English Literature MA
Stag Hill, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 up to 2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
15 Jul 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 21,800 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for full-time overseas students | full-time UK students: GBP 10,900 per year
Applying for a Masters at Surrey
Postgraduate Online events on 26th April, 17th May and 22nd May.
Introduction
Why Choose This Course
In a world of information overload and 'alternative facts', the ability to read between the lines is more valuable than ever. Studying English literature equips you with the skills to do this.
Our flexible course will further your ability to analyze words and literary forms, deepening your knowledge of important literary periods, movements, authors, and texts. The optionality woven into the program means you can tailor your studies to focus on the topics and texts that most interest you.
You'll benefit from the expertise of our academics who are leaders in their fields. They’ll inspire you to extend your understanding of literary history, genre, and theory, introducing you to a variety of up-to-date approaches to literary studies. You’ll also get a chance to work with our Poet and Distinguished writer-in-residence, – again, all leading exponents of their chosen literary genres.
What You Will Study
You’ll be joining a course with a strong emphasis on contemporary, 21st-century literary forms and themes, and literature and cultural production with an innovative, sometimes avant-garde dimension. The material you read (and possibly write) can therefore range from gaming narratives, screenplays, travel writing, and experimental poetry to science fiction, children’s literature, geohistorical, fiction, and queer ecology.
At the same time, there is ample scope to study other periods and more traditional, canonical texts; for example, from the medieval era or the Victorian period. The program also builds in plenty of flexibility (e.g. via its Open Writing modules, the dissertation, and several other modules), giving you scope to hone in on the topics and texts that most interest you. This means you can use the MA to lay down a good foundation for PhD study, or just to explore a particular enthusiasm or fascination in depth.
Admissions
Curriculum
Academic Year Structure
For full-time students, the year falls into three main sections: Semester 1 (in the autumn), Semester 2 (in the spring), and then a summer period in which students write up their final dissertations or creative writing portfolios (usually submitted at the beginning of September).
Part-time students typically study for two years, attending four semesters and writing up their dissertations/coursework submissions in the summer of their second year.
Modules
Modules listed are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that modules may be subject to teaching availability, student demand, and/or class size caps.
The University operates a credit framework for all taught programs based on a 15-credit tariff. Modules can be either 15, 30, 45, 75, or 120 credits, and additionally for some masters dissertations, 90 credits.
The structure of our programs follows clear educational aims that are tailored to each program. These are all outlined in the program specifications which include further details such as the learning outcomes:
Year 1
Full-Time
- 21st-century literary studies: theories, methodologies, and approaches
- Beyond Tolkien - rewriting fantasy
- Open writing
- Queer Ecologies and environmental literature
- Research and writing skills
- The age of Chivalry: medieval and early modern romance
- Travel writing past and present: themes, forms, and critical perspectives
- Women behind the screen: gender and Labor in Film
- Writing gaming
- 21st-century forms and genres
- Advanced children's literature
- Advanced screenwriting
- Building Stories- methods and Materials of Contemporary Writing
- Medieval women's writing
- Mobilities of Nation and Empire: Victorian Literature 1850-1890
- Open writing II
- Translation for the creative industries
- Writing Shakespeare
- English literature dissertation
Part-Time
- 21st-century literary studies: theories, methodologies, and approaches
- Beyond Tolkien - rewriting fantasy
- Open writing I
- Queer ecologies and environmental literature
- Research and writing skills
- The age of Chivalry: medieval and early modern romance
- Travel writing past and Present: themes, forms, and critical perspectives
- Women Behind the Screen: Gender and Labor in film
- Writing gaming
- 21st-century forms and genres
- Advanced children's literature
- Advanced screenwriting
- Building Stories- methods and Materials of contemporary writing
- Medieval women's writing
- Mobilities of Nation and Empire: Victorian Literature 1850-1890
- Open writing II
- Translation for the creative industries
- Writing Shakespeare
Year 2
- 21st-Century Literary Studies: Theories, Methodologies and Approaches
- Beyond Tolkien - Rewriting Fantasy
- Open Writing I
- Queer Ecologies and Environmental Literature
- Research and Writing Skills
- The Age of Chivalry: Medieval and Early Modern Romance
- Travel Writing Past and Present: Themes, Forms, and Critical Perspectives
- Women Behind the Screen: Gender and Labor in Film
- Writing Gaming
- 21st-Century Forms and Genres
- Advanced Children's Literature
- Advanced Screenwriting
- Building Stories- Methods and Materials of Contemporary Writing
- Medieval Women's Writing
- Mobilities of Nation and Empire: Victorian Literature 1850-1890
- Open Writing II
- Translation for The Creative Industries
- Writing Shakespeare
- English Literature Dissertation
Timetable
Course timetables are normally available one month before the start of the semester.
We usually run the English Literature MA and Creative Writing MA modules on Mondays and Tuesdays, but please note that we cannot always guarantee this, and scheduled teaching can potentially take place on any day of the week (Monday – Friday). Please therefore check with academic staff before the beginning of the academic year. Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities.
Scholarships and Funding
Discover how we can support your undergraduate and postgraduate studies with a host of bursaries and scholarships directly from the University of Surrey and external providers.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
We offer career information, advice, and guidance to all students whilst studying with us, which is extended to our alumni for three years after leaving the University.
The skills you develop in our course are a gateway to a wide range of careers in the creative industries and heritage sector and business roles such as marketing, PR, HR, and professional writing.
91 percent of our School of Literature and Languages postgraduate students go on to employment or further study (Graduate Outcomes 2023, HESA).
Some of our graduates have gone on to start their careers in the following roles:
- Content writer
- Editor
- Publisher
- Journalist
- Teacher
- Technical writer
- Arts administration.