MA English and Scottish Literature
UCAS code: QQ32
Duration: 4 years
Delivery: Full-time
School: Literatures, Languages and Cultures
College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Introducing MA English and Scottish Literature
Edinburgh is the first UNESCO World City of Literature, a fantastic literary city which many greats of English and Scottish literature have called home.
On this programme, you will develop your critical, analytic, linguistic and creative skills by engaging with a broad range of texts and a variety of approaches to reading.
You will explore the cultural contexts of writing in English, and all major periods of Scottish literature, from the late Middle Ages to the present, specialising at honours level in specific topics, periods or genres.
Studying literature prepares you to contribute to a society in which an understanding of texts of all kinds is crucially important. It shows an openness to ideas and perspectives other than your own, an essential attribute in many careers and a global marketplace.
Why Edinburgh
Edinburgh is a remarkable place to study, write, publish, discuss and perform prose, poetry and drama.
We are the oldest department of English and Scottish Literature in the UK, one of the longest established in the world.
From the University's Special Collections to the National Library of Scotland, the city's resources for studying literature are exceptional.
Our programmes are extremely flexible. In Years 1 and 2 you will choose option courses from a broad list of disciplines, and specialise as you progress through your honours years.
One of the most attractive characteristics of this four-year programme is its flexibility.
In Years 1 and 2, your pre-honours years, you will choose option courses from a wide range of disciplines in addition to your core subjects of English and Scottish Literature.
As well as broadening your education and skill set, this may enable you to change the focus of your programme in Years 3 and 4, your honours years.
Year 1
You will take two Literary Studies courses. These will introduce you to the essential skills needed for the critical close reading of the core literary genres of:
- poetry
- drama
- prose
You will read works of literature written in English from around the world, and will encounter a range of ideas about the nature and purpose of literary study.
Option courses
You will complete your Year 1 studies with option courses chosen from a wide range offered by the University of Edinburgh.
You can, for example, opt to study a language in its cultural context. We offer one of the widest range of languages of any UK university - the majority are suitable for complete beginners.
Other options include, but are not limited to, courses in:
- Celtic and Scottish ethnology
- business, economics and informatics
- politics, social policy and social anthropology
- art and architectural history
- history, classics and archaeology
- linguistics and language sciences
- philosophy, divinity and law
Year 2
You will be introduced to the study of English and Scottish literature in their cultural and historical contexts, focusing on a selection of major periods.
These courses will explore the relationship between literary texts and the construction of national, international and imperial cultures.
Option courses
As in Year 1, you will choose from a range of option courses.
Year 3
You can start to specialise, and choose courses that explore different periods, topics and approaches according to your area of interest.
Year 4
You will choose further courses according to your areas of interest, and will write an independent dissertation.
Programme structure
Find out more about the compulsory and optional courses in this degree programme.
To give you an idea of what you will study on this programme, we publish the latest available information. However, please note this may not be for your year of entry, but for a different academic year.
Our facilities
On campus
When you are on campus, you can expect to spend most of your time in the University of Edinburgh's Central Area - in class, in the library, or in one of the University’s many social spaces.
The Central Area is located on the edge of Edinburgh's historic Old Town, surrounded by lots of green space.
Take a virtual tour of the Central Area
Libraries, collections and centres
The University holds many literary treasures in its extensive collections. These include a truly exceptional collection of early Shakespeare quartos and other early modern printed plays, and the Corson Collection of works by and about Sir Walter Scott.
Modern literature and poetry are particularly well represented, with the W.H. Auden collection and the libraries of Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Hugh MacDiarmid and Norman MacCaig.
We are home to the Scottish Writing in the 19th Century project and network, and Scotland’s Early Literature for Children Initiative.
We are the Scottish base of The Collected Letters of Thomas and Jane Welsh Carlyle, Duke-Edinburgh edition, one of the major editorial projects in Victorian studies of the last half-century.
We are collaborators in the Edinburgh Environmental Humanities Network and have developing strengths in the Digital Humanities.
Events and activities
The Edinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA) supports more than 300 student-led societies and clubs, and promotes opportunities with local charities through its volunteering centre.
EUSA also supports LitPALS - the Peer-Assisted Learning Scheme for English and Scottish Literature where students across year groups help each other with specific study skills, topics or themes.
Across the University, there are lots of opportunities to get involved in:
- reading and writers' groups
- poetry slams
- creative writing and publishing
- student theatre
We also have a fantastic Writer-in-Residence who organises talks and workshops by visiting writers and runs our annual writing prizes. Their drop-in sessions give you the chance to:
- share your work
- get feedback
- meet other student writers
- get inspiration and prompts for new work
Annual student writing prizes include awards for prose and verse in Lowland Scots vernacular.
In the city
A UNESCO World City of Literature, Edinburgh is a remarkable place to study, write, publish, discuss and perform prose, poetry and drama.
In addition to a fantastic range of publishing houses, bookshops, theatres, and cinemas, you will study near the:
- National Library of Scotland
- National Museum of Scotland
- Edinburgh Central Library
- Scottish Poetry Library
- Scottish Storytelling Centre
- Writers’ Museum
We have strong links with the Edinburgh International Book Festival, which annually welcomes around 1,000 authors to our literary city.
Study abroad
There are opportunities to study abroad in Year 3 through the University’s international exchange programme.
How will I learn?
Courses are taught through a combination of:
- lectures
- tutorials
- seminars
You will be expected to undertake substantial reading each week in preparation for classes.
How will I be assessed?
Your progress will be assessed through:
- close reading exercises
- essays
- assignments
- exams
You will receive prompt feedback on all your coursework to help you improve as you progress.
Skills and experience
Studying literature shows an openness to ideas and perspectives other than your own, an essential attribute in many careers and a global marketplace.
Beyond the literary, critical thinking and creative skills you will gain by engaging with a broad range of texts and a variety of approaches to reading on this programme, graduating with a four-year Master of Arts degree from the University of Edinburgh shows high-level intellectual strength and flexibility.
The skills you will be able to demonstrate to employers when you graduate include the ability to understand, analyse and articulate key concepts, and to work to varied briefs to deadline, both independently and in groups.
Opportunities across sectors
During your time with us, you will study a range of subjects, with the option to take courses in languages, and in other areas of the humanities and social sciences, for example.
As you progress through your honours years (Years 3 and 4), you will specialise in one or more literary topics, periods or genres.
This breadth of education gives you the foundations to excel in a range of career sectors, especially those that value transferable humanities skills.
Our alumni have gone on to careers in the private, public, not-for-profit, and for-benefit sectors, sometimes through graduate training schemes where the ability to communicate well is essential in securing a competitive place.
Typical sectors include:
- business, finance and commerce
- communications, marketing, advertising and public relations
- creative writing, publishing, culture, heritage, and the arts
- education, outreach, advocacy and training
- journalism, broadcasting and media
- leisure, tourism and travel
- politics, policy work, diplomacy, civil service and law
- research, development and venture acceleration
Further study
The enhanced research skills you will develop on a four-year programme, particularly in your honours years, are a valuable asset if you wish to continue studying at postgraduate level. At the University of Edinburgh, for example, we typically offer:
- taught and research-led MSc degrees in literature
- MScs in Playwriting and Creative Writing
- interdisciplinary MSc programmes in Comparative Literature and Intermediality
Beyond literature, our degree prepares you for further study in almost any humanities and social science discipline.
Careers advice
We have an excellent Careers Service. Throughout your time with us, we will encourage you to identify and hone your employability skills, including through peer initiatives such as Life After LLC (Literatures, Languages and Cultures) where you can draw inspiration from our graduates.
Standard entry requirement
The standard entry requirement is:
- SQA Highers: AAAA-AABB by end of S5 or AAAA-AAAB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6.
- A Levels: AAA - ABB.
- IB: 37 points with 666 at HL - 34 points with 655 at HL.
Minimum entry requirement
The minimum entry requirement for widening access applicants is:
- SQA Highers: ABBB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6.
- A Levels: ABB.
- IB: 34 points with 655 at HL.
More information for widening access applicants
Required subjects
The grades used to meet our entry requirements must include:
- SQA: Highers: English at B.
- A Levels: English Literature or combined English at B.
- IB: HL: English at 5.
Find out more about entry requirements
International applicants
We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.
International Foundation Programme
If you are an international student and your school qualifications are not accepted for direct entry to the University you may be eligible for admission to this degree programme through our International Foundation Programme.
International Foundation Programme
Mature applicants
We welcome applications from mature students and accept a range of qualifications.
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.
SQA, GCSE and IB
For SQA, GCSE and IB students, unless a higher level is specified in the stated entry requirements, a pass is required in English at the following grades or higher:
- SQA National 5 at C
- SQA Standard Grade at 3
- GCSE at C or 4
- Level 2 Certificate at C
- IB Standard Level at 5 (English ab initio is not accepted for entry)
English language tests
We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:
- IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component.
- TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
- C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 162 in each component.
- Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
- PTE Academic: total 62 with at least 54 in each component.
We also accept a wider range of international qualifications and tests.
English language qualifications must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the degree you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL or Trinity ISE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.
This information is part of a government initiative to enhance the material that higher education institutions provide about their degree programmes.
It is one of many sources of information which will enable you to make an informed decision on what and where to study.
Please note that some programmes do not have Discover Uni data available.
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees for MA English and Scottish Literature
Additional costs
There may be additional costs if you choose to study abroad in Year 3.
Funding
For more information on how much it will cost to study with us and the financial support available see our fees and funding information.
- Have a query about undergraduate study?
- Send an enquiry
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- Scottish Literature (MA) Q531
- Scottish Literature and Classics (MA) QQH8
- Scottish Literature and History (MA) QVJ1
- Scottish Literature and Scottish History (MA) QV22
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