Department of English Studies

Taught MA Courses in Literary Studies

We offer a Taught MA in English Literary Studies with a wide variety of modules, which can be moulded to fit various formal pathways. This gives you the freedom to specialise, or to study broadly.

By undertaking one of our MA courses, you'll be studying with acknowledged experts in the subject, and will write a dissertation or carry out a research or Creative Writing project on the subject of your choice. Durham is one of the best English Departments in the country, offering the opportunity to study at the highest level in a supportive environment.

After I arrived in Durham, it was quite daunting to move from the light-hearted welcoming week at my college to the serious, academic environment of the English department. As it turned out, I had no reason to worry at all - the staff were very friendly and welcoming, as were the students. Most of us were new to Durham, and a large portion of the group is international as well.

Ida Marie Halvorsen

Former MA student

MA Pathways

Choose from one of the following literary studies pathways:

English Literary Studies (MA) Choice, flexibility and the opportunity to specialise; learn from the rich variety of research expertise in the Department.
Medieval and Renaissance Literary Studies (MA) From Old Norse to Renaissance texts, from medieval manuscripts to critical theory.
Romantic and Victorian Literary Studies (MA) Roam over a century of literary ideas, from Romantic legacies to the representation of gender in Victorian culture.
Twentieth- and Twenty-First Century Literary Studies (MA) From revolutionary poetry to contemporary US narratives, and underpinned by critical theory, engage with the complexities of modernity and postmodernity.
Studies in Poetry (MA) Focus on a particular genre, sampling the development of poetic form through various periods.

Find out more about what it's like to study on one of our pathways in a blog from our former MA (and now PhD) student, Lydia Shaw.

Other MA Programmes

Other opportunities beyond our literary studies MA programmes include:

Creative Writing MA

Taught by award-winning creative writers on an academically rigorous programme.

A person writing in a notebook with a cup of coffee

Interdisciplinary MAs

We contribute to interdisciplinary MA programmes in Medical Humanities, Medieval and Early Modern Studies, the Digital Humanities, and Environmental Humanities.