Contemporary Literature and Culture Birkbeck, University of London

Overview

This M.A. in Contemporary Literature and Culture provides an in-depth exploration of the literature and cultural theories that have shaped modernity from the nineteenth century to today. Students will engage with a diverse range of texts, images, and cultural forms, fostering a rich understanding of the historical and theoretical contexts that inform contemporary literature. The course is delivered by leading academics who are actively engaged in research across various literary periods, including Romantic, Victorian, modern, and contemporary literature.

Why Contemporary Literature and Culture at Birkbeck?

Birkbeck is renowned for its excellence in English Language and Literature, ranking 2nd in the UK according to the 2021 Research Excellence Framework. Located in Bloomsbury, the heart of literary London, the university boasts proximity to significant research libraries and cultural institutions, including the British Library and Senate House Library. This advantageous location enhances students' access to invaluable resources and archives. Birkbeck's active engagement in literary culture is exemplified by its hosting of the Centre for Nineteenth-Century Studies and the Centre for New Writing, which regularly features esteemed writers and critics.

Tuition Fee Breakdown

The tuition fees for the M.A. in Contemporary Literature and Culture are as follows:

• Full-time international students: £20,850 per year
• Full-time home students: £11,340 per year

Visit the Fees and Funding section for a breakdown in your local currency.

Syllabus

The course structure comprises compulsory and optional modules, ensuring a comprehensive educational experience. Students will complete modules worth a total of 180 credits, including:

• Becoming Modern: Literature and Culture 1800 to the Present
• MA Dissertation Skills
• Modernising Victorians
• The Horror, the Horror
• Decadence
• Freud in the World: Psychoanalysis, Literary Writing, and the Legacies of History
• Victorian Femininities: The Myths, the Power, the Politics
• Victorian London: Literature, Culture, and the Urban Experience

Each module is designed to deepen students' understanding of significant cultural debates and themes, culminating in a 15,000-word dissertation that allows for individual research interests to be pursued.

Careers with Contemporary Literature and Culture

Graduates of the M.A. in Contemporary Literature and Culture possess a robust set of transferable skills, equipping them for diverse career paths. Alumni have successfully ventured into various fields, including:

• Journalism
• Professional writing
• Arts administration
• Civil service
• Law and business
• Publishing
• Teaching
• Museum and cultural heritage
• Curation

Recent graduates have secured positions such as Policy Adviser at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Classics Editor at Penguin Books, and Curator at the British Library, showcasing the programme's strong employability outcomes.