Contemporary Literatures

Entry requirements

Degree and experience
Applicants should normally have an undergraduate honours degree (usually at 2:1 level or above) or equivalent in a relevant subject area, for example English literature, English language, linguistics, philosophy, sociology or politics. Related areas such as history, cultural theory and TEFL are also acceptable.

Applicants without a good first degree may be required to provide written evidence (for example an assignment from a training course or an essay set by the admissions team) of their analytical and reflective skills in writing.

Applicants should also be able to demonstrate that they are capable of undertaking masters-level study and sustained academic work.

English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept.

International students whose language skills do not match the IELTS scores set out here should consider applying for this course through the Extended Masters programme at the university's Language Institute.

Months of entry

September

Course content

This masters degree celebrates and debates global contemporary literatures, literary cultures and history.

At Brighton we believe that humanist engagement in contemporary issues demands engaged citizens – and our MA enables our students to analyse, produce and experience intellectually and politically engaged writing and literature which responds to cultural and social change.

You will examine how the world is debated, represented and challenged through fiction and text. We ask you to think critically about topical issues so you develop an understanding of your own and others' place as critical readers, writers and media-producers, performers and consumers in local and global contexts.

By exploring concepts such as globalisation and environmentalism, and by reflecting on the legacy of colonialism, you will investigate how these ideas produced literary categories such as global English, postcolonial literature and world literature, particularly through two core modules in semester 1 – Literatures and the Contemporary World, and Writing Black Britain.

The programme includes a placement, providing valuable experience, and option modules allow you to specialise within the field. You can choose to study partly as a distance learner, guided by our team of supportive lectures who have diverse expertise within contemporary literature.