English Literary Research

MA

  • Entry year 2025
  • Duration Full time 1 year, Part time 2 - 3 years
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Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • Our rich literary connections extend from Lancaster's LitFest and medieval Castle to Grasmere's Wordsworth Museum

  • World Top 40 English Language and Literature QS World University Subject Rankings 2024

  • 96% of research world leading or internationally recognised (REF21)

Why Lancaster?

  • Develop your own scholarly, theoretical, critical, or even critical-creative writing through one-to-one supervision
  • Study on campus in the University Library’s bespoke Postgraduate Study Space, or in the Castle Quarter within the University’s Postgraduate Study Hub at The Storey, the city’s Victorian-build arts venue.
  • Be inspired by our rich programme of literary events on campus, online, and in the city’s historic Castle Quarter
  • Enjoy the benefits of our partnership with the archive-rich Wordsworth Grasmere, including internship opportunities
  • Present your work at the Department’s Masters Literary Studies Conference, usually held in the impressive surrounds of the medieval Castle.
  • Get involved with our four student-run literary journals: Cake, Lux, Flash, and Errant

This degree gives you the opportunity to undertake your own independent study and so is intended for students who have a clear sense of their research interests. You will have one-to-one supervision, and will take the Department’s Master’s Research Methods Module. We require in-person attendance at these seminars, but otherwise it is entirely possible to complete this Master’s via distance learning.

Literary community

Many of our special literary events, such as talks from visiting scholars and authors, take place in the Castle Quarter, with the Department’s October Lecture and May Gathering being usually held at Lancaster’s ancient Priory. In addition, we have a unique partnership with the archive-rich Wordsworth Museum at Grasmere, which includes internships, an annual study retreat day, and free entry at any time of the year.

Department Bursaries and Prizes

Thanks to a generous endowment, the Department is able to offer:

  • The Bailrigg Awards – these are awards of up to £150 and are open to any student in the Department who is suffering financial hardship endowment.

Libraries

You will have access to a rich array of libraries, archives and special collections, enabling you not only to develop as a critic or author but also, if you wish, to develop skills relating to work as an archivist, librarian, or curator. For more, see here

Supervision

Before formally applying, we would encourage that you learn more about our many areas of research interest, and get in touch us with by email. For more, see here.

Careers

This programme will enable you to develop a host of high-level professional skills from within literary studies such as independence, researching, evidencing, and communicating. Your skills will be valued by a range of sectors -- from marketing to law, social work to professional services, and business to the media.

Our extensive events programme will provide many opportunities to network and create the connections needed to progress beyond Masters.

Some of our graduates continue their studies at PhD level, and then progress to an academic career. Many others go on to careers outside the academy in fields such as:

  • Publishing
  • Journalism
  • Copywriting
  • Television and the media
  • Teaching
  • Archives
  • Museums
  • Librarianship

Master's Programmes in English Literary Studies at Lancaster University

Discover the key features of studying a master's degree in English Literary Studies at Lancaster University. You can choose to study a range of modules or combine English Literary Studies with Creative Writing.

  • Wordsworth, Romanticism and the Lakes

    Being so close to the spectacular Lake District, home of the Romantic poets, the Department has world-class strengths in Romanticism. Our partnership with the Wordsworth Trust, at Grasmere, is long-established, and has a number of new benefits for all our students.

  • The Castle Quarter

    The Castle Quarter is both a wonderful place to enjoy, with many excellent places to eat and drink, and a wonderful resource for literary studies here at Lancaster. Our students in the Department of English Literature & Creative Writing have many opportunities to make the most of this resource.

Advance your career with a Master's at Lancaster University - Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Hear from alumni in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Lancaster University. What did they study and how did their course propel their career?

Entry requirements

Academic Requirements

2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in English Literature or related subject, for example literature in other languages.

If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.

Additional Requirements

As part of your application you also need to provide

  • an outline of your preferred area of research (up to 500 words)
  • a sample of your academic writing about literature (approximately 2,000 words

English Language Requirements

We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.

We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 7.0, and a minimum of 6.5 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications.

If your score is below our requirements, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes.

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

Pre-master’s programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored pre-master’s pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University master’s degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Course structure

You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.

Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.

Core

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Fees and funding

Location Full Time (per year) Part Time (per year)
Home £11,960 £5,980
International £24,830 £12,415

General fees and funding information

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Scholarships and bursaries

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status and course. You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.

If you're considering postgraduate research you should look at our funded PhD opportunities.

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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.

Important Information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.

Why Lancaster?