English MA

Start date

22 September 2025

Duration

1 year full-time

About the course

Reasons to study

You'll learn in the state-of-the-art £30m Barbara Hepworth Building with collaborative studios and exhibition space.
You will learn via a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops in specialist teaching spaces.
You’ll learn to critically analyse primary sources, texts and data and recognise the strengths and weaknesses in the arguments, analysis and creative output of others.

This degree is part of an interdisciplinary MA suite, combining specialisms you may have studied previously with areas that might be new to you, opening up careers in the creative, educational, heritage, and media industries. Working across different disciplines, such as History, Creative Writing and Media as well as English, means that you benefit from staff expertise and industry contacts in all of them. You’ll discuss ideas with people from a range of backgrounds and viewpoints. This adds up to a stimulating and creative student experience, with the chance to learn and do new, challenging and worthwhile things.

Having developed skills on the Methods and Approaches module, your keystone assignment will be your Major Project, a piece of independent research, which could result in a work of literary criticism, an author biography, linguistics research, an exhibition, a podcast, or another form of communicating specialist knowledge. You’ll be supported in this work by subject experts.

We work closely with partners to put your skills and knowledge into practice. This includes working with the on-campus archive, Heritage Quay (including our Ted Hughes collection), the on-site Holocaust Centre North, and nearby literary heritage organisations and museums.

Our modules have been designed with innovation at their core to enable students to become inspiring and enterprising global professionals, an aspiration for all our students at the University. There is lots of choice in the format and content of your assignments, allowing you to pursue existing passions and discover new ones.

Course detail

Modules

Heroes and Villains

Why do we villainise some people and actions, and understand others as heroic? This module explores the concepts of the hero and the villain in language, myth, literature, film, media and other forms. Using case studies, we explore how these archetypes function in culture, society and representation from the medieval period to the present. You will learn to spot the process of heroization and villainization in your chosen and related fields. This learning is applicable in any context where we need to decode language and imagery, demonstrate critical thinking, or understand the broader context of ideas.

Innovation and Impact

How do we apply academic learning and research in the real world? What is at stake in working across disciplines to solve challenges? How can you prepare yourself to succeed after your Master’s degree? This module exploits the entrepreneurial and enterprise expertise of colleagues across the University and contacts with the creative, heritage, media, cultural and educational sectors to give you a unique and memorable learning experience and prepare you for your professional future.

Concepts and Approaches in History, English and Creative Writing

How can we draw on concepts, methods, approaches and themes from across Humanities disciplines to conduct rigorous inquiry into our specialist interests? What are the advantages and challenges of interdisciplinary Humanities study? What do we learn when we combine the insight of different disciplines such as English, History and Creative Writing? This module expands your knowledge of advanced concepts, themes, methods and approaches in the Humanities, ensuring that your study of your specialist field is informed by the latest thinking and contemporary issues. Not only does this module set you up for your Major Project, it prepares you to be a nimble and creative professional, encouraging new ways of working and expansive thinking.

Patterns of Prejudice

This module examines examples of human prejudice from medieval Anti-Semitism to modern-day hate crime. It makes particular use of the on-campus learning resource, Holocaust Centre North, including discussions about the social media strategy of an organisation like this in contemporary political climates. Students on this module are also encouraged to make use of the Jo Cox More in Common Centre to (in line with the Centre's mission) enable 'students and staff to facilitate and participate in significant conversations education and programmes that celebrate Jo’s famous words: “We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us”'. This includes student-led conversations about Islamophobia. The module reflects on the impact of changing media technologies in reproducing or constructing patterns of prejudice. It also considers film, literature and other forms of representation and communication. Topics typically include the medieval Middle East ('Encounters on Crusade’) and representation of Romani communities.

Holocaust and Genocide Studies Research Project

The module is designed to enable you to engage in a substantial piece of student-centred learning. You will deploy, and reflect upon, the skills and knowledge acquired in the MA taught modules. The programme of study undertaken will be determined through consultation with your supervisor. Individual dissertations will be expected to address the nature and challenges of research in Holocaust Studies and to have fully considered the ethical and methodological implications.

Teaching and assessment

During your MA, you will experience a variety of teaching and learning formats, including lectures, workshops, seminars and one-to-one discussions. You’ll work with your peers and your tutors, and have access to the wider postgraduate and academic community.

Our assessment is varied and innovative. You’ll write an extended essay and journal article, produce a portfolio and develop a public-facing resource. You’ll also undertake reflective writing, contributing to your personal and professional development. And in your MA dissertation you’ll showcase the skills and knowledge you have developed throughout the course.

Formative assessment will feed directly into summative assessments. Formatives are the start of your assessment journey and we will support you as you develop your ideas and produce your summative work.

Assessment can be varied to meet specific student needs arising from factors such as a disability; in all such cases the form of assessment will always meet the required learning outcomes for the module in question.

Teaching excellence

Triple proof of teaching excellence: our staff rank in the top three in England for the proportion who hold doctorates, who have higher degrees, and hold teaching qualifications (HESA 2024). So, you’ll learn from some of the best, helping you to be the best.
We are joint first in the country for National Teaching Fellowships, which mark the UK’s best lecturers in Higher Education, winning a total of 23 since 2008 (2024 data).
We won the first Global Teaching Excellence Award, recognising the University’s commitment to world-class teaching and its success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers (Higher Education Academy, 2017).

ou will take 180 credits at Master's level: four 30-credit modules and a 60-credit dissertation.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for this course are normally:

An Honours degree (2:2 or above) in English or a similar subject.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum of IELTS 7.0 overall with no element lower than 6.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

Career support

On graduating from this course, you will have developed the ability to locate relevant and precise sources for the in-depth study of English. You’ll learn to critically analyse texts and sources and recognise the strengths and weaknesses in the critical arguments, analysis and creative output of others. You’ll be able to interpret literary, historical, cultural, creative or other materials with sensitivity, imagination and originality. You’ll understand a range of relevant professional careers and relate these to your own strengths, skills, and values, identifying routes into these careers. You’ll be able to engage with supervision and guidance and independently set tasks as part of larger programmes of work. You’ll have experience in working collaboratively, autonomously, and flexibly. You’ll have developed strategies for communicating coherently and with clarity. You’ll be able to develop original critical, analytical, reflective and/or investigative work.

Career support

Career support

Student support

The school has dedicated Academic Skills Tutors (AST) who deliver a range of generic skills. The AST offers help and advice with general study skills, IT, literacy and numeracy as well as research skills. The AST may also refer students for specialist support and assessment e.g. for Dyslexia.

In line with the Equality Act 2010, the School will make reasonable adjustments in order that disabled students can fully access their course. The University's Disability Services provide information and advice to disabled students about the support available and liaises with members of staff on disability related issues.

Fees and Finance

Tuition Fees - full-time

In 2025/26 the full-time tuition fee for UK postgraduate students on this course will be £8,900 (Band 2).

Tuition fees for UK students will cover the cost of your study at the University. For more information about funding, fees and finance for UK students, including what your tuition fee covers, please see our Fees and Finance. Please note that tuition fees for subsequent years of study may rise in line with inflation (RPI-X).

If you are an EU or international student coming to study at the University of Huddersfield, please visit the International Fees and Finance pages for full details of tuition fees and support available.

Please email the Student Finance Office or call 01484 472210 for more information about fees and finance.

Fees and Finance

Tuition Fees - full-time

In 2025/26 the full-time tuition fee for UK postgraduate students on this course will be £8,900 (Band 2).

Please email the Student Finance Office or call 01484 472210 for more information about fees and finance.

Important information

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

Changes to a course you have applied for but are not yet enrolled on

If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment. We may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will discuss with you other suitable courses we can transfer your application to. If you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

Changes to option modules:

Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have an equivalent range of options to that advertised for the course. We will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

Major changes:

We will only make major changes to non-optional modules on a course if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that substantially changes the outcomes, or a significant part of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum. For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators or a commissioning or accrediting body. We may also make changes to improve the course in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback or to ensure you are being taught current best practice. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment, or pandemics.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but may happen sooner in an emergency. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed in accordance with the student protection plan.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.