Literary study is socially relevant: from the medieval to the modern, it maps the forces which divide and unite people. The themes of conflict and co-operation are at the core of the Master's track in English Literature and Culture, a programme that allows students a broad choice from a range of modules drawing on the full historical and geographical sweep of English literature.
It is a key tenet of the track that the academic study of English literature can be used to reflect on the ways that people - as individuals and as groups - interact with one another and that it provides a catalyst for insight into contemporary social debates. Literature captures the separation and the solidarity of its writers and audiences in a manner particular to itself: it is a multidisciplinary practice that is as various as the texts it studies. The programme's core themes of conflict and co-operation take their inspiration from the Dutch National Research Agenda which was established by a coalition of academic and business organisations (including the Confederation of Netherlands Industry & Employers, and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research). It is also linked to sustainable society, a research priority of the university.
Programme options
Master Honours College (honours program)
The Honours Programme is designed for students who want to get more out of themselves and their academic training. The Honours College gives talented, motivated Master students the opportunity to challenge themselves even more by offering an extra programme of 15 ECTS that is followed in addition to the regular Master's degree programme. The Master's Honours Programme is geared toward the development of leadership skills.
Master's placement
During this Master's track, you can follow a Master's placement for ECTS credit points. This placement offers students the opportunity to work experience and of orientation on the labour market. You can do a placement at an institution, organization or company in the Netherlands or abroad. It is your responsibility to find a placement, but the Mobility Office can offer help where necessary.
Programme schedule
The course titles above are recent examples. Courses can vary each year. Recent interdisciplinary courses dealt with European modernism, minority literature and homosexuality in nineteenth and twentieth-century literature.
Placements (which are optional) are arranged by the students themselves but they are supervised by the English Department which will give you advice about them.
Students can also follow Master language courses. These courses are jointly organized by the English departments of the universities of the Netherlands and courses take place all over the country. You may follow Master language courses in consultation with the Board of Examiners of your Master's degree programme.
Admission requirements
| Specific requirements | More information |
| language test | Minimum language requirements of TOEFL iBT 90 (with a minimum of 21 on all items), or IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum of 6 on all items). ERK level B2 (preferably C1). |
| previous education | A Bachelor's degree in the field of English Language, Literature and/or Culture. |
| other admission requirements | To assess whether your educational/academic background meets the specific programme requirements, we will consider the level and curriculum of your previous studies and the grades that you have obtained. This evaluation is carried out by our Admissions Office and the Admissions Board. Applicants with degrees that have a significant amount of credits related to English literature and cultures may have the option of taking courses from the department's BA degree to qualify for entry to this MA. |
Tuition fees
| Nationality | Year | Fee | Programme form |
| EU/EEA | 2018-2019 | €2060 | full-time |
| non-EU/EEA | 2018-2019 | €11500 | full-time |
Application deadlines
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2018, 15 October 2018 | 01 September 2018, 01 February 2019 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2018, 15 October 2018 | 01 September 2018, 01 February 2019 |
Job prospects
A Master's track in English is a well-recognised postgraduate qualification in a market where having a good BA is no longer enough. Graduates go on to work in a variety of fields including the following:
- publishing
- teaching
- research
- translation
- journalism
- administrative jobs
- cultural industries
Some jobs are related to English literature (publishing) while other opportunities arise from the skills that are integral to the course. The most obvious of these is the ability to use English, a facility that is as prized in countries where it is the native language as it is in places where it is a medium for commerce. Whether they study Beowulf or Virginia Woolf, our MA students hone their analytical and interpretative skills and work on expressing complex ideas clearly in writing and in oral presentations. They work on texts from other places or times and so engage with cultures other than their own, developing flexibility in habits of mind necessary in a globalised environment.
Finally, graduates have written a thesis, thereby demonstrating their ability to manage their time and to work independently, two vital skills for responsible jobs. Regardless of where you go to work, the first thing you will have to do is to persuade an employer that you are right for a job. Jobs don't simply attach themselves naturally to the holders of a particular degree - they need to be won, and the skills imparted in the study of our MA provide graduates with the tools they need to do this.