Overview

The new MA in Literary Studies in English from the University of Cape Town aims to equip a new generation of postgraduate students to conduct research into the compelling issues that arise in our discipline at a time when questions of canonicity are under revision and new approaches to literary studies are generating new archives and addressing the coloniality of received archives. The course helps to equip students to develop their own research paths and would make excellent preparation before moving into the PhD.

Course Structure

The coursework MA includes the following components:

Two core courses
Two elective courses
One ‘minor’ dissertation of 25,000 words, to be undertaken in the second year of registration.

The first year of the MA is devoted to coursework, comprised of two electives and two core courses. Students are invited to select two electives in total. These can be made up from within one of the streams, if they would like to align themselves with one of the sub-specialities in preparation for their dissertation the following year. However, it is not necessary to select both electives from one stream. Students are at liberty to choose their electives from 2 different streams.

There are 5 streams, each of which represents an area of speciality within the Department:

Black Literary and Intellectual Traditions

Gender and Sexuality in African Literature

World Literatures in English

Literature and the Archive

Between the Critical and Creative

Course work is completed in the first year of the programme.

A ‘minor’ dissertation of 25,000 words is undertaken in the second year of the programme. Students register for the dissertation during the second year of the programme, through the following code: ELL5001W.

Compulsory (core) courses

In addition to the 2 MA electives, students are required to take 2 MA core courses which are designed to support the work of research. All coursework MA students will, therefore, be required to register for the following two courses during their first year of study:

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Black Literary and Intellectual Traditions

Gender and Sexuality in African Literature
World Literatures in English
Literature and the Archive

Between the Critical and Creative

Between the Critical and Creative

Environmental Humanities

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 24 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-02-17 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-10-31 00:00:00 , National
- Apply before 2026-09-30 00:00:00 , International

More details

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

88

Schedule TOEFL®

Credits

192 alternative credits

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Cape Town, South Africa

Disciplines

Literature View 15 other Masters in Literature in South Africa

Join for free or log in to access our complete career info list.

Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

88

Schedule TOEFL®

Other requirements

General requirements

An Honours degree in English or a related discipline is required.

Students with an excellent academic record to Honours level in English or a related subject are encouraged to apply. Applicants should have a proven ability to conduct independent, original research in the field of English Literature.

Admissions decisions will be made by the Departmental Research Committee. The Committee will study your research proposal carefully to determine if it is feasible, and consult members of the academic staff to determine if the expertise to supervise your proposed research exists in the Department.

Student Insurance via Studyportals Partner

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items like Additional medical costs, Repatriation, Liability etc. Make sure your student insurance covers your needs.

Studyportals partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at University of Cape Town and/or in South Africa, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

119600 ZAR / year

≈ 119600 ZAR / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

55900 ZAR / year

≈ 55900 ZAR / year

Additional Details

SADC Fees: 55900 ZAR

Non-SADC Fees: 103500 ZAR

Rest of the World Fees: 119600 ZAR

Living costs

Cape Town

South Africa

9088 - 15529 ZAR / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Information about funding may be found on the Postgraduate Funding Office website.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Loading

Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Literary Studies in English.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About