
MA in English Literature
Birmingham, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 up to 2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
29 Aug 2025*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 10,900 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for UK students | 12 May 2025 for international students
** £10,900: full time | £5,450: part time
Introduction
You'll turn your passion for reading into transferable critical thinking skills. On the MA you'll conduct rigorous research and analyse literature, developing your own interpretations - perfect for preparing for a PhD or a wide range of careers.
Our English Literature MA explores many literary and cultural texts across key literary periods.
You can focus in-depth on the area of English Literature you're passionate about with our pathway options. You'll discover new ways to approach literature by considering different theories, methods and the key intellectual debates surrounding literary movements.
- Live in a city that shares your love of literature - contribute to our student newspaper, enjoy talks from high profile authors like Michael Rosen, and attend city-wide literary festivals.
- Join postgraduate-run literary reading groups or attend talks and conferences led by academic staff in the department.
- The University of Birmingham is ranked in the top 30 for English Language and Literature (QS World University Rankings 2024).
Career Opportunities
By studying a postgraduate degree in English Literature at Birmingham, you’ll develop transferable skills suited to a range of career paths. These skills include an ability to analyse information, being able to work independently, critical thinking skills and the ability to present your ideas.
Our English graduates enter many roles, including:
- Editorial
- Bid Writer
- Publicity
Employers our English graduates have worked for include:
- Birmingham Museums Trust
- Hachette UK
- Penguin Random House
Careers Network
Get ready for tomorrow, with advice, guidance and opportunities at every step of your studies. From developing new skills to preparing for a PhD, our Careers Network can help you gain an advantage in the job market or advance in your field.
Whatever you plan to do after your degree, the Careers Network offers a range of events and support services including networking opportunities, career coaching, one-to-one guidance, careers fairs and links with leading graduate recruiters. We also offer subject-specific careers consultants and a dedicated careers website for international students.
Curriculum
Please visit the course webpage below for up-to-date information on modules.
Admissions
Program Tuition Fee
Scholarships and Funding
Scholarships
To help you afford your studies, we’ve put more than £33 million into student support and scholarships. We also offer a range of advice on searching for funding and managing your finances.
Explore scholarships and funding
Scholarships for international students
At Birmingham, we believe in removing all barriers to education, so all of our talented students can achieve their full potential. As an international student you can take advantage of our wide range of University run scholarships as well as the many scholarships and bursaries from external funding organizations.
International student scholarships
125th Anniversary Scholarships for International Students
We have a proud heritage of removing barriers to education. In 2025, we celebrate our 125th anniversary as a University. To mark this milestone, we’re offering £4,000 scholarships to students from a select number of countries and £5,000 scholarships to students joining us from India.
Student Testimonials
Program delivery
At Birmingham, research and teaching go hand-in-hand. Lecturers and professors continue to research in their field, offering valuable expertise in English Literature.
On our MA you can choose to specialise in a specific area of English Literature. Our current pathways are:
- Medieval Literature pathway
- Long Nineteenth-Century Literature pathway
- Modern and Contemporary Literature pathway
- Popular Literature and Culture pathway
Alternatively, you can pick modules from across these literary periods. Either way, you’d need to apply to MA English Literature and if you'd like to specialise, you'll choose the pathway when you begin the course. All students who complete the course will graduate with an MA in English Literature and your degree certificate won't refer to the pathway you choose.
Course delivery
- Taught modules - each module represents a total of 200 hours of study time, including preparatory reading, homework and assignment preparation.
- Seminars – modules are mainly taught by small group teaching.
- Dissertation – you'll undertake a 12,000-word dissertation in an area that interests you.