English Literature

MA or PGDip or PGCert

Start dates

September 2023

Course length

Full time: PGCert: 4 months, PGDip: 9 months, MA: 12 months

Part time: PGCert: 2 semesters, PGDip: 3 semesters, MA: 24 months

Location

Headington

Department

School of English and Modern Languages

Are you ready to take your love of English literature to a higher level?

On the MA English Literature course at Oxford Brookes, you’ll explore everything from Elizabethan lyrics to New York stories. You’ll consider social issues such as gender, sexuality, and mental health through a literary lens. Your dissertation will enable you to explore an area you’re fascinated by, with expert support. On top of that, you’ll study in one of the world’s great literary cities.

We are a close-knit community. We prioritise small teaching groups, the sharing of ideas, and mature dialogue. Problem solving and critical thinking are key features of the course. Our staff are internationally recognised experts, meaning that you’ll be supported by specialists in most areas of English literature.

You’ll graduate with a greatly enhanced understanding of English literature, as well as critical thinking and research tools to thrive in any future career.

We like to give students the opportunity to showcase their work when applying for this course. Please include a writing sample with your application.

Specific entry requirements

You should normally hold a lower second-class honours degree, or its equivalent, in English Literature or a related subject.

You also need to provide writing sample; it should showcase your writing at its best. For many the sample would consist of an advanced-level undergraduate essay that features:

– Close engagement with primary sources (literary texts and/or other evidence)
– Critical engagement with secondary sources (scholarly criticism, and/or theory, where appropriate)
– A formal scholarly apparatus (notes, bibliography, works cited, etc).

If the above is not an option for you, then we’re happy for you to submit one of these alternatives:

– A piece of professional writing that engages with academic study or other research
– A review of a literary work you have read recently, which makes use of current literary criticism/academic sources about the writer(s).

The sample should be 1500-2500 words, but if you use a longer piece – highlight the 2500 words you want us to focus on.