Course information
UK fee £10,950
International fee £19,700
Taught by English
Programme Director
Dr Ben Parsons
bp62@le.ac.uk
Course enquiries
+44 (0)116 252 2620
ArtsPGT@le.ac.uk
Course description
Course description
The MA in English Literature offers you the opportunity to focus on the areas of English literary studies that fascinate you, with modules covering literature from the medieval period to the present day. You can choose to study literature before 1800, as well as selecting from specialist modules in Creative Writing, Victorian Literature, and Modern and Contemporary Literature.
This course will allow you to deepen your existing knowledge, discover new fields, and acquire the skills to enable independent research at an advanced level.
You will explore how texts are created and are shaped for different readerships, developing your understanding of textual editing, book history, and material culture.
You’ll also select from option modules, which allow for specialist study of an author, theme or genre. Here the topics can range from twenty-first century fiction, to Victorian novels, to Renaissance drama.
On this MA, your dissertation can be in any period of English literature from the late medieval period onwards. If you have a strong record in carrying out research projects, you could choose to do an extended dissertation – this is often a route for students who want to continue to doctoral study or pursue a career with a particular emphasis on research skills.
Whichever areas of English you choose to focus on during your time here, you will benefit from our excellent teaching, our fantastic library facilities, and high-quality academic support.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
2:1 degree in English literature or language or its equivalent.
You will be asked to provide a personal statement as part of your application, explaining why you have chosen this course.
Where appropriate, you may be asked to submit an essay as part of our admissions process. We will contact you if this is the case.
We recommend that you apply for this course by mid-summer at the latest.
English Language Requirements
IELTS 6.5 with 6.0 in reading and writing elements or equivalent. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.
International Qualifications
Find your country in this list to check equivalent qualifications, scholarships and additional requirements.
Countries listFees and funding
Fees and funding
UK Students
Starting in September 2025
- £10,950
If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
Did you know you can apply for a Government Postgraduate Loan? Find out if you’re eligible.
Waddington Scholarship
The Waddington Scholarship is an award of £1,000, awarded on the basis of academic merit. It is open to full-time and part-time students from anywhere in the world.
International Students
Starting in September 2025
- £19,700
You will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
Waddington Scholarship
The Waddington Scholarship is an award of £1,000, awarded on the basis of academic merit. It is open to full-time and part-time students from anywhere in the world.
Careers and employability
Careers and employability
A Masters degree in English Literature is an excellent preparation for a wide range of careers. As well as deepening your knowledge in your chosen areas in English, you will also develop transferable skills, such as research, analysis and presentation skills.
Completing an MA can be the first step in an academic career in Higher or Further Education, while also enhancing your career options outside the field of academia.
One popular career choice is teaching English, either in the UK (having completed a PGCE) or abroad. The fields of publishing, advertising, arts administration, PR, television, the film industry and other media-related jobs are also ideal destinations for English Literature graduates.
Our Careers and Employability Service is here to support you, with advice on interviews, CVs, work experience, volunteering and more. From Freshers’ Week to Graduation and beyond, they are here to help you reach your professional goals.
Related courses
Course structure
Core modules
Core modules
You will also choose:
- either your Dissertation and Authorship and Authority
- or the Extended Dissertation
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Option modules
Option modules
Choose three option modules from:
- Old Haunts: The Ghost Story in Medieval and Early Modern Culture
- Roman Remains: Classical Antiquity in the Drama of Shakespeare and his Contemporaries
- Women in Literature, Culture, and Society, 1850-1900
- Poetry Writing and Contemporary Poetry
- The Brontës
- Twenty-First Century Fiction
- North American Indigenous Literatures
- Charles Dickens: A Writer in Progress
- Bodies 1850-1918
- Evolution and Entropy: Changing Representations of the Sciences in Victorian Literature
- Writing Fiction
- Victorian Lives: Life-Writing in the Victorian Period
- Abolition and Adventure: Narratives of the Atlantic World
- Women in Literature, Culture, and Society, 1850-1900
- The Stream of Consciousness Novel
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Why Leicester?
You’ll be taught by tutors who are internationally recognised experts in their fields, in a supportive environment that fosters your abilities and research interests.
Alongside a wealth of electronic resources, our University Library has collections ranging from medieval manuscripts to the papers of contemporary playwrights. The MA draws on the expertise of our academic librarians and archivists in introducing you to new ways of researching.
You can become part of a lively university community, attending a variety of extra-curricula events. These include talks and groups run by the Victorian Studies Centre, the Medieval Research Centre, the Centre for New Writing, and the annual Literary Leicester Festival.
Teaching and learning
During the course you will be taught through a range of methods, including:
- seminars
- workshops
- individual supervisions
- presentations
- directed and self-directed study, writing and research time
In a seminar, a small group of students is led in a discussion of texts and issues by a tutor. For each seminar you will read the set texts and prepare other work, which may include a presentation. For workshops on the ‘Research Methods’ core module you will be taught together with students from other MAs in English, working together on problem-solving, research, and presentation skills.
For your dissertation, you will have one-on-one supervision from a member of staff with an interest in your chosen topic. The diverse research interests of staff means that we can offer an impressive breadth of expertise for dissertation supervision.
Assessment on a module usually consists of one or two pieces of written work. Common types include essays in response to a choice of set questions, editorial exercises, critical reviews of recent work in a field, and, on certain option modules, creative writing. Some modules also feature an assessed oral presentation.
Key dates
September 2025 start
- Application deadline: 8 September 2025 (Please note if you require a visa to study you will be required to submit your course application by 25 July 2025)
- Deposit payment deadline: 8 August 2025
- CAS request deadline: 5 September 2025
- 70% tuition payment deadline: 5 September 2025
Apply now
| Course | Qualification | Duration | Start Dates | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course English Literature | Qualification MA | Duration 1 year full-time | Start Dates September each year | Availability Apply Now |
As well as encouraging me to embrace my ideas and have confidence in my writing, the course has improved and strengthened my academic voice. The tutors in the English department are passionate about the subjects that they teach, which always makes our seminars engaging, entertaining and enjoyable.