Course and degree finder

Comparative & General Literature

Apply for this Degree

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

MSc Comparative and General Literature - 1 Year (Full-time)

MSc Comparative and General Literature - 2 Years (Part-time)

Information on fees & costs

Individual programme fees are linked above. For detailed information on fee status, policies, payment and funding opportunities see:

Contact information: Postgraduate Administrator
Phone: +44 (0) 131 650 3030
Email: llc.postgrad@ed.ac.uk; Dr Frake Matthes
Email: Frauke.Matthes@ed.ac.uk; Address: Literatures, Languages and Cultures
12th Floor, David Hume Tower
Edinburgh
EH8 9JX

Entry requirements

Good honours degree in an appropriate subject.

Applicants are asked to send a writing sample (in English) of between 3000 - 4000 words. This can be a previous essay or dissertation excerpt submitted as part of your degree studies.

International students

All applicants must meet our general entry and language requirements. Detailed advice for international students is available here:

Programme description

The programme invites the comparative study of literary works of different and cultural origin and encourages exploration of the interrelation between literature and the other arts. Students will be introduced to Comparative Practice and Literary Theory in the core courses, and can study a variety of literary topics in the option courses.

It embraces a range of languages and cultures within Europe, North America, South America and Asia, and draws on the teaching and research expertise of internationally renowned departments, including several of the highest rated literature departments in the UK.

Programme structure

The programme combines seminar and tutorial work. Students will take two core courses and two option courses, plus compulsory research skills and methods courses. The two semesters of taught courses are followed by an independently researched dissertation.

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete the programme will gain:

a thorough understanding of Comparative Literature, as a subject and as a practice
knowledge of a number of literary theories and different approaches to literary study, and the ability to use them for literary analysis
the ability to focus on detail on literary themes, genres and historical periods from a comparative perspective
transferable skills such as critical thinking, analytical and interpretative ability, communication and writing skills

Funding

Please see Scholarships and Student Funding Services for information about funding opportunities:

Scholarships and Student Funding Services

Further Information

This article was published on Apr 25, 2013