English Literature: Critical Theory MScR
Awards: MScR
Study modes: Full-time, Part-time
Funding opportunities
Programme website: English Literature: Critical Theory
Critical Theory is an exciting and dynamic field encompassing diverse intellectual approaches to literature, culture, society, and politics. It entails reflection on the premises, concepts and categories used in different disciplines.
This programme provides expert-led teaching on the wide range of theoretical approaches that constitute the contemporary critical vocabulary within the humanities.
Seminar-based teaching will allow you to critically engage with theoretical approaches as diverse as poststructuralism, postcolonialism, and the Frankfurt School, and with the work of thinkers such as Heidegger, Derrida and Deleuze.
We are the oldest department of English Literature in the world, and at the last Research Assessment Exercise were awarded the highest research rating possible, of 5*A. We have one of the largest graduate programmes in this area in the country and a rich research culture covering all aspects of literatures in English.
We offer supervision in all areas of English literature, historical and/or theoretical.
The research of staff has made valuable contributions to the areas of literature and philosophy, modernism/postmodernism, medieval and early modern literature, history of the book, romanticism, transatlantic studies and performance studies.
English Literature houses the Centre for the History of the Book and is one of the UK's leading forces in this area. It works closely with the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities and with the National Library of Scotland. The latter's recently acquired Murray Archive is crucial for studies in Romanticism, Book History, Bibliography and Archive Studies.
Students will undertake a seminar based programme of research methods training in core research skills and subject-specific methodologies. They will also take two option courses covering areas of critical theory related to their chosen fields and will write two extended essays in relation to these courses.
The programme includes a 15,000-word dissertation, completed under the supervision of one or more of the programme tutors.
Find out more about compulsory and optional courses
We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.
Award | Title | Duration | Study mode | |
---|---|---|---|---|
MScR | Critical Theory | 1 Year | Full-time | Programme structure 2019/20 |
MScR | Critical Theory | 2 Years | Part-time | Programme structure 2019/20 |
The academic staff you will be working with are all active researchers or authors, many of them prize winners and leading scholars in their fields. As well as benefiting from their expert supervision, you will undertake a seminar-based programme of training in core research skills and subject-specific methodologies. You will also have the opportunity to develop other transferable skills through the University’s Institute for Academic Development
We encourage you to share your research and learn from the work of others through a vibrant programme of Work-in-Progress seminars, reading groups, visiting speakers and conferences.
Our postgraduate journal, Forum, is a valuable conduit for research findings, and provides an opportunity for editorial experience.
On hand are all the amenities you would expect, such as computing facilities, study areas and a common room and kitchen. Our location gives you easy access to the University’s general facilities, such as the Main Library and our collections, as well as to the National Museum, National Library and National Galleries of Scotland at the heart of the city.
In addition to the impressive range of resources available at the University’s Main Library (more than two million printed volumes and generous online resources) and the nearby National Library of Scotland, we host a number of collections of rare and valuable archival materials, all of which will be readily available to you as a postgraduate student.
Among the literary treasures are the libraries of William Drummond, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Hugh MacDiarmid, Adam Smith, Dugald Stewart and Norman MacCaig, plus the WH Auden collection, the Corson Collection of works by and about Sir Walter Scott and the Ramage collection of poetry pamphlets.
Our cultural collections are highly regarded and include a truly exceptional collection of early Shakespeare quartos and other early modern printed plays, and world-class manuscript and archival collections.
A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a relevant subject, normally English literature.
International qualifications
Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:
English language requirements
You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.
English language tests
We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:
IELTS: total 7.0 (at least 6.5 in each module)
TOEFL-iBT: total 100 (at least 23 in each module)
PTE Academic: total 67 (at least 61 in each of the "Communicative Skills" sections)
CAE and CPE: total 185 (at least 176 in each module)
Trinity ISE: ISE III with a pass in all four components
Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, PTE Academic or Trinity ISE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.
Degrees taught and assessed in English
We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:
We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries.
If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than three and a half years old at the beginning of your programme of study.
Find out more about our language requirements:
Award | Title | Duration | Study mode | |
---|---|---|---|---|
MScR | Critical Theory | 1 Year | Full-time | Tuition fees |
MScR | Critical Theory | 2 Years | Part-time | Tuition fees |
Featured funding
- School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures scholarships
- Research scholarships for international students
UK government postgraduate loans
If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments. The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on your programme, the duration of your studies, and your tuition fee status. (Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.)
Other funding opportunities
Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:
- Graduate School Administrator
- Phone: +44 (0)131 650 4114
- Contact: llc.pgadmissions@ed.ac.uk
- Graduate School
- School of Literatures, Languages & Cultures
- Room 1.13, 50 George Square
- Central Campus
- Edinburgh
- EH8 9LH
- Programme: English Literature: Critical Theory
- School: Literatures, Languages & Cultures
- College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
- Prospectus: Literatures, Languages & Cultures prospectus (PDF)
Applying
Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.
MSc by Research Critical Theory - 1 Year (Full-time)
MSc by Research Critical Theory - 2 Years (Part-time)
Programme start date | Application deadline |
---|---|
14 September 2020 | 31 July 2020 |
We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.
You must submit two references with your application.
In addition to the supporting documents requested on the application form, you should include an outline of your proposed area of study and a sample of written work of about 3,000 words (this can be a previous piece of work from an undergraduate degree).
Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:
Further information
- Graduate School Administrator
- Phone: +44 (0)131 650 4114
- Contact: llc.pgadmissions@ed.ac.uk
- Graduate School
- School of Literatures, Languages & Cultures
- Room 1.13, 50 George Square
- Central Campus
- Edinburgh
- EH8 9LH
- Programme: English Literature: Critical Theory
- School: Literatures, Languages & Cultures
- College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
- Prospectus: Literatures, Languages & Cultures prospectus (PDF)