MA in Literary Studies
Groningen, Netherlands
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
15 Aug 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
01 Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 2,314 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* EU/EEA students: €2,314 | non-EU/EEA students: €16,000
Introduction
Are you interested in the study of literature? Investigate our tracks to see the courses we offer.
The one-year Master's degree in Literary Studies offers three tracks and you should click on the links below to find out more detailed information about each of them.
In the track in European Literatures and Interculturality, you study the arts and literature of Europe. You will explore subjects such as the impact of globalization on European literature; and the shifting of world views within European art. You will focus on the language and culture you studied as a Bachelor's student.
The track in English Literature and Culture explores English literary classics and new works of English literature in their cultural context. As a student of this program, you can draw from the full historical and geographical sweep of literature in the English language.
In the Writing, Editing, and Mediating track you focus on all aspects of writing, editing, and publishing. You will improve your English writing and editing skills. In addition, you will learn to help others in their writing process. The track is meant for graduates with a near-native command of the English language.
Curriculum
Program options
Writing, Editing and Mediating (WEM) (track)
What makes a text a good or captivating text? How do you recognize repetitions, inconsistencies, faulty logic, and other problems in texts? What does it take to guide a text from writer to reader?
Working with texts in a professional setting involves a special set of skills. The Writing, Editing and Mediating Master's track (often abbreviated to WEM), offers students a choice of courses that focus on non-fiction writing for specific audiences, the history of texts in their various forms (from manuscript to digital book), proof-reading and correcting English texts, and producing texts for publication. Topics addressed include censorship, copyright, scholarly editions, critical theory, and social issues in contemporary literature. Students on the course typically have a BA in English or in an Anglophone culture (e.g. American Studies). Some students with other humanities qualifications and a sufficient level of academic English are accepted by the admissions board. The one-year Master's track in Writing, Editing, and Mediating (WEM) is a track within the Master's degree in Literary Studies and is run by the Department of English Language and Culture. It is taught and assessed wholly in English.
European Literatures and Interculturality (track)
Welcome to the Master's track in European Literature and Interculturality.
Based on cutting-edge research in literary studies, this unique and innovative literature program is international in scope and comprises several modern European languages. The Master's track in European Literature and Interculturality is located at the Department of European Languages and Cultures. This international, interdisciplinary, and multilingual environment offers excellent opportunities for research and immerses them in vibrant networks of experts across different European countries and languages. Students have to choose one major language. They can choose from the following languages: French, Frisian, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish. The Master's track in European Literature and Interculturality provides you with academic skills and approaches that will prepare you to operate as a cultural expert wherever texts are involved: in the media, in institutions, and in networks. Each course builds on a theoretical foundation, but at the same time trains your research skills and ability to communicate with a range of different audiences.
Besides, students may choose one or two interdisciplinary seminars in literature which are team-taught by experts from different fields. Examples of such interdisciplinary courses include: 'Literature and Conflict' and 'Modernist Geographies.'
English Literature and Culture (track)
Literary study is socially relevant: from the medieval to the modern, it maps the forces which divide and unite people. English is the global language of cultural exchange and experiment.
The themes of conflict and cooperation are at the core of the Master's track in English Literature and Culture, a program that allows students a broad choice from a range of modules drawing on the full historical and geographical sweep of literature in English.
It is a key tenet of the track that the academic study of English literature can be used to reflect on the ways that people - as individuals and as groups - interact with one another and that it provides a catalyst for insight into contemporary social debates. Literature captures the separation and the solidarity of its writers and audiences in a manner particular to itself: it is a multidisciplinary practice that is as various as the texts it studies. The program's core themes of conflict and cooperation are linked to a sustainable society, a research priority of the university.
Master's Honours program (honors program)
The Master's Honours program was developed especially for students who want to get more from their studies.
It is a program worth 15 ECTS that is followed in addition to the standard Master's program. It is a one-year interdisciplinary program that is designed to introduce students to various aspects of leadership.
Admissions
Career Opportunities
Job prospects
Your possibilities depend on your track. You might work as a translator, journalist, or writer. You could also find a job in the field of education, research, or publishing. Other options are functions at cultural organizations and government institutes.