MA in English Language and Literary Studies

The MA in English Language and Literary Studies is ideal for you if you would like to combine your studies of English Language with the study of literature and literary theory. This MA is taught jointly by the Department of Linguistics and English Language and the Department of English and Creative Writing, allowing a great deal of flexibility to follow your own interests.

The scheme consists of six credit-bearing modules of coursework, of which at least two must be from each department, at least one research methods course and a dissertation  Support for your studies is provided by the non-credit Postgraduate Academic Study Skills module, which runs in terms 1, 2 and 3.

 

Aims

The programme seeks to provide extensive and up-to-date knowledge and understanding of:

  • some of the most central areas of English language study, including particularly its uses and functions in different literary genres and its role in the social world (especially in relation to issues of gender, class and power)
  • some of the main theoretical approaches to the study of English language and of discourse more generally
  • some of the main developments in different periods of English literature
  • some of the main developments in current literary theory
  • the most relevant research methodologies for the investigation of English language and literature.

Structure

The MA in English Language and Literary Studies consists of six credit-bearing modules of coursework, of which at least two must be from each department, at least one research methods course and a dissertation.  Support for your studies is provided by the non-credit Postgraduate Academic Study Skills module, which runs in terms 1, 2 and 3.

English Language modules:

  • Bilingualism
  • Corpus Linguistics
  • Critical Discourse Analysis
  • English Grammar
  • Gender and Language
  • Introduction to Discourse Studies
  • Investigating Spoken English
  • Language, Literacies and Digital Communication
  • Learning and Teaching in Digitally Mediated Spaces
  • Pragmatics
  • Sociolinguistics
  • Stylistics

Literary studies modules:

See http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/english/postgrad/english/ma_pathways.htm

 

Key Facts

Director of Studies: Julia Gillen

Programme length: full-time (12 months), part-time (24 months)

Audience: This MA is aimed at students interested in interdisciplinary frameworks for the investigation of the interface between English language and English and American literature of various historical periods.

Entry requirements:

  • Academic: at least upper second class degree (or equivalent) in relevant specialisms
  • English language level (for applicants whose native language is not English): minimum IELTS 6.5 (with at least 6.0 in Reading and Writing) / paper-based TOEFL 580 / CBT 237 / or equivalent

Assessment: Coursework and dissertation

Deadline for applications: 30th June

Enquiries: Marjorie Wood

Employment prospects

We have recently broadened the scope of this programme so that it equips you for work in teaching and publishing, and also lays the foundation for further studies at PhD level.

What our Students Say

Gozde Ersoy , 2009-10 (Turkey)

<h3>Gozde Ersoy , 2009-10 (Turkey) </h3>My programme was called MA in English Language and Contemporary Literary Studies (now MA in English Language and Literary Studies) which was a joint degree by the department of Linguistics and English Language and English and Creative Writing. It has been very rewarding for me because above all it gave me the chance to look at things from different perspectives. Each seminar course was like a new adventure and discovery, professors were giving the course syllabus and reading lists from the first week and posting additional essential readings on LUVLE site days before seminar hours and this was encouraging and showing helpful direction to us for our independent researches. One of the things I enjoyed a lot was the opportunity to receive course modules with other MA programme students; personally I had friends from Language Studies, TESOL, TEFL, Creative Writing, Contemporary Literary Studies, Cultural Studies and Media Studies programme and we were all sharing the same atmosphere for learning the common areas of interest which obviously provided lively seminar hours to discuss the topics. I enrolled a MA programme in English Language and Literary Studies but with the 'auditing' system which gives a student the chance to receive a module from another programme; I could also build upon my English Language Teaching skills with TESOL and TEFL students.