Global Languages, Literatures and Cultures (MLitt) 2024 entry

The MLitt Global Languages, Literatures and Cultures will deepen your literary and cultural knowledge while fostering intercultural competence and transferable skills for life in an increasingly globalised world.

 

Start date
September 2024
End date
September 2025
Duration
One year full time
School
School of Modern Languages

Application deadline

Thursday 8 August 2024

Applicants should apply as early as possible to be eligible for certain scholarships and for international visa purposes.

Entry requirements

  • A good 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 or résumé with your personal details and a history of your education and employment to date
  • personal statement 
  • sample of your own, single-authored academic written work (2000 words) 
  • two original signed academic references 
  • academic transcripts and degree certificates.

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 – 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 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 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.
  • 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.

*One of these is compulsory. One or both may be taken or one may be replaced with an agreed alternative module.

 

Student dissertations will be supervised by members of the teaching staff who will advise on the choice of subject and provide guidance throughout the research process. The completed dissertation of not more than 15,000 words must be submitted by a date specified in August. 

If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for the MLitt, there are exit awards available that allow suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and, assuming you have attained appropriate grades, receive a PGDip instead of an MLitt. 

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; there are no final exams.

Fees

Home
£11,680

Overseas
£25,880

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.

Taught postgraduate scholarships    Postgraduate loans

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 academic learning and research skills training for students intending to continue to a doctoral or other research degree.  

As well as the PhD degree, the School of Modern Languages offers supervision for two research-based Masters degrees: the Master of Studies by Research (MSt (Res)) and the Master of Philosophy (MPhil).  

Postgraduate research

What to do next

Online information events

Join us for one of our information events where you can find out about different levels of study and specific courses we run. There are also sessions available for parents and college counsellors.

Postgraduate online visiting days

We encourage all students who are thinking of applying to the University to attend one of our online visiting days.

Contact us

Phone
+44 (0)1334 46 2961
Email
modlangs@st-andrews.ac.uk
Address
School of Modern Languages
Buchanan Building
Union Street
St Andrews
KY16 9PH

School of Modern Languages website