Postgraduate taught 

English Literature: American Modern Literature MLitt

Image of Chicago at night

This Masters focuses on American literature of the late 19th century to the present day, and provides the opportunity to engage with the works of canonical American writers during the period. The courses range across fields and genres such as art history, film, ecocriticism, sociology, urban studies, travel writing and music, as well as providing a grounding in traditional and emerging narratives of modern American literary history.

  • MLitt: 12 months full-time; 24 months part‑time

Why this programme

  • You will be able to work with a team of internationally-renowned North Americanists to develop your research skills and pursue your own research interests in relation to American Modern literature.
  • The university offers superb archival resources in the special collections of our library, the Hunterian Art Gallery and Museum, as well as the nearby Kelvingrove Museum.
  • The literary analysis will be informed by Glasgow’s tradition of interdisciplinary approaches to American culture, drawing on film, music, philosophy, and art to help frame the development of American Modern literature.

Programme structure

The structure for full-time students is as follows:

Semester 1:

Semester 2:

  • AMERICAN MODERN LITERATURE 2
  • TWO OPTIONAL COURSES

Summer:

  • DISSERTATION

The two semesters of coursework are followed by one term of supervised work towards a 15,000 word dissertation. The topic normally arises out of the work of the previous two semesters, but the choice is very much open to the student’s own initiative. Your supervisor helps you to develop the proposal and plan the most appropriate reading and methodology.

Core courses

  • AMERICAN MODERN LITERATURE 1
  • AMERICAN MODERN LITERATURE 2

The course themes: Cities, Institutions, Movements, Entertainments and Anthologies represent the efforts to see writers and canons in dynamic contexts. The course also promotes dialogue and effective comparisons between sessions, suggesting different routes that you may pursue in depth during your degree.

Optional courses

You may also take, with the convenor’s permission, one course from elsewhere in the College of Arts and the University.

Programme alteration or discontinuation
The University of Glasgow endeavours to run all programmes as advertised. In exceptional circumstances, however, the University may withdraw or alter a programme. For more information, please see: Student contract.

Career prospects

The critical and analytical skills that you will acquire include:

  • the ability to find, select and manage large quantities of information
  • confident and persuasive oral and written communication
  • problem solving through creative and critical thinking.

You will also be well qualified to pursue a career in journalism, writing, teaching or academia.

Fees & funding

Tuition fees for 2020-21

MLitt

Home and EU

  • Full-time fee: £8500
  • Part-time fee: £944 per 20 credits

International

  • Full-time fee: £18370

Fee information is subject to change and is for guidance only

Additional fees

  • Fee for re-assessment of a dissertation (PGT programme): £360
  • Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed: £340
  • Registration/exam only fee: £160

Funding opportunities

Postgraduate Student Loan (NI)

If you are a Northern Irish student looking to study a taught Masters programme* in Glasgow then you can apply for a student loan in exactly the same way as you would for a University in Northern Ireland.

Northern Irish students are able to apply for non-means-tested tuition fee loans of up to £5,500, to help with the costs of funding.

For more information visit www.studentfinanceni.co.uk/types-of-finance/postgraduate .

* does not apply to Erasmus Mundus programmes

More Information

Sir Fitzroy Maclean Postgraduate Scholarship

The University of Glasgow is pleased to award a Sir Fitzroy Maclean Postgraduate scholarship available to new students, from one of the eligible countries, for September 2019 entry.

Sir Fitzroy Maclean was a Scottish soldier, author and politician. Awarded an Honorary degree of DLitt from the University in 1969, Sir Fitzroy Maclean had a long relationship with the University before he died in 1996. This scholarship was established with respect to Sir Fitzroy’s interests and passions.

The Scholarship will be awarded as a tuition fee discount and stipend.

More Information

University of Glasgow International Leadership Scholarship

The University of Glasgow has 40 International Leadership Scholarships available to international (non-EU) students starting a postgraduate taught Masters programme in any discipline in September. The scholarship is awarded as a tuition fees discount.

More Information

PGT Excellence Scholarship

The University of Glasgow has a total of 28 PGT Excellence Awards available to UK and EU Students. Scholarships are available to students entering any of the University’s colleges and are awarded as a tuition fee discount.

More Information

Postgraduate Loans for Welsh Students

If you are a Welsh student looking to study a postgraduate programme* in Glasgow then you can apply for a student loan in exactly the same way as you would for a Welsh University.

* does not apply to Erasmus Mundus programmes

Postgraduate Master's Finance

If you’re starting a full-time or part-time Postgraduate Master’s course (taught or research based) from 1 August 2019, you can apply for Postgraduate Master's Finance and receive up to £17,000 as a combination of grant and loan:

  • a maximum grant of £6,885 and loan of £10,115 if your household income is £18,370 and below
  • a grant of £1,000 and loan of £16,000 if your household income is not taken into account or is above £59,200.

For more information visit Student Finance Wales

Postgraduate Doctoral Loan

If you’re starting a full-time or part-time postgraduate Doctoral course (such as a PhD) from 1 August 2019 you can apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan of up to £25,700.

For more information visit Student Finance Wales

More Information

Humanitarian Scholarships

The University of Glasgow is offering 4 scholarships (one per college) for applicants to the University who are staying in the UK on humanitarian grounds and are facing challenges in progressing onto Higher Education. The scholarship is open to prospective undergraduate and postgraduate students of the University of Glasgow applying for entry in 2019. The scholarship meets the full cost of tuition fees for the duration of your programme as well providing an additional £4,000 per year stipend, if the eligibility criteria for university accommodation is met this will also be provided for the duration of your degree. For more information on the accommodation criteria please see the Residential Services section on the website.

We are also offering 4 scholarships to students who hold refugee status. This scholarship is awarded as a £5,000 per year stipend toward living costs per year of study.

More Information

The Clan Gregor Society Prize

The Clan Gregor Society are offering an award to new entrants to the University of Glasgow who descend from Clan Gregor. Prospective students will be asked to submit an application highlighting areas of consideration such as academic excellence and financial need. The award is open to both Undergraduate and postgraduate applicants.

 

More Information

The scholarships above are specific to this programme. For more funding opportunities search the scholarships database

Entry requirements

2.1 Honours degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject unless otherwise specified.

We also require:

  • a sample of work, written in English, approximately 3,000 words in length. This can be a previous piece of work from an undergraduate degree. The content does not have to cover a topic related to this specific programme
  • a short statement of around 500 words outlining your interest in this programme
  • at least one academic reference.

English language requirements

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training):

  • overall score 7.0
  • no sub-test less than 7.0
  • or equivalent scores in another recognised qualification:

Common equivalent English language qualifications

All stated English tests are acceptable for admission for both home/EU and international students for this programme:

  • ibTOEFL: 100; no sub-test less than:
    • Reading: 24
    • Listening: 24
    • Speaking: 23
    • Writing: 27
  • CAE (Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English): 185; no sub-test less than 185
  • CPE (Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English): 185; no sub-test less than 185
  • PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English, Academic test): 70; no sub-test less than 70
  • Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English: ISEIII at Pass with Pass in all sub-tests

For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept an IELTS test (Academic module) from any of the 1000 IELTS test centres from around the world and we do not require a specific UKVI IELTS test for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.

Pre-sessional courses

The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the English for Academic Study Unit Pre-sessional courses. We also consider other BALEAP accredited pre-sessional courses:

FAQs

What do I do if...

my language qualifications are below the requirements?

The University's English for Academic Study Unit offers a range of Pre-Sessional Courses to bring you up to entry level. The course is accredited by BALEAP, the UK professional association for academic English teaching; see Links.

my language qualifications are not listed here?

Please contact the Recruitment and International Office: pgadmissions@glasgow.ac.uk


 

For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office: pgadmissions@glasgow.ac.uk

International students

We are proud of our diverse University community which attracts students and staff from over 140 different countries.

How to apply

To apply for a postgraduate taught degree you must apply online. We cannot accept applications any other way.

Please check you meet the Entry requirements for this programme before you begin your application.

Documents

As part of your online application, you also need to submit the following supporting documents:

  • A copy (or copies) of your official degree certificate(s) (if you have already completed your degree)
  • A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained
  • Official English translations of the certificate(s) and transcript(s)
  • One reference letter on headed paper
  • Evidence of your English Language ability (if your first language is not English)
  • Any additional documents required for this programme (see Entry requirements for this programme)
  • A copy of the photo page of your passport (Non-EU students only)

You have 42 days to submit your application once you begin the process.

You may save and return to your application as many times as you wish to update information, complete sections or upload supporting documents such as your final transcript or your language test.

For more information about submitting documents or other topics related to applying to a postgraduate taught programme, check Frequently Asked Questions

Guidance notes for using the online application

These notes are intended to help you complete the online application form accurately; they are also available within the help section of the online application form. 

If you experience any difficulties accessing the online application then you should visit the Application Troubleshooting/FAQs page.

  • Name and Date of birth: must appear exactly as they do on your passport. Please take time to check the spelling and lay-out.
  • Contact Details: Correspondence address. All contact relevant to your application will be sent to this address including the offer letter(s). If your address changes, please contact us as soon as possible.
  • Choice of course: Please select carefully the course you want to study. As your application will be sent to the admissions committee for each course you select it is important to consider at this stage why you are interested in the course and that it is reflected in your application.
  • Proposed date of entry: Please state your preferred start date including the month and the year. Taught masters degrees tend to begin in September. Research degrees may start in any month.
  • Education and Qualifications: Please complete this section as fully as possible indicating any relevant Higher Education qualifications starting with the most recent. Complete the name of the Institution (s) as it appears on the degree certificate or transcript.
  • English Language Proficiency: Please state the date of any English language test taken (or to be taken) and the award date (or expected award date if known).
  • Employment and Experience: Please complete this section as fully as possible with all employments relevant to your course. Additional details may be attached in your personal statement/proposal where appropriate.

Reference: Please provide one reference. This should typically be an academic reference but in cases where this is not possible then a reference from a current employer may be accepted instead. Certain programmes, such as the MBA programme, may also accept an employer reference. If you already have a copy of a reference on letter headed paper then please upload this to your application. If you do not already have a reference to upload then please enter your referee’s name and contact details on the online application and we will contact your referee directly.

Standard application deadlines

  • International applications (non-EU): 21 July 2019 
  • UK and EU applications: 25 August 2019

Classes start September 2019 and you may be expected to attend induction sessions the week before.

Apply now

Related programmes

Comparative Literature

English Literature

more related English Literature programmes

Related links

students on campus

Postgraduate events

Open Days, information sessions, campus tours, events near you
Students standing in front of a flower bed

Download

Postgraduate prospectus 2019