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English Literature and Culture

MA

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Key information

Key information for 2026-27

Start date:
October 2026
Study route:

  • One year full-time, on campus

  • One year full-time, online

  • One year full-time, flexible learning

  • Two years part-time, on campus

  • Two years part-time, online

  • Two years part-time, flexible learning

Status:
Fully approved
Location:
Birkbeck Campus, Central London
Awarding body:
University of London
Study options:
Full-time | Part-time | Flexible learning | On campus | Online

Course overview

This MA English Literature and Culture gives you the chance to study the literature, culture and theory of modernity from the nineteenth century to the present day, so that you are exposed to a rich background of cultural study on this period. You will encounter a compelling assortment of texts, objects and images, and engage with a wide range of contexts, themes and ideas on a degree course taught by world-leading academic researchers.

  • Why choose this course?
    • You will be taught by active researchers in the literatures and cultures of the Romantic, Victorian, modern, premodern and contemporary periods who bring their different specialisms, ideas and insights to this course.
    • It is ideal if you want to pursue your passion in this subject area, advance your career in the cultural industries, or more generally improve your writing and research skills.
    • It offers you a flexible and diverse learning environment, with students from different backgrounds and stages of their careers, and the chance to study the course online, on campus or via a mixture of both.
    • It benefits from guest lectures from visiting writers and critics, and a close connection with Birkbeck's research centres and institutes that are particularly productive in this area.

  • What will I learn?

    This course introduces you to some of the most significant debates, ideas and events that have shaped the concept of modernity from 1800 to the present. It addresses a range of themes including: the impact of the industrial revolution, debates about the changing role of women, the rise and fall of colonialism across a long arc of history, concepts of the Anthropocene, trauma theory, postmodernism and posthumanism.

    You will explore how we read, interpret and interrogate our concept of what it means to be ‘modern’ working with literature and many other cultural forms including painting, book illustration, film and other visual media, critical theory, philosophy and digital materials. You will take a research skills module designed to advance these skills to postgraduate level. You will also be able to shape your degree to your interests by choosing option modules on a stimulating range of themes that varies from year to year.

  • How will I learn?

    This MA English Literature and Culture offers you a supportive and flexible learning environment. You can choose to study this course full- or part-time, and on campus or online. It has an evening timetable with classes taking place in the evening. 

    You will be taught via a combination of lectures and seminars. Lectures provide you with an overview and starting point for your deeper exploration of the subject. Seminars give you the chance to explore a specific aspect of the subject and discuss ideas with fellow students. You will also receive one-to-one supervision for your dissertation, which is supported by a dedicated dissertation skills course that runs in the summer term.

  • How often will I attend classes?

    Full-time: Two evenings a week, October to July.

    Part-time: One evening a week, October to July.

  • Flexible Master's

    This course is part of our Birkbeck Flexible Master’s UK, which gives you the choice of how you want to study - on campus, online or via flexible learning, which combines both.

    If you require a Student visa to study in the UK, you will only be able to apply for the on-campus study option for this course. Online and flexible options will not be available to you because they may affect the conditions of your visa.

  • Course disclaimer

    Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.

    Most of our courses are taught in the evenings, however some of our courses offer a daytime timetable. Where there is an option to attend daytime teaching sessions, this is stated in the How will I learn? section.

More highlights

  • Birkbeck was ranked 2nd in the UK for its English Language and Literature research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
  • We are at the heart of literary London, in Bloomsbury, WC1. We are also at the geographical centre of London’s research library complex, a short distance from the British Library, Senate House Library and the Institute of Historical Research. Senate House Library has an outstanding collection of literary periodicals of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, while the nearby University College London Library also has an important James Joyce archive. The Poetry Library at London’s South Bank Centre is rich in twentieth-century poetry. 
  • Birkbeck is active in the arena of literature and culture. We host the internationally acclaimed Centre for Nineteenth-Century Studies, which hosts 19: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Long Nineteenth Century, our free-to-read, open-access online journal. Birkbeck specialists in contemporary literature, poetry and creative writing also run the The Centre for New Writing, which regularly features visiting poets, writers and publishing professionals. Birkbeck cinema is home to the Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image and there are opportunities to join a number of graduate seminars and reading groups including activities associated with the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities.
  • We offer a number of bursaries for postgraduate students.

Modules and Teaching

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Entry requirements

Our standard entry requirements for postgraduate courses are a second-class honours degree (2:2), or equivalent, in any area of study. Your first degree does not have to be in English Literature.

We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential.

On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

Apply now to secure your place. The earlier you apply, the sooner your application can be considered, and you can enrol. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.

  • What are the English language requirements?

    If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests.

    If you don't meet the minimum English language requirements, please contact us or see our international study skills page for more details about how we can help.

    Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.

  • What are the visa and funding requirements?

    If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.

    The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

    • Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
    • Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa

    International students who require a Student visa should apply to study on our courses full-time as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol to study part-time courses at Birkbeck (with the exception of some modules).

    As a Student visa student, you should also apply to study on campus only, as online and flexible options of study (if they are available for your course) may affect the conditions of your visa.

    For full information, read our visa information for international students page.

    Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country.

    Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.

  • Credits and accredited prior learning (APL)

    If you have studied at university (or have an HND or Foundation Degree), you may have accumulated credits. It may be possible to transfer these from your previous study to Birkbeck or another institution.

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Fees

MA: One year full-time or two years part-time, on campus, starting in October 2026

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £5,670 per year
Full-time home students: £11,340 per year
Part-time international students: £10,425 per year
Full-time international students: £20,850 per year

MA: One year full-time or two years part-time, online, starting in October 2026

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £5,670 per year
Full-time home students: £11,340 per year
Part-time international students: £10,425 per year
Full-time international students: £20,850 per year

MA: One year full-time or two years part-time, flexible learning, starting in October 2026

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £5,670 per year
Full-time home students: £11,340 per year
Part-time international students: £10,425 per year
Full-time international students: £20,850 per year

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing their course may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the Fees Policy.

Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.

Birkbeck's campus is located in the historic and vibrant Bloomsbury area of central London - named one of the best places to live in London 2025 by The Times.

Careers and employability

Our graduates are trained to be effective researchers with good communication skills and an ability to sift and critically assess a wide range of textual and other cultural materials. On graduating successfully from this MA English Literature and Culture you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:

  • postgraduate-level training in writing research-based essays and longer-form work
  • an advanced critical ability to examine cultural objects in their formal, historical and theoretical contexts
  • the ability to effectively use world-leading research libraries and archives.

You will find graduates of this MA following career paths in:

  • journalism
  • professional writing
  • arts administration or research
  • civil service
  • law and business professions
  • publishing roles
  • teaching in schools or as lecturers in further and higher education
  • museum and cultural heritage work
  • cultural education
  • curation.

A number of our Master's students also go on to study at PhD level, and we will provide you with structured support and guidance if you wish to pursue this path.

Recent graduates from this subject area have found employment in the following roles:

  • Policy adviser at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
  • Classics editor at Penguin Books
  • Curator at the Guildhall Art Gallery
  • Curator at the Science Museum
  • Public events and exhibitions co-ordinator at the Warburg Institute
  • Film programmer for the Barbican arts complex
  • Company manager at the Jupiter Theatre in Florida
  • Curator of contemporary literary archives at the British Library.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

Student support

Birkbeck offers study, learning and wellbeing support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed.

Our Learning Development Service provides a lively programme of free weekly workshops building essential academic skills - from writing and critical thinking to maths and referencing - offering flexible sessions, practical tips, and online resources to boost your skills and confidence.

Our Disability and Mental Health Service can support you if you have disabilities, specific learning differences, mental health conditions or neurodivergence, by providing practical support to help you achieve your academic potential.

Our Counselling Service aims to support you with any emotional and psychological difficulties that are affecting your experience and engagement with your studies at university. It is a free, non-judgemental and confidential service which consists of a consultation process followed by time limited counselling contact.

Find out more about the full range of student services we offer at Birkbeck.

How to apply

You apply directly to Birkbeck for this course, using the online application link.

You will need to prove your identity when you apply. Find out more about how to apply.

Related courses

Study routes for English Literature and Culture (MA)

Please select a study route below to continue your application.

Please note that international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK can only apply for full-time, on campus routes.

Starting in October 2026

Full-time

Part-time