Application deadline
Thursday 7 August 2025
Applicants should apply as early as possible to be eligible for certain scholarships.
Entry requirements
- A 2.1 Honours undergraduate degree in a Modern Language or Comparative Literature. There is no option to study an additional language as part of this programme.
- If you studied your first degree outside the UK, see the international entry requirements.
- English language proficiency.
The qualifications listed are indicative minimum requirements for entry. Some academic Schools will ask applicants to achieve significantly higher marks than the minimum. Obtaining the listed entry requirements will not guarantee you a place, as the University considers all aspects of every application including, where applicable, the writing sample, personal statement, and supporting documents.
Application requirements
- CV with a history of your education and employment to date
- personal statement of around 500 words outlining your personal motivations for applying and how the course fits with your career ambitions
- sample of your own, single-authored academic written work in English of around 2,000 words
- two references, one of which must be academic
- academic transcript and degree certificate
For more guidance, see supporting documents and references for postgraduate taught programmes.
English language proficiency
If English is not your first language, you may need to provide an English language test score to evidence your English language ability. See approved English language tests and scores for this course.
Course details
The School is distinguished by the breadth of its research which spans language, literary, and cultural studies across eight distinct language areas – Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Persian, Russian, and Spanish – and Comparative Literature, but also a range of cultural-historical epochs from the Middle Ages to the present day. This breadth is reflected in the literary and cultural topics you will study on the degree.
Highlights
- Expand your interest in literary and cultural studies through transnational teaching from a wide variety of experts across the School of Modern Languages.
- Deepen your knowledge in your chosen language area or areas by exploration through new perspectives and methodologies.
- A global outlook provided by 50 full-time academic staff teaching in eight languages and Comparative Literature, and providing a broad range of disciplinary knowledge, teaching and supervision expertise.
- Engage with cutting-edge research through involvement in the work of the School's research centres and interdisciplinary research groups.
- Explore cross-disciplinary studies via an option module in the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Studies as part of your degree.
Modules
- Comparative Methodologies and Research Skills 1: you will problematise established approaches and explore new and emerging directions to conceptualise how you think texts might best be analysed and compared. The module's methodologies will underpin your acquisition of a range of transferable skills essential in academic research and non-academic roles.
- Comparative Methodologies and Research Skills 2: furthers and strengthens your engagement with comparative methodologies and your analytic and critical skills, including writing abstracts and research proposals, presenting a conference paper, disseminating research for diverse audiences, planning a conference, along with IT and web research skills.
One of these is compulsory. One or both may be taken or one may be replaced with an agreed alternative module.
- Literary and Cultural Introspection: invites you to look inward and consider areas of critical importance such as sex, gender, race, psychoanalysis, and the medical humanities in relation to the self. You will engage with case studies in translation from experts across the School of Modern Languages to encourage a breadth of scholarship.
- Literary and Cultural Extrospection: invites you to look outward and consider areas of critical importance such as the postcolonial, de-colonial, the transnational, and memory studies in relation to society. You will engage with case studies in translation from experts across the School of Modern Languages to encourage a breadth of scholarship.
Students conclude their programme with the submission of a 15,000-word dissertation supervised by a specialist in the area.
Students who choose not to complete the dissertation may elect for an alternative exit award, such as the Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma.
Teaching
The School promotes discipline-specific and collaborative teaching and learning so that students may explore their own particular interests in greater depth and breadth.
Classes are delivered primarily through seminars.
Modules are assessed through coursework that may include essays, presentations, and non-traditional outputs, for example, podcasts. There are no exams.
Fees
Home
£12,030
Overseas
£25,900
Application fee
Before we can begin processing your application, a payment of an application fee of £50 is required. In some instances, you may be eligible for an application fee waiver. Details of this, along with information on our tuition fees, can be found on the postgraduate fees and funding page.
Funding and scholarships
The University of St Andrews is committed to attracting the very best students, regardless of financial circumstances.
15% Recent Graduate Discount
If you have graduated from the University within the last three academic years, you may be eligible for a 15% discount on postgraduate taught tuition fees. Terms and conditions apply.
After your degree
Careers
Alongside your academic learning, you will develop your broader capabilities and employability. All Masters students have access to the Saints Skills Awards, two flexible awards programmes undertaking skills analysis, reflective activities and mock recruitment opportunities to help develop your personal and professional skills.
Graduates have gone on to careers in fields such as:
- consulting
- energy resource management
- international development
- journalism
- UN interpreting
- public policy
- publishing
- the civil and diplomatic services
- academia as University academics and administrators
The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students in building their employability skills.
Further study
The MLitt provides excellent all-round preparation for a research degree, for example MSt (Res), MPhil or PhD. Each year we welcome back students from our MLitts as research students. Funding opportunities are available and advertised online.
Postgraduate researchWhat to do next
Information sessions
Meet our staff, learn more, and ask questions about how our courses can work for you.
Contact us
- Phone
- +44 (0)1334 46 2961
- modlangs@st-andrews.ac.uk
- Address
- School of Modern Languages
Buchanan Building
Union Street
St Andrews
KY16 9PH