English Literature

Entry requirements

You should have an honours degree in English Literature or in a similar subject with a heavy literary element. You’ll need at least a high 2:1 (65 or above) result, or a 3.5/4.0 GPA.

Prospective students with joint honours in English Literature and another similar subject, or single honours in a subject that includes substantial work in English Literature, are welcome to apply.

You'll need to have a very high competence in written English and we expect you to have an extensive undergraduate exposure to literary studies in English across a broad historical range.

You should also submit a sample of written work as part of the online application process. You can do this before you submit your application form or return to the application to upload your sample at a later date.

The writing sample should be a piece of academic writing from your first degree on English (or Anglophone) literature. It needs to demonstrate your ability to close read and analyse primary texts (e.g. a novel, poem, or film), and to construct an argument (please note that journalism and creative writing - including poems, stories, or memoirs - are not acceptable).

We can’t read more than 2,000 words of submitted written work. Please either send a sample of 2,000 words or indicate which part of a longer work you would like us to read.

You must also submit a personal statement. This should be an account of your current, developed literary interests arising from your undergraduate or other literary studies and should indicate your plans to extend these as a postgraduate student of English literature.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Deepen your love of literature and learn how to analyse a range of texts with our English Literature MA. Explore a range of literary periods or specialise on one of our pathways.

You'll turn your passion for reading into transferable critical thinking skills. On the MA you'll conduct rigorous research and analyse literature, developing your own interpretations - perfect for preparing for a PhD or a wide range of careers.

Course highlights

Our English Literature MA explores many literary and cultural texts across key literary periods.

You can focus in-depth on the area of English Literature you're passionate about with our pathway options. You'll discover new ways to approach literature by considering different theories, methods and the key intellectual debates surrounding literary movements.

• Live in a city that shares your love of literature - contribute to our student newspaper, enjoy talks from high profile authors like Michael Rosen, and attend city-wide literary festivals.
• Join postgraduate-run literary reading groups or attend talks and conferences led by academic staff in the department.
• The University of Birmingham is ranked in the top 30 for English Language and Literature (QS World University Rankings 2024).

Design your MA around your literary passions:

You can study a range of English literature - from medieval poetry to contemporary and genre fiction. If you're fascinated by a particular literary period, you can delve deeper into your interests with our pathway options. Take your learning beyond the classroom and join other MA students and PhD researchers at literary reading groups or talks led by academic staff in the Department.

Course delivery

At Birmingham, research and teaching go hand-in-hand. Lecturers and professors continue to research in their field, offering valuable expertise in English Literature.

• Taught modules - each module represents a total of 200 hours of study time, including preparatory reading, homework and assignment preparation.
• Seminars – modules are mainly taught by small group teaching.
• Dissertation – you'll undertake a 12,000-word dissertation in an area that interests you.

On our MA you can choose to specialise in a specific area of English Literature. Our current pathways are:

• Medieval Literature pathway
• Long Nineteenth-Century Literature pathway
• Modern and Contemporary Literature pathway
• Popular Literature and Culture pathway

Alternatively, you can pick modules from across these literary periods. Either way, you’d need to apply to MA English Literature and if you'd like to specialise, you'll choose the pathway when you begin the course. All students who complete the course will graduate with an MA in English Literature and your degree certificate won't refer to the pathway you choose.

Information for international students

English language requirements

If you are an international student, you will need to demonstrate you have a suitable level of English proficiency, usually through the form of an IELTS or equivalent qualification.

For this course we require IELTS 7.0 with no less than 6.5 in any band, which is equivalent to:

• TOEFL: 95 overall with no less than 22 in any component
• Pearson Test of English (PTE): Academic 76 with no less than 67 in all four skills
• Cambridge English: C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency - minimum overall score of 185, with no less than 176 in any component
• LanguageCert ESOL SELT (UKVI): C1 'Expert' with no less than 25 in each skill

Fees and funding

The College of Arts and Law is a vibrant community of students and academics, dedicated to ensuring that excellence is rewarded, and that fears about finance do not constrain current or prospective students. For this reason, in addition to University funding schemes, we offer our own College-specific funding initiatives.