English & Literary Media

Entry requirements

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject, or equivalent.

Months of entry

January, September

Course content

MA English & Literary Media is a contemporary, modern English degree that emphasises the way that media and digital technology influence how we understand and engage with literature, literary texts and narrative. As a graduate of this course you’ll be well equipped with the knowledge to enter a range of employment areas such as publishing, digital marketing, features, copywriting, brand management and book production.

This unique course de-privileges the idea of the printed text and considers it alongside the kinds of narrative that exist in other media, exploring how developments in media and technology offer interactive forms of storytelling for authors and communication practitioners.

• Learn to critically evaluate a variety of texts drawn from film, television, the internet, literature and popular culture, and to relate those texts to the wider fields of which they are a part
• Consider the ways in which both contemporary and historical literary texts have been adapted for different mediums and how paratext and extra-textual materials contribute to audience expectations and experiences
• Explore definitions of free speech, freedom of expression, censorship and public interest in the context of public cultural controversies
• Develop the skills to think rigorously, critically, analytically and imaginatively, applying knowledge to practical situations
• Enhance your career prospects by undertaking an optional minimum 4-week professional placement
• Learn from leading national and international scholars in the fields of modern and contemporary literature, media studies, cultural studies and new media writing
• Enter BU's annual international creative writing competitions: The Fresher Writing Prize for emerging voices in fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction, and the New Media Writing Prize for stories that integrate a variety of formats, platforms and digital media.

Information for international students

If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS (Academic) 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in writing and 6.0 in each component of speaking, listening and reading.

Fees and funding