Programme structure: English Literature (MA) - what's running in 2026/27

Please note: Programme and unit information may change as the relevant academic field develops. We may also make changes to the structure of programmes and assessments to improve the student experience.

    This section describes which Units you will take in which year of study. It indicates which units are mandatory and where you will be able to choose. The overall pass marks you will need to achieve in order to progress or achieve an award are shown. The full regulations concerning progression and completion are held in the University's Regulations and Code of Practice. Any particular aspects of your programme that are unusual will be highlighted. If any Units are must pass this will be shown below. The linked unit specifications detail any additional requirements.

    What do the Levels represent?

    What do the teaching blocks (TB) mean?

    If you are selecting optional units, ensure that you have a balanced workload through the year.

  • Year 1 (2026/27)
Unit name Unit code Credit points Status Teaching Block
Introduction to Literary Research ENGLM3029 40 Mandatory TB-1
Dissertation ENGLM0006 60 Mandatory AYEAR
Teaching block 1 Pathway units (20 credit points) from the following
Modernism, Experimentation and Form ENGLM0039 20 Optional TB-1
Renaissance Literature: Texts and Contexts ENGLM0037 20 Optional TB-1
Romantic Poetry and Poetics ENGLM3009 20 Optional TB-1
Literature and the Environment: Diverse Perspectives ENGLM0066 20 Optional TB-1
Teaching block 2 Pathway units. Choose two units (40 credit points) from the following list
Select from:
Hamlet: Text and Interpretation ENGLM3012 20 Optional TB-2
Literature 1940-1970: Writing After War, After Modernism ENGLM0035 20 Optional TB-2
Reimagining Shakespeare ENGLM0085 20 Optional TB-2
Victorian Literature and Place ENGLM0034 20 Optional TB-2
Contemporary Literature ENGLM0038 20 Optional TB-2
The Gothic ENGLM0040 20 Optional TB-2
Writing in the Elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Uranium ENGLM0067 20 Optional TB-2
Animal Planet: Humans and other animals in modernity ENGLM0056 20 Optional TB-2
Teaching block 2 additional units (20 credit points)
Personal Option Unit 2 HUMSM0004 20 Optional TB-1,TB-2
Supervised Individual Study AFACM0008 20 Optional TB-1,TB-2
Confronting the Modern in World Literature MODLM0073 20 Optional TB-2
Queer Lives MODLM0070 20 Optional TB-2
Creative Writing Workshop ENGLM0092 20 Optional TB-2
Literatures of the Global South and its Diasporas ENGLM0088 20 Optional TB-2
Technologies of the Text ENGLM0091 20 Optional TB-2
MA English Literature   180    

Award requirements

The pass mark set by the University for any level 7 unit is 50 out of 100.

For detailed rules on the award of credit, reassessment and award of a qualification please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes and the relevant faculty handbook.

Degree classifications:

A classification will be awarded in the following qualifications:

  • Taught postgraduate Masters degree, including a Master of Research (MRes)
  • Postgraduate Diplomas and Certificates where these are specifically named entry-level qualifications
  • Exit awards of Postgraduate Diplomas and Certificates in designated programmes (as described in the programme specification) where students choose to withdraw from the intended programme but otherwise achieve the necessary credit points for the exit award.

A classification is not awarded for exit awards where students are required to withdraw from the programme on academic grounds.

The overall final programme mark is calculated as the average of all unit marks in the programme, weighted by credit point value.

The classification of the award in relation to the final programme mark is as follows:

  • Distinction = final programme mark of 70+
  • Merit = final programme mark of 60-69
  • Pass = final programme mark of 50-59
  • Fail = final programme mark of 49 or less

* The MA in Law has separate regulations for awarding distinction and merit.

Diploma/certificate stages:

To be awarded a postgraduate diploma, students must have successfully completed 120 credit points, of which 100 must be at level 7.

To be awarded a postgraduate certificate, students must have successfully completed 60 credit points, of which 40 must be at level 7.

Related links