Modernities: Literature, Theory & Culture

Student testimonials

My first priority when I undertook the MLitt in Modernities was to pursue my interest in modern literature and achieve a significant depth of knowledge in that area. My second priority was to develop the professional academic skills required in order to undertake PhD study. Upon beginning the course, the enormity of both these tasks was made evident to me ­ but what made it possible was a variety of factors: the quality of the course programme in terms of design and options, the intellectual vigour and commitment of all members of academic staff, the warmth and generosity of individual tutors, and the networks of support and professional development offered by the department, college and university as a whole. I have, since my year on the MLitt, completed a PhD thesis focussed around three modernist authors: a success not only shaped by my time on the Modernities  programme but fundamentally determined by it. I, therefore, look back on my MLitt study as a crucial stage in my academic development. More importantly, I remember it affectionately as an inspiring time in my life. (Rex Ferguson, 2005-6)

I look back at the MLitt in Modernities as an exciting year of encountering an amazing diversity of cultural and literary responses to modernity. There is a clear passion for modernist studies in the English Department, and the enthusiasm of the tutors and their combined wealth of expertise make this Masters course a challenging and rewarding experience. Doing the course inspired me to stay on to do a PhD, and I continue to feel very lucky to be surrounded by such a rich concentration of resources. (Nina Enemark, 2007-8)

I am pleased to say that my expectations of the course were surpassed. The learning curve was steep and I left the course with a greatly enhanced confidence in my writing abilities. I gained the most from essays where I learnt to analyse literature and attain high standards of academic presentation. The emphasis on original thinking and argumentation was a challenge throughout the course but was also extremely useful in preparing me for doctoral study. Staff on the course always encouraged my ambitions and their criticism was perceptive and helped me improve the quality of my work. I continue to have good relationships with my tutors three years after leaving the course, an indication of how genuinely friendly they are. I remain grateful to my professors who helped me complete the degree. Finally, the high regard in which the course and the university are held has opened doors for me in my post-university life. (Ashok Patnaik, 2007-8)

The Modernities MLitt provides a wide-ranging yet rigorous course of study.  Modernism and modernity is a particularly dynamic area of research in the English Literature department, and the lecturers bring passion as well as expertise to the classes. Furthermore, there is a vibrant postgraduate scene - as, for instance, in the Theory @ Random reading group - which provides creative and critical stimulus, and a network of friendly, like-minded people outside of classes. Many Modernities graduates (myself included) stay on to do doctoral research at Glasgow - proof of the quality of work and strength of the community here. (Henry King, 2009-10)

I came to the MLitt in Modernities with a background in Victorian Studies and the course allowed me to explore the literary developments from fin-de-siècle literature to modernism and postmodernism. The academics who led the seminars helped me develop an astute consciousness of historical circularity, as they consistently drew our attention to different authors' treatment of ancient and modern myths. The course covered an impressive range of texts and provided us with a good understanding of modernist and postmodernist "classics," but also encouraged an engagement with popular culture. The teaching staff did an excellent job in getting even the shiest students to participate in class discussions and the debates we had on subjects such as gender relations, publishing practices and curriculum development provided very useful insights into the theoretical and practical aspects of literary study. I have since completed a PhD on Victorian diaries and have just started a postdoctoral project focusing on the literature of industrialisation. The MLitt in Modernities, particularly through the expertise and warm encouragement by the members of staff teaching its wide-ranging modules, has deepened my knowledge of historical research and theoretical approaches, but foremost it has given me the courage to be inquisitive. (Anne-Marie Millim, 2004-5)

Undertaking the MLitt in Modernities has provided me with a foundation for academic life: through the breadth and intellectual rigour of the course itself, its avant-garde sensibility both in what is presented to students and in the liberty offered to explore their own interests under expert guidance, and also in the community established between staff and peers .  The MLitt was the catalyst for my continuing on to complete a PhD, and to enter into academia; moreover, its collegiality in all aspects - educational, social, pastoral - has given me support and friendships which have been a parallel education in the discipline.  Come to live Modernities at Glasgow - experience the shock of the new. (Maria-Daniella Dick, 2005-6)

After my undergraduate degree in English and Art History, I knew that I was a modernist. I chose the M.Litt in Modernities because its thematic and temporal organisation allowed me to pursue my interests in literature, visual art and critical theory simultaneously. I enjoyed the dynamic approach to the core courses in which students and tutors contributed equally—a welcome change from the seminars I had taken in Canada. The tutors were always eager to make critical connections between the materials studied and what was going on in contemporary culture. Whether it was political events, artistic scandals, or media discourse, these types of connections insist on the continued relevance of studying modernism and modernity to global culture more broadly. Upon returning to Canada after the M.Litt, I worked as a freelance editor for two years and won a number of contracts because I had the M.Litt from Glasgow and had worked with eSharp and the Kelvingrove Review. More importantly, perhaps, when it came to applying for doctoral funding, I was successful with both government funding bodies and university scholarships, and I have no doubt that this was as much because of the prestige of the program as from the relationships I developed with tutors during the course. I am certain that had I not taken the Modernist Sexualities and Oulipo special option courses—which allowed me to continue my research in French culture from Surrealism to the present—I would not now be pursuing my doctoral degree in contemporary French literature at Oxford. (Kate Morris, 2006-7)