MA Philosophy and Literature

Like the Philosophy MRes, this programme is designed as a 12-month research training Master’s. One part (80 credits) is dedicated to the four Master’s-level modules, taken in the autumn and spring semesters – each of which must be passed separately – and a second part (100 credits) is dedicated to your dissertation in the summer (inclusive of attendance at a course-long workshop). It is also very well suited to students who want to continue their studies beyond the MA, purely for interest or to add value to their existing qualifications and take the subject further, and with no special intention of pursuing a PhD. Because it encourages initiative, the ability to reflect on one’s own studies, and a range of literary skills, and since it culminates in a substantial piece of research, this MA provides a good foundation for many leadership roles and graduate career routes.

The MA in Philosophy and Literature encourages you to explore the deep links between the two subjects at many levels. You can choose from a wide range of modules in both subjects, working alongside students in the renowned School of Literature and Creative Writing, and sharing the postgraduate workshop module and some core modules with the MRes Philosophy students. In the first semester there is a co-taught module featuring experts from both fields; this makes the MA a genuinely joint degree, and not one in which the two subjects are only taught in parallel.

In the autumn you take a core module in Methodology and Epistemology of Philosophy, and a research-led module called Criticism/Critique, which is an interdisciplinary exploration jointly taught by experts from our departments of Philosophy, Politics and the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing. In the spring you will take the Philosophy of Literature module, where you will explore the core philosophical (aesthetic, ethical, and so on) questions we face in creating and engaging with the literary arts. You will also engage with a variety of influential readings concerning notions of truth, authority, meaning, morality and other themes in relation to literature and its value.

You may also choose one further module from options in literature or philosophy. These include Ludic Literature; Creative-Critical Writing; and you may also request supervision on a topic of your own design in a series of essays and one-on-one tutorials, as is the case for the MRes students. In addition, you will attend the Philosophy Postgraduate Workshop throughout the year, in which you and other students will exchange ideas and present your work for discussion, and take part in a variety of research activities in both departments.

In the summer, after completing the taught modules, you will undertake a dissertation, written on a subject of your own devising and under the guidance of a supervisor.

The degree can also be studied part-time.