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Help MA Modern + Contemporary Literature Course

Hellooo everyone, I'm looking for some help choosing which uni(s) to apply to for a taught master's in modern and contemporary (English) literature.

I'm going into third year at Oxford and so I'm tempted to apply here, but I've heard mixed things about the MSt 1900-Present and from my experience at Oxford I know modern and contemporary isn't their strong suit. I'm also really suspicious of courses which don't give specific details about their modules, which Oxford doesn't. But any advice from people who have taken this course would be very welcome, I'd love to be proved wrong.

I've also looked at the Cambridge option but frankly it looks a bit crap - the modules are bizarrely pointed towards only very niche authors, there's no theory component, and the course focuses pretty much only on the modern side of modern and contemporary (I keep finding this: courses which profess to range from 1900 to now usually only offer modules up to 1950-60). Again, if I've got this wrong please correct me!

So essentially I'd really like some recommendations of unis with English faculties with particular strengths in modern and contemporary literature, which offer taught master's with a mixture of both canonical and non-canonical writing, with a theory component, and preferably some modules which actually do let you study contemporary literature. From my searching online St Andrews and Edinburgh look fairly promising - does anyone have any experience of them? Any other recommendations would also be very welcome!

Thanks very much!

(Also in case it's relevant, I'd like to be able to study a mixture of prose, verse and drama, but I'm most interested in prose writing)
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by fjwm1
Hellooo everyone, I'm looking for some help choosing which uni(s) to apply to for a taught master's in modern and contemporary (English) literature.

I'm going into third year at Oxford and so I'm tempted to apply here, but I've heard mixed things about the MSt 1900-Present and from my experience at Oxford I know modern and contemporary isn't their strong suit. I'm also really suspicious of courses which don't give specific details about their modules, which Oxford doesn't. But any advice from people who have taken this course would be very welcome, I'd love to be proved wrong.

I've also looked at the Cambridge option but frankly it looks a bit crap - the modules are bizarrely pointed towards only very niche authors, there's no theory component, and the course focuses pretty much only on the modern side of modern and contemporary (I keep finding this: courses which profess to range from 1900 to now usually only offer modules up to 1950-60). Again, if I've got this wrong please correct me!

So essentially I'd really like some recommendations of unis with English faculties with particular strengths in modern and contemporary literature, which offer taught master's with a mixture of both canonical and non-canonical writing, with a theory component, and preferably some modules which actually do let you study contemporary literature. From my searching online St Andrews and Edinburgh look fairly promising - does anyone have any experience of them? Any other recommendations would also be very welcome!

Thanks very much!

(Also in case it's relevant, I'd like to be able to study a mixture of prose, verse and drama, but I'm most interested in prose writing)


You really have to do your own research as only you can work out which courses meet your requirements. Unis will put varying levels of detail about their modules on their websites so email and ask. As you're already there you can even arrange to see the course director.
Reply 2
Original post by alleycat393
You really have to do your own research as only you can work out which courses meet your requirements. Unis will put varying levels of detail about their modules on their websites so email and ask. As you're already there you can even arrange to see the course director.


Is it common to do that? I realize I could easily get the details for Oxford but I don't want to piss off course directors at other places by asking just when I'm about to apply, especially if they've not put them up on their websites.
Original post by fjwm1
Is it common to do that? I realize I could easily get the details for Oxford but I don't want to piss off course directors at other places by asking just when I'm about to apply, especially if they've not put them up on their websites.


Yup go for it. You won’t get info unless you ask.

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