Why study this course?
This course is one of five pathways available in the MLitt in English Literature. Each pathway develops well-rounded expertise in the literature of the period through a mix of core and option choice modules.
By choosing Romantic and Victorian Studies you will:
- Develop your skills as a researcher within a specific area of study, immersing yourself in the literature of this rich and diverse era.
- Study Romantic and Victorian literature in relation to a diverse range of ideologies, including discourses of revolution and reform, debates about gender, and aestheticism.
- Strengthen your knowledge of the historical, cultural, and critical contexts of 19th-century literature, including visual art, music and textual history.
- Benefit from research-led teaching by experts in the field, who share insights from their most recent discoveries.
- Acquire experience of independent research through work on a postgraduate dissertation.
- Have the option to choose modules in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) in the International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute, to acquire English teaching skills and improve your employability.
Contact details for Programme Director, Professor Nicholas Roe, are available on his profile. You can also find out about his teaching and research interests.
The other pathways available are:
- Medieval Literature
- Shakespeare and Renaissance Literary Culture
- Modern and Contemporary Literature and Culture
- Flexible Pathway
Students on any pathway may, subject to permission, take up to 30 credits from any 5000-level module from another School. Some 30-credit 3000- or 4000-level modules within English may also be open to MLitt students, for example EN3114 Reading Old English.
Course information may change. Module information and course content, teaching and assessment may change each year and after you have accepted your offer to study at the University of St Andrews. We display the most up-to-date information possible, but this could be from a previous academic year. For the latest module information, see the module catalogue.
Semester 1
In Semester 1 you will take the module Romantic and Victorian Lives and Texts. The aim of this pathway core module is to enable students to examine the phases of Romantic and Victorian literary and cultural production and reception, from the lives of authors and cultural figures and through discussion of their wider political and historical contexts.
Attention will be given to individual works, volumes of poetry and novels as well as to histories of publication and dissemination, and the challenges involved in presenting modern editions of particular texts.
You will also choose one 30 credit option module.
- Critical Approaches, Theories, and Research Skills: introduces students to the debates, concepts, theories, and methodologies that have shaped the study of literature across a long history, and offers students the opportunity to develop research skills essential to postgraduate study in English literature.
- Reading the Medieval Text: provides specific skills and areas of knowledge necessary for undertaking research in medieval literature, including palaeography and codicology, and scholarly editing.
- The Forms of Renaissance Literature: explores key works of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century literature in relation to the cultural forms that shaped early modern writing.
- Reading the Modern: is an exploration of influential British, American and French modernists' pursuit to develop modes of representation compatible with a newly urban, industrialised and mass-oriented age.
Semester 2
In Semester 2, Romantic and Victorian Literary Cultures is the pathway core module. The aim of the module is to enable students to examine the cultures of literature and literary production. Seminars will range from the ‘Ossian phenomenon’ and related debates in the later eighteenth century, through to aspects of early, middle and late nineteenth-century culture in poetry, prose and periodical essays of the period.
You will also choose one 30 credit option module.
- Medieval Literature in Context: teaches some central Old English, Middle English, and Older Scots texts in their wider cultural and temporal contexts.
- The Worlds of Renaissance Literature: investigates the relationship between Renaissance English literature and the wider world, both in terms of the influence of continental vernaculars on English writing and the transformations produced by global travel and nascent imperial expansion.
- Contemporary Literature and Culture: exposes students to a range of contemporary authors, poets and playwrights, moving between a detailed focus on highlighted key works and a wider perspective on individual writer’s oeuvres.
- Women, Writing and Gender: examines continuity and change in women’s writing and constructions of gender across the period 1700 to the present.
- Postcolonial and World Literatures: focuses on a diverse range of texts drawn from across the globe and spanning the long-history of imperialism, from colonial encounters to contemporary global challenges in an era of world literature.
What other students say
"While covering a broad period, the assigned readings are well-curated and the programme has helped me further specify my area of academic study. We are encouraged to focus on individual interests through class essays, the dissertation, and 'special topic' courses in the second semester. The programme has promoted collaboration within the group, resulting in a close-knit community and wonderful friendships. Small class sizes (as well as the beautiful buildings and seaside views of St Andrews) offer the perfect environment for reading and studying."
- Caroline (New York City, USA) – 2021
"The best part of the programme is definitely having the opportunity to read and discuss texts alongside classmates and academics who love them as much as I do. Studying here has given me both the qualification and skills I need for my future career and opportunities to meet people working in my desired area."
- Robyn (Northamptonshire, England) – 2020
"My advice is to start thinking about your dissertation early – it saves a lot of time and stress and allows you to find a supervisor more easily. The community has been so fantastic. The town is small and required some adjustment, but I've made really wonderful friends and connections here."
- Sophia (Saskatchewan, Canada) – 2020
"The modules offer a diverse and fascinating range of authors and works, ranging from Jane Austen's Mansfield Park to the poetry of 19th-century periodicals to nonsense literature for children. The academic staff assigned to the MLitt are approachable, and small class sizes also promote a strong sense of camaraderie with your peers – the discussions are always enlightening and often entertaining. Class seminars (in the beautiful English buildings overlooking the castle ruins and seashores!) are certain to inspire and motivate you in your studies. St Andrews, in its small-town charm and beauty, is the perfect setting for reading and writing, but the town is always buzzing with activity outside of studying, too. I couldn't recommend studying here more highly."
- Natalie (Kentucky, USA) – 2017
Dissertation
The MLitt concludes with the writing of a 15,000-word dissertation.
Students identify a topic for their dissertation out of their own research interests in consultation with a member of staff.
The dissertation is researched and written following the completion of the core modules of the MLitt and is typically submitted in August.
Further study
Many graduates continue their education by enrolling in PhD programmes at St Andrews.
In addition to the MLitt, the School offers a two-year Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree option in Romantic and Victorian Studies.
Teaching staff
The staff teaching on the programme will vary in any one year, but will always include some of the following: