MA English Literary Studies

Explore English literature in-depth with a master’s degree at the University of Southampton.

Our course gives you the opportunity to pursue literary topics and genres from a wide selection of authors and periods, including:

On completion of the course, you’ll be ready for careers in teaching, publishing and arts administration.

You’ll get the chance to carry out advanced-level research and independent critical thinking, and to make effective use of archives, manuscripts, and research libraries. We'll help you examine how literature shapes the public understanding of diverse fields such as:

We offer a flexible module structure which is designed to give you an advanced understanding of cultural analysis, textual interpretation and theoretical method. You can specialise with one of 4 subject-specific pathways, or take a more general approach by choosing modules from each pathway.

The information on this page refers to the general pathway.

Across all pathways, you’ll explore the interrelations of text, theory and culture across the field of English literary and cultural studies. We’ll work with you to:

If you prefer, you can apply to study this course as:

Your modules and fees may vary if you choose a different study option.

Your course leader is Stephen Bending, Professor of Eighteenth-Century Literature and Culture. Stephen has published widely on gender, identity and emotion in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Visit Professor Bending’s staff profile to learn more about his work.

You can apply for one of the following pathways, or choose modules from each of them: