The MA in English Studies offers you the opportunity to focus on the areas of English literary studies that interest you the most, with modules covering literature and language from the Anglo-Saxon period to the present day. You can choose to study literature before 1800, as well as selecting from specialist modules in Victorian literature, Modern literature, creative writing and linguistics. This course will allow you to deepen your existing knowledge, discover new fields, and acquire the skills to enable independent research at an advanced level. You will be asked to consider how the interpretation of works might be affected by editorial and contextual factors, and you will be introduced to theories of textual editing, book history and material culture. Your dissertation can be in any period of English literature. You can choose between writing a standard or extended dissertation, making this programme ideal if you are thinking of continuing your studies to doctoral level, or if you would like to pursue a career which emphasises research skills. You will decide at the end of Semester 1 which length of dissertation you wish to undertake.