MA English and Related Literature (by research)

Carry out a research project on any period of English literature under the guidance of our expert academics.

International fees

	Length	Start dates (semester dates)
MA by research	1 year full-time 2 years part-time Apply for MA by research	September

Length

Start dates (semester dates)

MA by research

1 year full-time
2 years part-time

Apply for MA by research

September

Carry out extended research from across a range of literary periods and genres. Develop your ideas under the guidance of expert academics to build a sustained argument.

Your research

The MA by research is available on a full-time or part-time basis. You'll receive training in research methods and an opportunity for supervised study leading to the presentation of a dissertation which offers a sustained argument in relation to any period of English literature, or any of our related areas of study.

You'll write a supervised dissertation of between 25,000 and 30,000 words. This word limit includes quotations and footnotes, but excludes the bibliography and plate/figure captions.

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Research training

You'll receive training in research methods and skills appropriate to the stage you've reached and the nature of your work. In addition to regular supervisory meetings to discuss planning, researching and writing the thesis, we offer sessions on bibliographic and archival resources (digital, print and manuscript). You'll receive guidance in applying to and presenting at professional conferences, preparing and submitting material for publication and applying for jobs. We meet other training needs in handling research data, various modern languages, palaeography and bibliography. Classical and medieval Latin are also available.

You'll also benefit from the rich array of research and training sessions at the Humanities Research Centre.

Course location

This course is run by the Department of English and Related Literature.

You'll be based on Campus West, though your research may take you further afield.

Entry requirements

For an MA by research, you should hold or be predicted to achieve a first-class degree with honours (or equivalent international qualification). A Masters degree is not necessary.

The undergraduate degree should be in literature, or in a related subject that is closely tied to the proposed research project.

Other relevant experience and expertise are considered:

Relevant professional experience can be outlined in your personal statement and/or a CV if you choose to include one.
You are welcome to include a narrative description of relevant life experiences in your personal statement. This might include caring responsibilities, career breaks, barriers you have faced, and declaring your belonging to an under-represented group if you wish.
Evidence of training in research techniques (for example through the completion of a BA dissertation) may be an advantage.
It is expected that you would be familiar with the recent published work of your proposed supervisor.
Publications are not required and we don't expect you to have been published before you start your research degree.

Applying

Take a look at the supporting documents you need for your application. These include two recent samples of your written work.

Before applying, we advise you to identify a potential supervisor in the department. Preliminary enquiries are welcomed and should be made as early as possible. Please email one member of staff at a time, after checking that their research expertise matches your project. Emailing several staff members at a time regardless of the relationship between their research interests and yours means that you are unlikely to find a good supervisory match.

If it's not clear which member of staff is appropriate, you should email the Graduate Chair.

Apply for MA English and Related Literature (by research)

Find out more about how to apply.

English language requirements

You'll need to provide evidence of your proficiency in English if it's not your first language.

Check your English language requirements

Research proposal

In order to apply for an MA by research, we ask that you submit a research proposal as part of your application.

The proposal for the course should be 400-500 words, including referencing. You'll also need to provide a summary of your research proposal between 250 and 350 words.

When making your application, you're advised to make your research proposals as specific and clear as possible. Please indicate the member(s) of staff that you'd wish to work with.

Research proposal guidance

Your research proposal should:

Identify the precise topic of your research and communicate the main aim of your project.
Provide a rigorous and thorough description of your proposed research, including the current scholarly conversations and debates you will address and engage with.
Describe any previous work you have done in this area, with reference to relevant literature you have read so far.
Offer an outline of the argument’s main claims.
Give a clear indication of the authors and texts that your project will address.
Include the academic factors, such as university facilities, libraries resources, centres, other resources, and / or staff, which have specifically led you to apply to York.

What we look for:

How you place your topic in conversation with the scholarly landscape: what has already been accomplished and how you will engage with this critical work in your project. This is your chance to show that you have a good understanding of the relevant work on your topic and that you have identified a good way to research and approach the topic.
Your voice as a critical thinker. In clean, clear prose, show those who will assess your application how your proposal demonstrates your informed thinking and the potential of your research.
Your fit with York, including the reasons for working with your supervisor and relevant research schools and centres.
Above all, remember that there isn’t one uniform way to structure and arrange your research proposal, and that your approach will necessarily reflect your chosen topic.

Admissions

The core deciding factor for admission is the quality of the research proposal, though your whole academic profile will be taken into account. We are committed to ensuring that no prospective or existing student is treated less favourably. See our admissions policy for more information.

There are several stages in the Postgraduate Research admissions process:

PGR admissions process for English and Related Literature

First, your application will be reviewed by admissions teams centrally to check that it is complete.

Second, your application will be reviewed by staff in the Department to check that it fulfils our entry requirements. The quality of supporting documents such as your two writing samples will be considered, along with the quality, relevance and potential of your research proposal, which will be evaluated against the guidelines on research proposals published above.

Third, if those checks have been passed and if we have the capacity to supervise your project, you will be invited to an interview to ensure a good supervisory match. The interview will be conversational and relaxed, but it is a formal part of the selection process.

This interview will last approximately 30-40 minutes and is likely to be online. Alternatives to an online meeting can be made available if requested. You can request reasonable adjustments, owing to a disability or caring commitments, for example. You will be interviewed by two members of staff.

The core interview questions might include the following:

What inspired your proposed research topic/project?
Which part of your research project are you most looking forward to? Why?
Are there experiences in your previous studies, or broader life experiences, which you feel have prepared you for postgraduate research? How?
Is there anything you’d like to ask about postgraduate study in the Department of English and Related Literature?

These sample questions account for the fact that, at this stage, it is normal to be unsure about what your actual project will look like in practice. Your interviewers may ask you follow-up questions if anything is unclear to them, including questions about your research proposal and proposed research area.

You will be notified of the Department’s decision after the interview.

If your application is rejected at this stage or at an earlier stage, this does not necessarily mean that your research proposal is not of good quality. Sometimes, we have to regretfully decline good applications, because the project is not aligned with the research expertise we can offer or because the academic staff who could supervise your project are at maximum capacity with PGR supervision and cannot take on more PGR students at present.

If your application is accepted, we very much hope that you will accept our offer. We will be delighted to welcome you to our research community when you join us!

Careers and skills

Our dedicated careers team offer specific support, including a programme of professional researcher development. We also offer careers workshops and 1:1 career support sessions. They will help you to build up your employability portfolio and to engage in activities that will improve your skills and experience within and outside your research work.

Our postgraduates go into academia and teaching, arts administration, journalism, broadcasting, public relations, social work, politics, the civil service, management consultancy and many more professions.

Find out more