Course overview

This course gives you the opportunity for advanced study in an intellectually lively department with a long tradition of excellent teaching and an international reputation for research.

It is focused on three periods of literary history: the Renaissance, the 'long' 19th century, and the 20th/21st century. The fourth module, Research Methods, equips you with the skills needed to complete your Major Project. One of these modules can be replaced by an independent learning project, tailored to meet your individual requirements, or a module from our MA in Creative Writing or Film Studies (subject to the course leaders' approval).

In addition to accessing the good library facilities at Anglia Ruskin and major electronic resources such as Early English Books Online and JSTOR, a high-quality, interdisciplinary archive to support scholarship and teaching, you will be able to make use of the world-class Cambridge University Library. This course will appeal to you whether you want to improve your career prospects (for instance as a teacher), go on to doctoral research or simply broaden your intellectual horizons.

Additional course information

You will have the opportunity to extend your knowledge of a range of literature, particularly from the Renaissance period to the present. Each of the three period-based modules on the MA in English Literature course is structured around a particular theme and investigates the social and cultural contexts of literature. The course can also be tailored to meet individual interests. You will have the opportunity to develop skills in literary criticism, research, writing and presentation.

Module guide

In addition to teaching time on-campus, all courses require intensive self-guided learning, research or private study and there may also be optional training, seminars, visits, lectures or master classes to attend.

Assessment

Essay consultation workshops are built into this course, and sample assignments are available in study packs or for consultation from our Faculty office. There is a Royal Literary Fund fellow whom you can consult for one-to-one assistance with your writing.

Modules one and three are assessed by a short critical review and an essay. Module two is assessed by an essay and a presentation. Research Methods is assessed by an annotated bibliography, critical review essay and Dissertation proposal. The Dissertation is assessed on the basis of a 15,000 word piece of research.

Facilities

Our Department organises extra-curricular activities such as a three-day Stratford-upon-Avon theatre study trip; frequent poetry readings; regular literary events organized by the Literary Society and CAMPUS (The Cambridge Publishing Society); one-day symposia and conferences. The Mumford Theatre, which is situated at the heart of the campus, plays host to a range of professional touring, local community and student theatre. It also presents music events, including a series of free lunchtime concerts.

Cambridge is a beautiful and historic university city. With a student population of some 25,000, it also offers a young, vibrant and creative environment. The city is full of student bookshops, cafes, cinemas, art galleries, museums and an exceptional number of theatres and concert venues, both mainstream and experimental. London is within easy reach of Cambridge by train or coach.

Libraries
Our campus libraries offer a wide range of publications and a variety of study facilities, including open-access computers, areas for quiet or group study and bookable rooms. We also have an extensive Digital Library providing on and off-site access to e-books, e-journals and databases.

We endeavour to make our libraries as accessible as possible for all our students. During Semester time, they open 24 hours a day from Monday to Thursday, until midnight on Friday and Saturday and for 12 hours on Sunday.

IT resources
Our open access computer facilities provide free access to the internet, email, messaging services and the full Microsoft Office suite. A high speed wireless service is also available in all key areas on campus. If you are away from campus or a distant learner, our student desktop and its many applications can be accessed remotely using the internet. Your personal student email account provides free document storage, calendar facilities and social networking opportunities.

Throughout your studies you will have access to our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), providing course notes, reading materials and multi-media content to support your learning, while our e-vision system gives you instant access to your academic record and your timetable.

Special features

We were awarded an 'excellent' in the last national assessment of teaching quality and 95% of the work submitted in the last Research Assessment Exercise (2008) was judged to be of international standard, with 60% either 'internationally excellent' or 'world-leading'. This places us amongst the top departments in the country for teaching quality and research expertise.

We offer a wide-ranging research seminar series of papers by staff and visiting speakers, which you are welcome to attend and to present at.

Course Leader

Prof. Rowland Wymer

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Associated careers

Recent graduates have taken positions in arts administration, furthered their careers in teaching and pursued doctoral degrees. By providing employees with the opportunity to develop their knowledge of English literature at the graduate level, this course is of particular benefit to secondary school and sixth-form teachers and their employers.

Entry Requirements:

Usually a good/ 2:1 honours degree classification (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline and/or relevant professional experience. Candidates for whom English is not a first language will be expected to demonstrate a certified level of proficiency of at least IELTS 7 or equivalent. Non-Academic Conditions: 1000 word dissertation proposal or essay.

Portfolio requirements

Your writing portfolio should be:

• a 2,000 word essay on 'How has the study of literature changed over the last century?' - This should be fully referenced and include a bibliography.

Or; a 1,000 word proposal for your MA Dissertation plus a bibliography

And;

• a piece of marked work from your degree studies.

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

We welcome applications from International and EU students. Please select one of the links below for English language and country-specific entry requirement information.

• International students
• EU students
• English language requirements

If we have confirmed you do not meet our entry requirements you might want to consider a preparatory course at Cambridge Ruskin International College (CRIC), our partner college, based on our Cambridge campus, before coming to study with us.