Literary Studies

Overview

The Literary Studies MA programme at Leiden University has a high degree of flexibility to enable you to tailor the programme to your particular interests. Your curriculum could include a single or combined major and electives from other specialisations – even other master’s programmes. You are also free to go abroad for a specific university course or an internship in order to deepen or widen your focus.

You will benefit from courses given by experts in terms of the period (middle ages, early modern, modern, post-modern and post-colonial) but also in terms of rhetoric, semiotics, intermediality, inter-cultural history and other approaches current in Literary Studies. This means that every class you attend is taught by scholars of international standing who are true experts in their fields. Small, interactive classes or one-on-one mentoring ensure you get the most from their expert guidance and advice. An important objective is to teach you the value of questioning: you will acquire a broad, investigative and critical approach to problem solving that can be applied to any challenge in any role.

Use the vast range of options to construct your personal programme. You may include a course in English, French, German or Italian linguistics. You may also include a course in the national Master language programme or go abroad to the country of your specialisation, for an internship or university courses.

Literary Studies at Leiden University is an accredited degree programme. After successful completion of this programme, you will receive a master’s degree in Literary Studies and the title Master of Arts (MA).

Career prospects

• Account executive at a communications agency

• Policy officer at The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science

• English/French/German/Italian teacher at a university of professional education

• English/French/German teacher at a secondary school

• Junior information specialist at an association of civil-law notaries

• Project officer for subtitling at a company specialising in media translations

• PhD researcher at a Dutch or foreign university

• Project manager at a translation and interpreting agency

• Publishing assistant at a legal publishing house

• Copywriter at a software and consultancy company

• Content manager and communications advisor at a multinational accountancy firm