Prospectus

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Literary Studies: English Literature and Culture

Master

English Literature and Culture MA Literary Studies.

The specialisation consists of four 10 EC courses or equivalent and the MA thesis (20 EC).

The principle of the programme is: “freedom within bounds”. This means that the programme consists of electives, from which you may freely shape your personal programme. Two different types of courses are available: a series of thematic courses (on a special subject or author) in the language of instruction of your track and two general courses in English: “Core Course: Methodologies and Theories – Medieval & Early Modern” and “European Modernism”.

In order to help you structure your programme, three possible profiles are suggested below:

1) Medieval and Early Modern English Literature: take courses in one or both fields as course 1, 2, and/or 3, and supplement them with the “Core Course: Methodologies and Theories – Medieval & Early Modern” as course 4.

2) Modern and Contemporary English and Anglophone Literature and Culture: take courses in one or both fields as course 1, 2, and/or 3, and supplement them with the course “European Modernism” as course 4.

3) English Language and Culture is a combined programme of Literary Studies/English (20 EC) and Linguistics/English (20 EC) + a MA thesis in Literary Studies/English. This is especially advised if, after your MA, you intend to apply for the Educational Master.

Rules of the game:

Courses 1 and 2: Any two courses from the list of English-taught electives below

Course 3 and 4: Any course offered within the MA Literary studies (including the list below)

a course on a literary subject taught in another MA, a course offered within the MA Linguistics: English Language and Linguistics, or a course offered via Masterlanguage*

MA thesis: written in English, on a subject of English or Anglophone literature and culture.

  • Masterlanguage courses are either 5 or 10 EC.

Courses

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Obligatory components MA Thesis (20 EC)
Thesis Seminar Master Literary Studies English 0
MA Thesis Literary Studies (track English) 20

First semester

Select courses from the list below (30 EC)
European Modernism 10
Literature and Social Class: 1800 to the Present 10
Blithe Spirits and Demon Lovers: The Fantastic Imagination from Coleridge to the Present Day 10
The Masks of Oscar Wilde: Imitation of Life in Literature, Criticism, Film 10
American Climate Fictions 10
American Identities, 1850 to the present 10
The Epic Course: A Pre-Modern Genre and its digital disclosure 10
Elective MA Literary Studies English
Internship MA Literary Studies 10
Masterlanguage Shakespeare for Teachers 5
Masterlanguage Language Variation and Change 5

Second semester

Select courses from the list below (10 EC)
Shakespeare's Sister: Gender Troubles in the Early Modern Period 10
James Joyce’s Ulysses 10
Reading Medieval Women: Literacy and Writing Women in Medieval France and England 10
Ethics in Gothic, Horror, SF and Noir Fiction 10
American Comics Against the Code: Autobiography and Journalism in Graphic Novels 10
Core Course: Methodologies and Theories – Medieval & Early Modern 10
Core Course: Methodological Concepts in Arts, Literature and Media 10
Imagining Reconciliation in Literature, Art and Media: Early Modernity to the Present Day 10
The Medieval in Middle-Earth: J. R. R. Tolkien, Medieval Literature and Medievalism 10
Masterlanguage Learner Corpus Research and Language Teaching 5
Masterlanguage Medieval English Literature in the Classroom 5

Career Preparation

Labour market preparation in the MA Literary Studies

In addition to offering you a solid university education, Leiden University aims to prepare you for today’s labour market. Your studies will contribute to the development of your employability. After finishing the programme, it will become easier for you to make the transition to the labour market, to remain employable in a dynamic labour market in a (career) job that suits your own personal values, preferences and development.

'Employability' consists of the following aspects that you will develop within your study programme, among others:

1. Discipline-specific knowledge and skills
Knowledge and skills specific to your study programme.

2. Transferable skills
These are skills that are relevant to every student and that you can use in all kinds of jobs irrespective of your study programme, for example: research, conducting analyses, project-based working, generating solutions, acquiring and developing digital skills, collaborating, oral communication, written communication, presenting, raising societal awareness, independent learning, and resilience.

3. Self-reflection
This concerns self-reflection in the context of your (study) career, including reflecting on the choices you make as a student during your studies, esp. with respect to what you can do with your knowledge and skills on the labour market.
In addition, reflecting on your own profile and your personal and professional development. Who are you, what can you do well, what do you find interesting, what suits you, what do you find important, what do you want to do?

4. Practical experience
Gaining practical experience through internships, work placements, projects, practical (social) assignments, which are integrated into an elective, minor or graduation assignment.

5. Labour market orientation
Gaining insight into the labour market, fields of work, jobs and career paths through, for example, guest speakers and alumni experiences from the work field, career events within the study programme, the use of the alumni mentor network, interviewing people from the work field, and shadowing/visiting companies in the context of a particular subject.

Employability in MA Literary Studies

You will also find these employability elements in your study programme. One example of a subject that pays attention to this is:
European Modernism
Please consult the course descriptions in this prospectus for a complete overview of transferable skills per course.

Activities to prepare for the labour market alongside / outside the curriculum

Every year, various activities take place, within, alongside and outside of your study programme, which contribute to your preparation for the labour market, especially where it concerns orientation towards the work field/the labour market, (career) skills and self-reflection. These activities could be hosted by your study program to discuss the key decision stages within your program. Furthermore, you may want to attend career workshops and events organised by the Humanities Career service or your study association.
For example:

  • Workshops and (faculty) career events, organised by Humanities Career Service

  • Humanities Career Event

  • Minor’s Information Market

  • Internships

  • Information about the different choices within your study program; (optional) subjects, minors, honours education, study abroad, internships, career prospects

  • Information about the choice of a master's degree

  • Study abroad festival

  • Master's Open Day

  • Workshops and career events of study association or your study program

  • Leiden University Career Zone

    The activities of student associations
    When informing yourself about the job market, do not forget that student associations, who organize their own yearly career day and social and cultural activities specially meant for students of a specific track:

  • Track English Literature and Culture: Albion Association

  • Track Italian Literature and Culture: Le Tre Corone and Italianistica weblog

  • Track German Literature and Culture: SIMP

  • Track French Literature and Culture: Gibalaux

  • Literature in Society: any of the above mentioned or Maktub

Humanities Career Service, LU Career Zone and Career Workshops Calendar

Humanities Career Service
The Humanities Career Service offers information and advice on internships, study (re)orientation and master's choice, orientation on the labour market and careers.

Leiden University Career Zone
The Leiden University Career Zone is the website for students and alumni of Leiden University to support their (study) career. You can find advice, information, (career) tests and tools in the area of (study) career planning, career possibilities with your study, job market orientation, job applications, the Alumni Mentor network, job portal, workshops and events and career services.

Workshops and events
On the Workshops calendar you will find an overview of career and application workshops, organised by the Humanities Career Service.