Course summary
Deepen your love of literature and learn how to analyse a range of texts with our English Literature MA. Explore a range of literary periods or specialise on one of our pathways. You'll turn your passion for reading into transferable critical thinking skills. On the MA you'll conduct rigorous research and analyse literature, developing your own interpretations - perfect for preparing for a PhD or a wide range of careers. Our English Literature MA explores many literary and cultural texts across key literary periods. You'll discover new ways to approach literature by considering different theories, methods and the key intellectual debates surrounding literary movements.
- You can focus in-depth on the area of English Literature you're passionate about with our pathway options. Our current pathways are: Medieval Literature; Long Nineteenth-Century Literature; Modern and Contemporary Literature; and Popular Literature and Culture. Alternatively, you can pick modules from across these literary periods. Either way, you’d need to apply to MA English Literature and if you'd like to specialise, you'll choose the pathway when you begin the course. All students who complete the course will graduate with an MA in English Literature and your degree certificate won't refer to the pathway you choose.
- Live in a city that shares your love of literature - contribute to our student newspaper, enjoy talks from high profile authors like Michael Rosen, and attend city-wide literary festivals.
- Join postgraduate-run literary reading groups or attend talks and conferences led by academic staff in the department.
- The University of Birmingham is ranked in the top 30 for English Language and Literature (QS World University Rankings 2024).
Modules
The programme comprises 120 credits of taught modules and a 60-credit dissertation. Visit the course page on the University of Birmingham website for the most up-to-date module information.
Entry requirements
You should have an honours degree in English Literature or in a similar subject with a heavy literary element. You’ll need at least a high 2:1 (65 or above) result, or a 3.5/4.0 GPA. Prospective students with joint honours in English Literature and another similar subject, or single honours in a subject that includes substantial work in English Literature, are welcome to apply. You'll need to have a very high competence in written English and we expect you to have an extensive undergraduate exposure to literary studies in English across a broad historical range. You should also submit a sample of written work as part of the online application process. You can do this before you submit your application form or return to the application to upload your sample at a later date. The writing sample should be a piece of academic writing from your first degree on English (or Anglophone) literature. It needs to demonstrate your ability to close read and analyse primary texts (e.g. a novel, poem, or film), and to construct an argument (please note that journalism and creative writing - including poems, stories, or memoirs - are not acceptable). We can’t read more than 2,000 words of submitted written work. Please either send a sample of 2,000 words or indicate which part of a longer work you would like us to read. You must also submit a personal statement. This should be an account of your current, developed literary interests arising from your undergraduate or other literary studies and should indicate your plans to extend these as a postgraduate student of English literature.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
Provider information
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT