Saint Andrews, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
07 Aug 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 25,880 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* overseas / home: £11,680
Key Summary
Introduction
The MLitt in Modern and Contemporary Literature and Culture explores the key texts, contexts, and theories that have shaped literature and culture from 1900 to the present.
Course details
The MLitt in Modern and Contemporary Literature and Culture is an intensive one-year taught program run by the School of English. The course aims to enhance students' textual knowledge and promote thinking about the interconnections between modern and contemporary literature and its historical, cultural, and theoretical contexts.
Students will read and discuss some of the major texts and debates which have contributed to the shaping of the 'modernist', 'postmodern', and 'contemporary' cultural moments.
The MLitt is aimed at those interested in modern and contemporary literature, in the acquisition of a taught postgraduate qualification, and in the possibility of moving towards a PhD.
Highlights
- Study the interdisciplinary dimensions of modern and contemporary culture through topics that explore cultural production across the arts, music, film, and literature
- Learn about the key developments in modern and contemporary literary studies in dialogue with leading scholars
- Typical seminar topics might include: women’s writing and gender studies; crime fiction; contemporary critical theory; modern and contemporary poetry; postcolonialism; Scottish literature; war writing; literature of the 1940s; British cinema and music.
Admissions
Curriculum
The modules published below are examples of what has been taught in previous academic years and may be subject to change before you start your program.
Compulsory
- Contemporary Literature and Culture: exposes students to a range of contemporary authors, poets, and playwrights, moving between a detailed focus on highlighted key works and a wider perspective on individual writer’s oeuvres
- Contextualizing the Modern: an exploration of the radical literary experiments following the First World War in the context of the wider movements in culture and society that informed literary modernism in the first decades of the 20th century
- Reading the Modern: an exploration of Influential British, American, and French Modernists' pursuit to develop modes of Representation Compatible with a newly urban, industrialized, and mass-oriented Age
- Theorizing the Contemporary: An Introduction to key literary and Cultural Theories within the Contemporary Period via the close study of selected Theoretical Texts.
Dissertation
Student dissertations will be supervised by members of the teaching staff who will advise on the choice of subject and provide guidance throughout the research process. The completed dissertation of not more than 15,000 words must be submitted by a date specified in August.
If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for the MLitt, there is an exit award available that allows suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of an MLitt.
Teaching
Teaching format
In each semester students take one module that concentrates on the literature of the period and one module that engages with the period’s theoretical, cultural, and historical developments.
Taught modules consist of weekly seminars, normally with a maximum class size of 15 students.
During the year, but with a particular focus during the last four months, students will research and write a 15,000-word dissertation on a topic of their choosing.
Assessment
Modules are assessed through coursework essays and shorter assessment exercises. The School of English prides itself on its support of student work through detailed feedback and commentary.
Scholarships and Funding
The University of St Andrews is committed to attracting the very best students, regardless of financial circumstances.
The University of St Andrews offers postgraduate scholarships and other financial awards. These may be held in addition to external funding or awards from a government body. These may also cover (fully or partially) tuition fees, maintenance (living costs including accommodation), or both.
Scholarships are available based on academic merit and financial need. There are scholarships available for both home and overseas fee status. The scholarship team recommends reading the terms of each award carefully and applying to a range of funding sources.
Postgraduate scholarships
Postgraduate study is an investment in your intellectual development and career potential. The University of St Andrews provides scholarships to help as many students as possible continue in higher education.
Scholarship availability may depend on your area of study or fee status (for example, whether you are a 'Home' or 'Overseas' student).
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the course go on to pursue careers in a range of sectors including journalism, marketing, publishing, and teaching.
Further study
Many graduates continue their education by enrolling in PhD programs at St Andrew's.