Studying the MLitt in Romantic and Victorian Studies
The MLitt in Romantic and Victorian Studies is a one-year taught postgraduate programme, which offers students the opportunity to explore the key texts, contexts, and debates that shaped literature and culture from the 1760s to 1900.
What you'll study
In each semester the course is structured around two core modules, offering a comprehensive introduction to postgraduate study of the literature and culture of the 18th and 19th centuries.
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During Semester 1 students take Lives and Texts and Texts and Afterlives. These modules examine the processes of 19th-century literary production and reception, studying the lives of authors and cultural figures; the conditions of publication of their work and the challenges of presenting modern editions of that work; and the reception of Romantic and Victorian texts in later works of literature and in various forms of publication and dissemination. Subjects likely to be covered include:
- the adaptation of Jane Austen in the 20th century
- Romantic celebrity culture
- periodical publication
- 19th-century definitions of the figures of the author and the poet
- the construction of female subjectivity in letters and fiction
- editorial and biographical theory and practice.
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During the second semester, students take the modules Literature and History and Literary Cultures. These modules explore the interactions between literature and its various historical, philosophical, cultural, and political contexts in the Romantic and Victorian periods. Many of the authors we study as producers of imaginative literature also engaged in polemical, historical, or philosophical writing. Literary works could make decisive and poignant contributions to particular political debates, and the literary sphere itself had its own politics. Subjects likely to be covered include:
- Romantic medievalism
- literary writing about war and empire
- socialism, aestheticism and decadence
- anti-Semitism and Englishness
- literature and the slave trade
- literature and science.
The core modules will study a range of Romantic and Victorian texts, which may include works by:
- Jane Austen
- Charlotte Brontë
- Maria Edgeworth
- Felicia Hemans
- John Keats,
- Olive Schreiner
- Alfred Tennyson
- Oscar Wilde
- William Wordsworth.
Dissertation
The final component of the MLitt is a 15,000-word dissertation, which students write, with the support of a supervisor, over the summer months.
Contact
School of English
University of St Andrews
Castle House
The Scores
St Andrews
KY16 9AL
Phone: +44 (0)1334 46 2668
Email: pgeng@st-andrews.ac.uk
Academic staff
The staff teaching on the programme will vary in any one year, but will always include some of the following:
Student testimonials
"The classes of the Romantic and Victorian MLitt program explore of a range of works that span the 18th and 19th centuries. While covering a broad period, the assigned readings are well-curated and the program 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 program 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. Despite Covid restrictions, my experience has been gratifying, productive, and thoroughly enjoyable!"
- 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 Romantic and Victorian MLitt has allowed me to delve into multiple aspects of 18th- and 19th-century literature, including texts' relationships with contemporary history, politics, and culture. 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