English Literary Studies (Eighteenth Century)

Overview

Course Details

The English Literary Studies (Eighteenth Century) MA course offered at the University of Southampton will give you the opportunity to specialise in the culture and history of the long eighteenth century. It is taught by world-leading experts in the period who are as passionate about the subject as you are, and is linked to Chawton House Library, a unique collection of women’s writing. It will empower you to conduct advanced-level research and independent critical thinking; to make effective use of archives, manuscripts, and research libraries; and examine how eighteenth- century literature and culture shaped our understanding of education, class, sexuality, nature, economics, and more.

Not only will you emerge with an internationally-recognised masters degree from a top Russell Group university, you will also acquire the critical thinking and writing skills that will give you the competitive edge, either as a future scholar or as a professional in areas such as secondary school teaching, librarianship, publishing and roles in the heritage industry.

Career Opportunities

Our MA English Literary Studies (Eighteenth Century) will enable you to work independently in the field; to explore how genres, authors, and texts participate in wider public discourses concerning gender, sexuality, and class; and to evaluate unique archival resources specific to eighteenth-century studies. It will develop your knowledge and understanding of critical and research methods appropriate to the period; raise your awareness of the historical and critical reception of literature in the long eighteenth century; and empower you to explore the nuances of literary meaning in the contested cultural field of eighteenth-century public culture.