MA in Old English Studies

The School of English has a long established reputation for teaching the earliest forms of the English language.

This course offers students an integrated programme of study in the Old English language and its literature.

During the course of the MA, equal status is given to the linguistic and literary dimensions. Students are able to undertake a close analysis of selected texts alternating with an investigation into the history of the Old English language, in respect both of its Germanic and Indo-European roots and of its later development into Middle and Modern English. Philology is also an important element of the course, though prior specialist linguistic knowledge (for instance, of historical sound-changes) is not expected.

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:

• library and IT training
• participation in general postgraduate research seminars
• lectures by visiting academics
• in-sessional support for international students

 

Course structure

The programme is organised around two core modules: Old English Texts (I and II) and Old English in History (I and II). These are both taught (in two-hour seminars, in alternate weeks) throughout the autumn and the spring semesters. Text-work includes a detailed study of Beowulf. In addition, a range of optional modules is available to enable students to consolidate further their knowledge of Anglo-Saxon culture and/or to extend their academic experience into related areas of early medieval studies. Current options include Runes, Old Norse, and The Study of Place-Names. Students are encouraged to develop a research strength in one area of study (e.g. a specific genre of literature or group of texts, or an aspect of the history of the English language), while also increasing their knowledge of the wider field of Anglo-Saxon studies. The compulsory dissertation is researched and written during the summer and may be an extension of work covered in modules taken in the Autumn and Spring semesters.

The course aims to provide students with:

• a practical understanding of the origins of the Old English language, its development during the Anglo-Saxon period, and its subsequent evolution
  a detailed knowledge of the literature of Anglo-Saxon England in its early medieval context
• an informed knowledge of research approaches and methodologies in Old English language and literature
• a firm research background for those considering future doctoral research

Prospective students are expected to have prior knowledge of Old English at undergraduate level. In exceptional circumstances, those without this knowledge may be admitted to the course, and extra language supervision will be provided for the first four weeks of the first semester.

The course structure below reflects the modules that will be taught and assessed in the academic year 2011/12. The course structures are updated in April of each year to show the course content for the following academic session. If you have any queries concerning the course structure please contact the PG Administrator at english-postgrad@nottingham.ac.uk. 

September to June

Students must take all modules in this group:

• Q34317 Old English Texts I
• Q34318 Old English Texts II
• Q34302 Basic Techniques in Medieval English Studies
• Q34328 Research and Career Planning for Medievalists'
• Q34323 Old English in History I
• Q34324 Old English in History II

In the Spring Semester, students must take a further 30 credits, choosing from the list of available options. Current options include:

• Q34301 The Study of Place-Names
• Q34303 Voyages of the Sea-Kings: Viking Age Scotland
• Q34311 Reading Old Icelandic Literature
• Q34304 Of Gods and Kings: Viking Age Poetry
• Q34306 The Language of Stones: Runes and runic inscriptions of the Viking Age
• Q34309 Warriors and Valkyries: Gender in the Viking Age 

June to September

• Q34999 Dissertation

The course convenor and principal tutor is Dr Richard Marsden but other tutors with expertise in specific areas contribute to the teaching, especially of Old English in History.

 

Studying in the Medieval Section in the School

Students who join this MA programme join a close community of staff and students.

 

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) which is set towards the end of the semester in which the module is taught; the dissertation module is assessed by written work of 12,000-15,000 words.

 

Reading List

There is no set list of texts you should have read before embarking on your MA programme. As a postgraduate student, you will now be expected to track down your own sources, both primary and secondary, and develop your own critical sense of what is worth reading and what is not.

If you have already done some Old English/Anglo-Saxon Studies as an undergraduate, you should dig out your old books and reading lists, and refresh your memory of what you have already read. You are especially encouraged to improve or consolidate your knowledge of Old English by revising grammar and working your way through some texts. If your Old English is rudimentary, you will be expected to bring it up to scratch during the first few weeks of the course. Your tutor will help you here, though the hard work needed can only come from you.

The texts to be read in Old English will be selected from those edited in:

Marsden, R, The Cambridge Old English Reader, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2004.

You should read as widely as possible in Old English and other early medieval literatures (in translation if necessary at this stage). It is especially desirable that you have some basic knowledge of the history of English, including its Indo-European and Germanic background and its earlier periods of development (Old and Middle English). There are many introductory works available - including:

• Charles Barner, The English Language: A Historical Introduction (Cambridge, 1993)
• Thomas Pyles and John Ageo, The Origins and Development of the English Language, 4th edition (Fort Worth, TX, etc, 1992).
• A.C. Baugh and T. Cable, A History of the English Language, 4th ed. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1993; the 3rd ed. is also fine).
• Orrin W. Robinson, Old English and its Closest Relatives: A Survey of the Earliest Germanic Languages (London: Routledge, 1992).

The earlier chapters of each of these are the ones you'll need.

Use your local library or secondhand bookshop as a resource. You can also buy cheap (and not so cheap) used books easily at Abe Books.

There are many new books on Old English and Anglo-Saxon topics coming out, both popular and more scholarly. You could log yourself onto Hallward Library's online catalogue here to familiarise yourself with what is available.

There are also many relevant websites - some good, many not so good. Again, do your own searches, and aim to develop your own critical sense: one very useful website is the homepage of TOEBI (Teachers of English in Britain and Ireland).

 

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