mature and non-traditional students.
Academic titleMaster in Arts Renaissance and Early Modern Studies
Course descriptionMA
One year full-time, two years part-time
Programme description
The MA in Renaissance and Early Modern Studies gives you the opportunity to explore the vibrant culture that existed in Europe between 1450 and 1700. Our approach to this material is genuinely interdisciplinary: you will look at the history, religion, literature, and visual culture of the period, and be taught by experts working in the Departments of English, History, and Modern Languages. The specially designed modules examine some of the most influential figures of the Renaissance including Shakespeare, Machiavelli, Montaigne, Cervantes, and Michelangelo, and address the central issues that are informing current discussions about what constitutes the Renaissance and early modern periods. Among the topics that we investigate are: the emergence of new national identities, the nature of performance; the role played by religion, changes in ideas about the self and the body, and the impact of new technologies in printing and publishing. In cases, the aim of the programme is to generate a historical understanding of the key movements, debates, and ideas which shaped the period. Students take this programme for different reasons. Many graduates of the MA in Renaissance and Early Modern Studies have gone on to win funding for doctoral study, and some are now established academics in their own right.
Programme outline
You take three compulsory modules:
* Textual Scholarship (semesters one and two)
* The Renaissance in Context (semester one)
* Renaissance and Early Modern Studies: Research
Preparation (semester two). Training in Latin is also
available.
You will also take two optional modules (one per semester), from a list which may include:
* Public and Private Cultures in Renaissance England
* Reading Shakespeare Historically
* Understanding Religions Historically
* Urban Culture and the Book
* Transformations of the Self: Renaissance to Enlightenment
* Renaissance Bodies
* Performing Early Modern Drama
Assessment
Coursework (67 per cent)
Assessment for each module is a 4,000 word essay. The Textual scholarship modules are assessed by practical exercises and do not contribute to your overall mark.
Dissertation (33 per cent)
A dissertation of 12,000-15,000 words.