English Literature MA

Course overview

Discover how great wordsmiths have captivated hearts and minds across the ages.

For over a thousand years, English literature has held a mirror up to the human experience, reflecting the beliefs, values, emotions and struggles of generations of people.

In our English Literature MA, you’ll journey across a rich pantheon of writing across the ages, as you discover how the world has shaped influential writers of their times, and vice versa. You’ll enrich your imagination as you tap into a well of storytelling, poetry, and prose that have captured people’s feelings, hopes and drive for change.

You’ll engage with our School’s extensive research expertise across all literary periods, including medieval, Renaissance, romantic, Victorian, modern and contemporary. You’ll also delve into diverse cultures, including postcolonial and American.

With a diverse range of modules, you’ll be able to specialise your course to your interests. You’ll explore the connections between diverse research areas taught by experts in the field, including Shakespeare's plays, Black British writing, the Victorian media revolution, the Brontës, psychoanalysis and postcolonialism.

By cultivating your critical thinking and understanding of our world and ourselves, you’ll be able to open the door to a diverse array of careers.

“The seminars were the highlight of my week. Class sizes are deliberately small, and once we all got to know each other, it felt more like a book club than a class.”

Victoria Clarke, MA English Literature (Victorian pathway)

Why study at Leeds?

• Academic expertise: Learn from tutors steeped in English literature throughout history and around the world.
• An engaging research community: You’ll get the chance to attend seminars and workshops with a research community united with a passion for furthering knowledge and innovation.
• A rich archive on your doorstep: Access some of the best archive and library collections in the country, including the Brotherton Library.
• Your cultural hub: Leeds is a fantastic destination for soaking in culture, with museums, theatres, galleries, festivals and indie gems located in the heart of the city.
• Access rare collections and specialist resources: Our Cultural Collections offer a huge range of rare books, manuscripts and art, as well as microfilm collections of American, Indian and South African newspapers, US government and presidential files, and the Black Power Movement archive.
• Real-world industry experience: Network with clients and gain consultancy experience as part of our 2-week online Global Industry Programme. 

Explore Leeds

Discover our campus, facilities and accommodation with our 360 virtual experience platform.

With immersive 360 experiences, image galleries, virtual tours, videos and day-in-the-life content, you can take a personalised, interactive tour of campus and explore the University's academic, social and residential environments from anywhere in the world.

You can get a feel for what it's really like to live, learn and belong at the University of Leeds – all from the comfort of home.

Course details and modules

In semester 1, you will study a core module, Yorkshire Literary Landscapes, which offers an exciting overview of the literature written in our historic county, from the first poem in English (‘Cædmon’s Hymn’, 7th century) to the work of 21st -century writers living and working in Leeds, from the witty fiction of Laurence Sterne to the novels of the Brontë sisters. The module is specially designed to give you a solid base of theoretical knowledge required for postgraduate level literary and textual analysis, alongside experience in and high- level research methods, giving you new insights and inspiration for topics of study, and preparing you for the rest of the programme.

All modules in the programme engage with the wide range of School’s areas of expertise in the School of English, meaning that you will benefit from research-led teaching. Your choice of three optional modules will allow you to tailor your studies to suit your interests and career ambitions. As you progress through your studies, you’ll apply what you’ve learned in an independent Research Project on a topic of your choice.

If you choose to study part-time, you’ll study over a longer period and take fewer modules in each year.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read English Literature MA Full Time in the course catalogue

Year 1 compulsory modules

Year 1 optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)

Learning and teaching

Our MA modules are taught primarily via two-hour seminars each week, although other modes of teaching such as lectures, workshops, and tutorials are also used. Seminars give you the opportunity to discuss the themes and issues arising from your reading with your peers and your module tutors. On this course, you’ll be taught by our expert academics, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus. You may also be taught by experienced industry professionals.

The teaching sessions provide effective support for independent study which forms a vital part of the degree, allowing you to build your skills and explore your own ideas. You’ll also benefit from supervisions throughout semester 2 with your Research Project supervisor. You will also attend, and have the opportunity to participate in, the annual MA student conference, at which MA students present their ongoing research to students and staff within the School, as part of the research project module.

As an MA student you will be joining the wider postgraduate community within the School of English, which includes our Master’s by Research students and doctoral researchers. You will be able to attend reading groups and research seminars run by university staff, and take the opportunity establish your own learning communities with other students in the School, and across the university, who share your interests. There will also be the opportunity to attend poetry readings, hosted by Poetry@Leeds, and performances by Playhouse Lab – our resident theatre group.

You will have access to the MA Student Research Fund to support your preparations for the research project, such as attending conferences, visiting archives, or licenses for specialist software.

On this course, you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

Our MA modules are assessed via a range of a methods. This includes written essays (2000-4000 words) exploring topics or texts in detail, portfolios of shorter work, spoken and digital presentations, and research reports. Some modules have multiple assessment points, others have an end of semester submission, as appropriate to their learning objectives. The Research Project module is assessed by a 12,000-word dissertation or equivalent project to be completed by the end of the programme. We support you in your learning by setting you formative activities, such as asking you to submit draft essays to gain verbal feedback on your work, or to give presentations on your reading in seminars. You are able to speak with your module tutors throughout the programme about your plans and preparation, and will receive feedback on completed work to help you develop for the next stage of the programme.

Applying

Entry requirements

You’ll need a bachelor's degree with a 2:1 (hons) or equivalent qualification, preferably in an English related degree specialising in one of the following subjects:

English literatures, English language, World literatures, History, Creative writing, Journalism, Publishing, Modern languages or a related Humanities and Arts subject.

We will also consider applicants with relevant experience, an interest in literary studies, or coming from an area of expertise to which English literature is complementary.

We welcome applicants from a diverse range of subject disciplines so please do not hesitate to apply if your subject is not listed.

All applicants will be required to respond to the questions in the supporting statement section of the online application form to explain why you wish to study this particular course and your career plans. Relevant professional experience may also be considered. We may request additional documentation to inform our decision.

Humanities and Arts subjects

• English Literature
• English Language
• World literatures
• History
• Creative writing
• Journalism
• Publishing
• Modern languages
• Linguistics
• History
• Comparative Literature
• Philosophy
• Cultural Studies
• Media and Communication Studies
• Performance and Theatre Studies
• Creative Arts

International

Our admissions team are experienced in considering a wide range of international qualifications. If you wish to discuss whether your qualifications will meet the necessary entry criteria, contact the School’s admissions team.

You can also check the accepted qualifications for your country or region.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in all components. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Arts and Humanities (6 weeks) and Language for Social Science and Arts: Arts and Humanities (10 weeks).

We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. Find out more about our six week online pre-sessional and our 10 week online pre-sessional. 

You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.

How to apply

Please see our How to Apply page for information about application deadlines

The ‘Apply’ link at the top of this page will take you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.

If you intend to apply for funding, we advise you to submit an application for your chosen course as early as possible and at least one month before any scholarship deadline.

If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Documents and information you'll need

• A copy of your degree certificate and transcripts, or a partial transcript if you’re still studying (please submit an official English translation where the original is not in English)
• Your approved English Language test* (if applicable)
• A personal statement in response to the questions asked in the supporting statement section of the application form
• A full up-to-date CV
• Any previous UK CAS, visa and BRP documents if you’re an international applicant who has previously studied in the UK on a Tier 4/ Student Visa.

* Applicants who have not yet completed an approved English language test may apply for a Masters course prior to taking a test.

Personal Statement Requirements

Please summarise your reasons for applying to this particular programme of study. Your response can include details of your previous study/work experience relevant to the programme and career ambitions. Your response can provide us with important information on your suitability for the course, so please complete carefully.

Please explain why you have chosen to apply for this Masters course at the University of Leeds by answering the following questions in separate numbered paragraphs:

• What areas of this course particularly interest you and why? Have you studied these before? Please explain your reasons for applying to this particular Masters course
• Why do you want to study this course at Leeds? Please comment on aspects such as available resources at the University and in the city, research specialisms within the school or academics you would like to work with.
• What potential themes have you considered for dissertation research?
• How will studying for this course help you to achieve your longer term goals?
• Why do you see this course as a particularly valuable subject to study?
• What skills and experience do you have that have prepared you for this course? You may like to give details of any final year work/projects you have previously undertaken, relevant work experience etc.

Relevant work experience might include: NGOs, advertising, marketing, architecture, crafts, design (product, graphic, fashion), film, TV, radio, photography, IT - software, computer services, publishing, museums, galleries, libraries, music, performing and visual arts, teaching and education.

Next Steps

Where further information to support the assessment of your application is needed, we may ask for a recent sample of written work.

We do not generally request references, unless further information is required to support the assessment of your application.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Admissions Policy 2027

This course is taught by

School of English

Contact us

Postgraduate Administrator

Email: pgtenglish@leeds.ac.uk

Fees

UK: £12,900 (Total)

International: £28,300 (Total)

For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.

Read more about paying fees and charges.

Part-time fees
Fees for part-time courses are normally calculated based on the number of credits you study in a year compared to the equivalent full-time course. For example, if you study half the course credits in a year, you will pay half the full-time course fees for that year.

Additional cost information

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page.

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Learn more about Masters funding. 

Scholarships are also available to help fund your Masters. Find out more and check your eligibility below:

Career opportunities

With this course, you’ll sharpen your knowledge in a challenging and ever-changing subject while building skills that employers highly prize.

You’ll learn to become a confident researcher who works well independently as well as an excellent communicator, able to work comfortably as part of a team. You’ll have finely honed analytical and critical skills and the ability to use different approaches to problem-solve a situation using different viewpoints.

All these qualities are attractive to employers across sectors, and you’ll be well equipped to pursue a career in a wide range of fields. Graduates from our English programmes go on to develop careers in a diverse range of areas, including publishing, broadcasting, teaching, advertising, journalism, and the law. Many also choose to progress to PhD-level study.

Where this degree could take you

Here’s an insight into the job roles some of our English Literature graduates have obtained:

• Bid Writer, Alzheimer’s Society
• Content Specialist, Blueclaw
• Campaign Coordinator, Brand Belief
• Analyst, British Engineering Service
• Brand Strategist, Butterfly Cannon
• Private Secretary, Department for Education
• PR Assistant, Emerge Management & Communications
• SEN Recruitment Consultant, Engage Education
• Assistant Director, Explore Learning
• Regional Recruitment & University Partnerships Manager, FDM Group
• Editorial Assistant, Harrods Magazine

Careers support

At Leeds, we help you to prepare for your future from day one.

Our Careers Service has the global expertise and sector-spanning industry partnerships that, combined, go way beyond simply helping you get a job. They provide you with the resources you need to upskill and achieve the future you aspire towards – even in the face of lightning-paced change.

• Dedicated Employability Team: Meet with our qualified careers consultants and specialist employability and placements officers, on hand to help you choose the right path and develop the skills to get there. They can support with CV and cover letter writing, LinkedIn profile building, mock interviews and navigating AI: get confident with tailored advice and techniques.
• Employability and networking events: Get involved in a full range of events, including careers fairs and specialist industry talks with employers who are actively recruiting. You’ll also benefit from mentoring and a supportive careers community, helping you make connections, build your network, and shape your journey as a future professional.
• Skills training: We embed transferable skills training in all our programmes to support your transition to the workplace. Gain expertise employers value, such as communication, problem-solving and research and data analysis.
• MyCareer system: Access a dedicated portal where you can book careers appointments, view helpful resources and browse vacancies and events. Access digital tools, including LinkedIn support, video‑interview preparation, plus global job market and visa guidance. We also offer pre‑arrival support to help you prepare for career planning in the UK and make the most of your time with us.
• Exclusive opportunities: Bring your enterprise to market with our award-winning business advice service, Spark. Apply for vacancies only available to our students. Plus, hone your skills further with Leeds University Union, home to volunteering opportunities and over 300 clubs and societies.

Work placements and industry experience

Global Industry Programme

As a Masters student at Leeds, you’ll have the unique opportunity to gain real-world industry experience with our Global Industry Programme.

You’ll develop key professional skills and gain invaluable insight into working in your chosen field, helping to solve a real business problem from a live company brief.

This experience will enhance your CV, helping you stand out in the competitive graduate jobs market and improving your chances of securing the career you want.

Benefits of the Global Industry Programme:

• Fully online and designed to fit around your studies.
• Opportunities to make professional networks in areas such as digital marketing, business growth, sustainability and funding strategy.
• Gain valuable insight and build consultancy experience with a UK or international organisation, working on a time limited brief.
• Work as part of a team across disciplines to tackle real business needs.
• Advance your experience and hands-on skills by putting the course teachings into practice.
• Improve your employability prospects.
• Make new friends, build confidence and consider your future plans.