MA World Literatures

Program Overview

The MA World Literatures at the University of Exeter offers specialized study in literature and media, enhancing historical and cultural understanding. Students engage in independent research through a dissertation and gain critical thinking, communication, and research skills. The program equips graduates for careers in various fields, including teaching, publishing, and media.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The MA World Literatures program at the University of Exeter is designed for students who want to specialize in World Literatures while deepening their knowledge across a variety of optional modules. The program aims to:

• Develop an enhanced understanding of literature and media in their historical and cultural contexts.
• Foster communication and analytical skills.

Outline:

The MA World Literatures program is a 1-year full-time or 2-year part-time program. Students must complete 120 credits of compulsory modules and 60 credits of optional modules.

Compulsory Modules:

• EASM023 Dissertation (60 credits): This module requires students to conceive, plan, research, and write an independent 15,000-word dissertation that displays their subject knowledge and methodological skills.
• Two modules from the following list (30 credits each):
• EASM150 Empire, Decadence and Modernity: Literature 1870-1910
• EASM152 Criticism and Theory: Critical and Literary Theory in a Global Context
• EASM167 World Cinema / World Literature
• EASM169 Publishing and Power: Black and Asian Literary Networks in the UK
• EASM184 World Literature and Postcolonial Studies

Optional Modules:

Students must choose 60 credits from the list of optional modules. The following modules are examples of what may be available:

• EASM151 Modernism and Material Culture (30 credits)
• EASM157 The Literature of Cold War America (30 credits)
• EASM180 Crossing Medieval Boundaries (30 credits)
• EASM192 Global Voices: Shakespeare and the Early Modern World (30 credits)
• EASM109 Bodies Politic: Cultural and Sexual Politics in England, 1603-1679 (30 credits)
• EASM171 Expanding Queerness: Critical Debates in Theory, Literature, Film and Television (30 credits)
• EASM174 Writing Women in the English Middle Ages (30 credits)
• EASM191 Environments of Early Modern Drama (30 credits)

Assessment:

Assessment methods vary depending on the module but may include:

• Archival projects
• Individual or group presentations
• Essays
• Close reading exercises
• Dissertation

Teaching:

• Teaching is delivered in seminar groups.
• Each module has one two-hour seminar per week.
• Students are encouraged to discuss their ideas and interact with fellow students and academic staff through visiting speaker seminar series, postgraduate conferences, and Research Centre activities.
• Seminars are supported by film screenings, field trips, and archival trips.

Careers:

The MA World Literatures program equips students with a range of skills that are transferable to a variety of careers, including:

• Teaching
• Publishing
• Media
• Journalism
• Advertising
• Communications

Other:

• The program is specifically designed for those seeking high-level training prior to embarking on doctoral research, recent graduates wishing to extend and enhance their studies, individuals already in employment who are interested in career development, and those who simply wish to broaden their intellectual horizons.
• The program requires students to read and analyze complex English literary texts.
• Students will need a near-native level of English to participate fully in classes and complete assessments successfully.
• The Department of English and Creative Writing regularly hosts talks, workshops, and conferences spotlighting prestigious visiting speakers and the Department's own experts.
• Postgraduate students are warmly included in these events.
• The Department has dedicated research centers and groupings, including:
• Centre for Literature and Archives
• Centre for Victorian Studies
• Exeter Screen Studies Research Centre
• Centre for Early Modern Studies
• The Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences houses the Digital Humanities Lab, a state-of-the-art facility offering unique spaces, equipment, and training for staff and students.
• Research is at the heart of what the University does, and students are encouraged to become active members of the research community.
• The program is taught by world-renowned academics actively involved in a variety of research areas.
• Exeter is an UNESCO City of Literature.

2024/25 entry UK fees per year: £12,000 full-time; £6,000 part-time International fees per year: £24,300 full-time; £12,150 part-time