Course summary

A Masters by Research (MScR) programme is ideal if you have a clear idea of the independent research you wish to undertake at masters level. This programme is designed to enable students who have taken a first degree in French to specialise in an aspect of French or Francophone literature or culture, while acquiring core skills in theories and methods of study. The programme is a good stepping stone to a PhD, but is equally of value as a stand-alone qualification. As a Masters by Research student, you will be part of a wider masters community while specialising in what most interests you right from the beginning of the programme. This is how it is different to a taught Masters (MSc). French has been taught here since 1894, making it one of the first European languages to be offered at Edinburgh. We specialise in the language, literatures and cultures of France and the many countries around the world in which French is spoken. Join our community and undertake two research assignments, and a 15,000-word dissertation, under the guidance of an experienced and well-published supervisor. Language, to us, is inseparable from culture. As such, we encourage you to think broadly and explore the implications of language in a wider perspective. In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), our research was submitted in Modern Languages. The results reaffirm Edinburgh’s position as one of the UK’s leading research universities - third in the UK based on the quality and breadth of its research in Modern Languages according to Times Higher Education's REF power ratings. Our research expertise covers a wide range of areas, including:

• Adaptation studies

• Contemporary politics and institutions

• Film studies

• Theatre studies

• Intermediality studies

• Black studies

• Women’s and gender studies

• Francophone and post-colonial studies

• French thought

• Literature from the Middle Ages to the present day

• Self-writing

• Translation studies

• Word and image