赫特福德大学

About the course

Our online MA in Literature and Culture enables you to explore innovative and diverse texts and their many different contexts – historical, social and political. Your engagement will focus on themes at the forefront of contemporary culture, including identity politics, Otherness, and the environment. Online learning offers you the benefits of flexible opportunities to hone your critical and analytical skills with plenty of support from our research-active academic staff. You’ll also gain advanced research skills and have the opportunity to pursue your own research interests via a 13,000-word dissertation on a topic of your choice. Twenty-first century literary scholarship challenges readers to engage with the cultural impact of globally significant issues such as sustainability, cultural difference and race relations, and inclusivity with regards to intersectional identities. The modules on this Master’s programme are specifically designed to develop students’ critical understanding of literature and related forms of cultural expression (film, music, and the visual arts) within these frameworks.

What will I study?

This online programme features a spectrum of digitally-accessed resources for students including recorded lectures, student-led discussion platforms, and one-to-one supervision. You will also have access to a wide range of academic resources via UH’s Online Library. Assessment is normally by coursework only. Outstanding online support is offered via StudyNet, our virtual learning environment. The MA comprises six modules including a final dissertation project, which gives you the opportunity to develop an extended piece of research on a topic of your choice, fully supported by a supervisor. It is possible to undertake study on a full-time (one year) or part-time (two-year) basis. It is also possible to undertake one of the Literature modules on its own; please consult UH Online regarding arrangements. Our MA students are encouraged to attend events and conferences and present their papers as part of their teaching and learning. You’ll be invited to participate in a postgraduate research forum and welcome to attend the annual international conference hosted by the Literature department as part of its groundbreaking Open Graves, Open Minds Project.

Careers

The advanced research skills you’ll gain on this MA, alongside transferable intellectual and personal skills, are of value in a wide range of careers, including teaching, publishing, the arts and media. Many of our graduates go on to higher levels of study, engaging in PhD research in their chosen fields. MA graduates Daisy Butcher and Jennifer Cameron are now PhD students of literature at Herts, while MA graduate Olivia Steen has worked on the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and is now a visiting lecturer in Creative Arts with a new PhD project. MA graduate Sam Cooper went on to take a PhD at Nottingham Trent University, where he now teaches and publishes, while Amelia Eikli started her own publishing house and is a writer and blogger. The study options would be Online - Full Time, 1 Years and Online - Part Time, 2 Years.