English MA

Teaching

You will be taught through a combination of seminars, workshops, individual tuition, and online interaction.

All students take an introductory module on advanced concepts and relevant theories in the Humanities, which also provides a grounding in postgraduate research methods and skills. All students also undertake a grounding in Digital Humanities methodologies, researching from databases and recovering and editing historical documents or literary texts. You will study a module on the interdisciplinary ‘New Humanities’, including environmental, medical, and scientific themes, which are relevant to both historical and literary / cultural scholarship. You will also take the 'Evolving Genres' module dedicated to your main disciplinary focus of English Literature.

All students take a module on Professional Development, in which they apply their academic skills in a practical work project, either on a university-based project, or with a relevant external organisation, such as a media company, local cultural amenity, charity, or voluntary sector body. Opportunities for work-based learning will be tailored to students’ longer-term plans and ambitions, for example, some students may choose to work on a creative industries networking event, while others may prefer to devise and run an academic conference.

The culmination of your Masters study is your specialist Dissertation. The taught modules will all help you to prepare for this by building your higher-level research skills and giving you opportunities to put them into practice. You will develop and expand your initial research plan in a workshop setting, in the light of peer and tutor feedback, and work towards the completion of your full Dissertation with the support of an individual advisor, who will be a research-active specialist in your subject. Staff in the Institute of Arts and Humanities are recognised experts in a wide range of fields. You make all the key decisions relating to your Dissertation, including the subject matter, the intellectual approach, the argument and structure; you own the project from start to finish. You have a totally free choice of theme: the only limitation is that we must be able to provide an expert advisor to support you.

Contact time

In a typical week, a full-time student will have around 6 to 9 contact hours of teaching, and part-time student around 3 to 6 hours. The precise contact hours will depend on the timetabling of modules and is variable; for example, the "Research Approaches in the Humanities and Arts" module is taught in two intensive six-week blocks in semesters 1 and 2 and is therefore not always in session.

In semesters 1 and 2, full-time students will typically study three modules at a given time, and part-time students two modules. Students on both full-time and part-time routes will undertake the final dissertation over the ‘third semester’, between May and September; regular campus-based and remote supervision will be available during this time.

Independent self study

In addition to direct contact time, full-time students will be expected to undertake around 30 hours of personal self-study per week; for part-time students, the expectation is reduced in proportion to the amount of credit they are taking at a given time. Typically, this will involve guided reading and research, and/or writing; the Digital Editing Project and Professional Development modules will entail other forms of independent work, such as use of online databases and editing tools, and external liaison and networking respectively.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities, including The Hive university and public library, module Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), and digital learning resources.

Duration

• Full-time: around 13 months. From early September, to late September of the following year
• Part-time: around 23 months

Timetables

Timetables are normally available one month before registration. Please note that whilst we try to be as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week; and some classes can be scheduled in the evenings.

Assessment

In line with the University of Worcester’s Assessment and Feedback Policy, the assessment strategy on the MA has been designed to help ensure that our students meet the modular and course-level Learning Outcomes, thereby fulfilling the requirements of the appropriate award.

A full outline of assessment methods and weightings, mapped against Learning Outcomes, grade descriptors, and assessment dates is published in the MA course handbook with further, specific details included in module guides.

Teaching staff

The MA English course is planned and delivered by an extended teaching team in combination with MA Cultural Studies, and therefore draws on a wide range of expertise.

Teaching staff have both doctoral research qualifications and accreditation of the Higher Education Academy to at least Fellowship level. The core team will be supplemented on occasion by Visiting Lecturers with specific expertise to enhance provision.

Details of the core teaching team, their qualifications and experience, can be found in the course handbook and on the Institute of Art and Humanities web pages.

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.