English Literature MA

Pursue your love of English literature at an advanced level. Explore the fiction of social and political change and gain research skills to further your teaching or academic career.

Gain a broad understanding of English literature from the Renaissance to the modern day on our flexible Masters degree.

Study at ARU in Cambridge and you’ll be joining a lively and intellectual department with a long tradition of teaching excellence and an international reputation for research.

You can tailor this MA English Literature course to meet your own interests, replacing one core module with an Independent Learning Module or an option from our MA Creative Writing.

Our Masters degree in English Literature focuses on three periods of literary history: the Renaissance, the ‘long’ nineteenth century and the 20th/21st century.

Each of the three period-based modules is structured on ideas of politics and social change and will enable you to explore the interface between literature and society.

By reading a wide range of texts within their critical, cultural and historical contexts, we’ll encourage you to evaluate the ideas of others and develop your own critical perspectives and areas of specialised knowledge.

You’ll develop skills and knowledge through a range of teaching and learning methods and by producing essays, presentations, annotated bibliographies and a major research project in the form of a dissertation.

If you’re looking to advance your teaching career or move into academia, this postgraduate course is for you. The skills you learn will provide new directions for your future career and form the basis for your future study.

You can also attend events organised by our Cambridge Writing Centre, including guest talks and live lit jams, where you can showcase your own creative writing and make new contacts in the industry.

The impact of our English Language and Literature research was judged as "world-leading" in the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF2021).

Teaching times 2023-24 (subject to change for 2024-5): Tri 1: Monday 6-8pm, Thursday 2-4pm; Tri 2: Monday 6-8pm, Thursday 6-8pm. In 2024-5 all modules will move to daytime delivery.

Careers

Our MA English Literature will give you the higher-levels skills to stand out in today’s competitive job market.

If you are a teacher, you could study with us to update your knowledge and further your existing career, or even move into another discipline. Or, if you are looking to move on to an academic post, this course will give you the research skills you will need for your future career.

Graduation doesn’t have to be the end of your time with us. You could choose to continue your academic career with a research programme at ARU, such as our PhD English Literature or PhD English Language and Linguistics. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and save £400 on your fees.