MA in English Studies
This innovative and flexible programme gives students the opportunity to specialise simultaneously in several areas of English studies: Modern English Literature, English Language and Applied Linguistics, Drama/Performance and Medieval Literature and Language.
This MA is particularly suited to those students who wish to broaden the range of their experiences as undergraduates without losing the focus and depth which characterises postgraduate study. Students who are keen to pursue a career teaching English in higher education, together with in-service teachers who wish to update their skills, will also find this course particularly useful as it provides an ideal introduction to the main subject-areas encompassed with English studies. Further features include:
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a theoretical grounding in research methodology
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one-to-one tuition with expert members of staff
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choice from a wide range of modules
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programmes of study tailored to individual needs
All MA students in the School of English join a lively and thriving postgraduate community. In addition to dedicated taught courses, students also benefit from:
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library and IT training
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participation in general postgraduate research seminars
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lectures by visiting academics
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in-sessional support for international students
Course Structure
Full-time students normally complete the course within one year; part-time students must take between 24 and 36 months to complete. The MA consists of taught modules totalling 120 credits (which are taken during the autumn and spring semesters) and a 60-credit dissertation module (undertaken over the summer period). Full-time students normally take 60 credits of taught modules in each semester; part-time students normally take 30 credits.
The course structure below reflects the modules that will be taught and assessed in the academic year 2011/12. If you have any queries concerning the course structure please contact the PG Administrator at english-postgrad@nottingham.ac.uk .
The School of English has key research areas in English Literature, Medieval Literature and Language, and English Language. For 2012/13, students on the MA in English Studies must choose to specialise in two key areas. There are, accordingly, three possible combinations:
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Modern English Literature and Medieval Literature and Language
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Modern English Literature and English Language and Applied Linguistics
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English Language and Applied Linguistics and Medieval Language and Literature
Degree and Diploma students
The following module information reflects the modules being offered in the current academic year (2011/12). The module information for 2012/13 will be updated here shortly.
September to June
In the Autumn Semester students will be expected to take a number of compulsory modules dependent on the two areas that they wish to study.
English Literature and Medieval Literature and Language
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Q34201 Research Methods for Literature and Language (15 credits)
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Q34329 Research and Career Planning for Medievalists' (15 credits)
English Literature and Drama
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Q34537 Research Methods in Literature and Drama (30 credits)
English Literature and English Language
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Q34201 Research Methods in Literature and Language (15 credits)
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Q34204 Approaches to Language and Linguistics (15 credits)
Medieval Literature and Language and Drama
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Q34537 Research Methods in Literature and Drama (30 credits)
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Q34329 Research and Career Planning for Medievalists (15 credits)
Medieval Literature and Language and English Language
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Q34329 Research and Career Planning for Medievalists (15 credits)
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Q34204 Approaches to Language and Linguistics (15 credits)
Drama and English Language
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Q34537 Research Methods in Literature and Drama (30 credits)
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Q34204 Approaches to Language and Linguistics (15 credits)
Students must take at least a further 15 credits from each of their two chosen areas of study, and overall, must take at least 75 credits across their chosen areas (including one group of research modules above). Students who have chosen Drama must take Q34821 Independent Project . Students taking Q34821 must also attend dramaturgy sessions in the Autumn Semester as arranged by Dr G Ramsay in the School.
Students must also take a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 90 extra credits across their two areas of specialism. Details of the modules available for 2011/12 are listed below.
Additionally students are free to take between 30 and 45 credits outside of their two areas of specialism if they wish to maintain a broader MA course. Please see below for a full list of available modules.
Semester 1
English Language and Applied Linguistics
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Q34151 Literary Linguistics 1 (15 credits)
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Q34171 Narratology (15 credits)
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Q34178 Psychology of Language (15 credits)
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Q34182 Research Methods in Applied Linguistics: Discourse Analysis (15 credits)
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Q34198 Research Methods in Applied Linguistics: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods (15 credits)
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Q34203 Business and Organisational Communication (15 credits)
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Q34207 Research in Literary Linguistics (15 credits)
English Literature
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Q34532 What is a Text? (15 credits)
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Q34533 What is Literary Research? (15 credits)
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Q34537 Research Methods in Literature and Drama (30 credits)
Drama
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Q34820 Issues in Theatre Research (15 credits)
Medieval
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Q34302 Basic Techniques in Medieval English Studies (15 credits)
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Q34307 The Hammer and the Cross (15 credits)
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Q34309 Warriors and Valkyries (15 credits)
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Q34310 World of the Vikings: Research Approaches and Methodology in Viking studies (15 credits)
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Q34311 Reading Old Icelandic Literature (15 credits)
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Q34317 Old English Texts I (15 credits)
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Q34321 Old Norse Texts I (15 credits)
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Q34323 Old English in History I (15 credits)
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Q34327 Middle English Romance (15 credits)
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Q34330 Middle English Language (15 credits)
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Q34331 Middle English Literature (15 credits)
Semester 2
English Language and Applied Linguistics
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Q34163 Language and Gender 1 (15 credits)
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Q34175 Cognition and Literature (15 credits)
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Q34176 Consciousness in Fiction (15 credits)
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Q34181 Second Language Acquisition (15 credits)
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Q34196 Group Dynamics & Motivation in the Language Classroom (15 credits)
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Q34199 Intercultural Communication (15 credits)
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Q34200 Sociolinguistics of Work (15 credits)
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Q34205 Dickens and Language (15 credits)
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Q34206 Grammar in the Classroom (15 credits)
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Q34208 The Psychology of Foreign Language Learning
English Literature
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Q34523 Literature and Identity c.1789-1914 (30 credits)
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Q34525 Literature in Britain Since 1950 (30 credits)
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Q34534 Modernism: Inside and Outside (30 credits)
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Q34536 Popular Literature in the Late Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries (30 credits)
Drama
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Q34825 Performance Practice and Analysis (30 credits)
Medieval
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Q34301 The Study of Place-Names (30 credits)
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Q34303 Voyages of the Sea-Kings: Viking Age Scotland (15 credits)
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Q34304 Of Gods and Kings: Viking-Age Poetry (15 credits)
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Q34306 The Language of Stones: Runes and Runic Inscriptions of the Viking Age (15 credits)
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Q34318 Old English Texts II (15 credits)
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Q34320 The Makars: Scottish Literature 1375-1513 (15 credits)
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Q34322 Old Norse Texts II (15 credits)
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Q34324 Old English in History II (15 credits)
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Q34326 Virtual Viking: The Irish Sea Littoral in the Viking Age (15 credits)
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Q34327 Middle English Romance (15 credits)
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Q34328 Repesentations of Arthur (15 credits)
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Q34D10 The History of the Book 1200-1600 (15 credits)
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Q34333 Introduction to Editing Middle English (15 credits)
Degree students only
June to September
Assessment
All taught modules are assessed by written work of between 3,000 words (for a 15 credit module) and 6,000 words (for a 30 credit module). The research management module is assessed by portfolio and presentation. For the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in English Studies, students complete 120 credits of taught modules; with no dissertation requirement. The dissertation module is assessed by written work of 12,000-15,000 words. Students may choose to write on a new topic, or they may extend their research into a topic already addressed in assessed work with the proviso that they must not substantially repeat work already assessed. Students will be assigned a tutor to supervise their dissertation, which will normally be written up during the summer months, from June to September.
Reading List
A reading list for this MA will be available in due course.
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