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Modern Literature and Culture (1900-present) at Birkbeck, University of London - UCAS

Course options

2025 - 2026
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

Our MA Modern Literature and Culture (1900-present) has been designed to offer you a set of sophisticated cultural and critical frameworks to read literature across a range of different themes, from 1900 to the present day. It gives you the opportunity to build the skills and knowledge you need to produce your own original and informed cultural critique. This modern literature and culture degree explores literature from an exciting variety of perspectives. You will begin by focusing on literature and culture from c.1900 to 1945, examining key concepts of modernism and modernity, ranging through literary texts and a variety of different cultural forms and theories. You will then gain knowledge and insights into literature and culture from 1945 to the present day so that you are exposed to a full background of cultural study on this period. Teachers on this course have a wide range of specialisms and they will explore with you the many critical angles through which we read, interpret and interrogate our concept of what it means to be modern and contemporary. Highlights

  • Birkbeck was ranked 2nd in the UK for its English Language and Literature research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
  • Birkbeck is at the geographical centre of London’s research library complex, a short distance from the British Library, Senate House Library and the Institute of Historical Research. Senate House Library has an outstanding collection of literary periodicals of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, while the nearby University College London Library also has an important James Joyce archive. The Poetry Library at London’s South Bank Centre is rich in twentieth-century poetry. We are also at the heart of literary London, in Bloomsbury, WC1. You could be studying in a building that was once home to Virginia Woolf and frequented by members of the Bloomsbury Group. The building houses our own creative hub which includes the Peltz Gallery, the Gordon Square Cinema and a theatre and performance space.
  • Birkbeck hosts the internationally acclaimed Contemporary Poetics Research Centre, which regularly features visiting poetic practitioners. There will also be opportunities to join a number of graduate seminars and reading groups, and occasional discussions with practising novelists and poets. The Centre for Contemporary Literature runs a wide variety of talks and conferences.
  • We offer a number of bursaries for postgraduate students.
Careers and employability Our graduates are trained to be effective researchers with good communication skills and an ability to critically assess a wide range of textual and other cultural materials. You will find graduates of this MA following career paths in:
  • journalism
  • professional writing
  • arts administration or research
  • civil service
  • law and business professions
  • publishing roles
  • teaching in schools or as lecturers in further and higher education
  • museum and cultural heritage work
  • curation.
A number of our Master's students also go on to study at PhD level and we will provide you with structured support and guidance if you wish to pursue this path. We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

Modules

For information about course structure and the modules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.

Assessment method

Essays and a dissertation of 15,000 words.

How to apply

International applicants

If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. If you don't meet the minimum IELTS requirement, we offer pre-sessional English courses and foundation programmes to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.

Entry requirements

Our standard postgraduate entry requirement is a second-class honours degree (2:2 or above) from a UK university, or an equivalent international qualification. Your first degree does not have to be in English Literature. Applications are reviewed on their individual merits and your professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be taken into consideration positively. We actively support and encourage applications from mature learners.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £5535 Year 1
Northern Ireland £5535 Year 1
Scotland £5535 Year 1
Wales £5535 Year 1
International £10170 Year 1

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

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing on their course in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases.
Modern Literature and Culture (1900-present) at Birkbeck, University of London - UCAS