ObjectivesThis programme explores modern Scottish literature, focusing on the specific contribution of Scottish writing to 'cultural modernity'. We focus on writing from Robert Burns, Walter Scott and James Hogg, through Victorian and late 19th-century writers (Galt, Buchan, Stevenson) to the modernist experiments of Hugh MacDiarmid and his followers, and on to provocative twentieth-century experiments in language, textuality and historical re-telling (Welsh, Galloway, Kelman, Spark, Gray, Saadi, Robertson). No previous experience in studying Scottish literature is required. Leading Scottish writers and critics feature prominently in assigned reading, as do theorists of cultural modernity such as Michel Foucault, Jürgen Habermas and Fredric Jameson.
Entry requirementsEntrance Requirements An upper second class or better Single or Combined Honours degree in a relevant subject or subjects from a UK university or an equivalent qualification. Applicants with other qualifications or other appropriate experience may be admitted on the recommendation of the Programme Director.
Academic titleModern Scottish Writing (MLitt)
Course descriptionStructure and Content
The teaching year at Stirling is divided into two semesters, which run from mid-September to Christmas, and from mid-February to the end of May. Both full-time and part-time students take a core module in Modern Scottish Writing over two semesters. For part-time students this is in Year One.
The first semester provides a thematic and historical overview of the programme (doubling as a survey course in modern Scottish literature); the second semester challenges cultural historicism by proposing connections between Romantic and Modernist writing, in relation to themes of authenticity, representation and democracy.
In parallel with the core module, other modules allow you to develop a more specialised knowledge of specific texts and issues. You will take one of these modules each semester. If you are on the part-time programme you will take the two optional modules in Year Two. These modules vary depending on teaching staff, and include: Enlightenment Scotland and the Historical Novel: An examination of the ‘invention’ and development of the historical novel in Scotland, and the powerful influence of this genre in the structuring of cultural memory. Language and Scottish Poetry: An exploration of a series of paradoxes surrounding orality, tradition and cultural identity in modern Scottish poetry. Writing Difference: Scottish Women and Tradition: A study of the place and function of women’s writing in the formation of a national canon. Comparative Approaches to Vernacular Texts: An exploration of vernacular, non-standard and ‘foreign’ English writing in relation to Scottish, American, and postcolonial cultures.
Research Methods
All MLitt postgraduates share a regular Research Methods core module. Part-time students take this in Year Two. This seminar offers insights into the different approaches, problems and solutions to be met with in advanced literary study. It is designed to provide the research skills requisite for the dissertation, and beyond that, for advanced postgraduate study. It is also a forum for you to meet with other students, exchange views and share experiences.
Dissertation
The most significant piece of work on the programme will be a dissertation of 15,000 words, written during the summer, on a subject of your choosing in consultation with a member of the Department. You may choose to develop work initiated on one of the modules you have studied. Those who do not embark on the dissertation may be awarded a Diploma. The work of the best students completing the programme may be deemed worthy of an MLitt with Distinction.
Delivery and Assessment
Methods of assessment for each of the non-core modules will vary but will often consist of a single essay. Teaching will take the form of regular tutorials in small groups. Though all the modules will offer close and careful supervision, participants are expected to take proper responsibility for their own studies. The aim in all cases is to foster student-led learning in expert, stimulating and congenial company.
Career Opportunities
Completing a Master’s degree as a prelude to further academic research is an increasingly common pattern of study for young scholars, and is a route encouraged by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Advanced education in the Arts, the practical experience of research and the production of a dissertation are significant transferable skills for many careers in business and the professions.