MA Philosophy and Literature

MA in Philosophy and Literature

The MA in Philosophy and Literature is an interdisciplinary one-year programme (or two years part-time), designed to offer graduates of either philosophy or literature the opportunity to study the many areas of overlap between the disciplines. The central questions concern the status of the text, the status of the genre, and the relationship between text, reader, and world.

An interview with a student of the MA in Philosophy and Literature

Programme Content and Structure

Students must complete a dissertation of 12,000–15,000 words on a relevant topic, due in mid-August. The dissertation must be supervised by a member of the School of Philosophy, although students may consult members of other schools for informal advice.

In addition to the dissertation, the programme comprises six modules: three from the School of Philosophy and three from schools of literatures. (Information on each module can be found in the Graduate Handbook and on SIS web by searching the module code.) These must be chosen as follows:

(A)  One core module in the Spring trimester, compulsory for all students on the programme:

• PHIL40410 Philosophy and Literature

(B)  Two of the following Philosophy modules:

 Autumn Trimester

• PHIL41240 Newman: Philosophical Perspectives 
• PHIL41280 Feminist & Gender Theory
• PHIL41510 Ethics in Public Life
• PHIL41570 Problems from Kant
• PHIL41810 Critique & Destruction
• PHIL41840 Invention of the Modern Self
• PHIL41890 Authenticity & Attitudes

Spring Trimester

• PHIL40250 Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology of Perception
• PHIL40970 Topics in Mind & Cognition
• PHIL41320 Topics in Continental Philosophy
• PHIL41330 Philosophy of Time
• PHIL41880 Reading Nietzsche

(C)  Three of the following literature modules:

Autumn Trimester

• ENG40940 Theory of Gender & Sexuality*
• ENG41570 World-Systems, World-Literature*
• ENG41640 Joyce, Ulysses*
• ENG41670 Contemporary US Genre Fiction*
• GRC40330 Exploring New Worlds
• IRFL40170 The Narrative Art*
• SLL40230 Introduction to Cultural Theory*

Spring Trimester

• EDF30060 Digital Methods
• ENG41840 American Lyric*
• ENG41860 Queer Fictions*
• ENG40280 Un/Settling Global Literatures*
• GRC40290 The Plays of Euripides
• SPAN40360 Historical Memory in Spain*^/**

*Limited places – students may only take one ENG module and must confirm with Assistant Professor Lisa Foran before registration 

**Students require competency in Spanish – teaching and texts in Spanish language only.

• Please note: The School of Philosophy is not responsible for modules in other schools. Some of these modules may not be accessible to students on this MA programme because of (i) cancellation, (ii) oversubscription, or (iii) a timetable clash. Changes in the timetables of other Schools might be made as late as August. Even when a module is available to Philosophy students, places may be limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Any questions about the programme should be addressed to the programme director, Dr Lisa Foran.

Eligibility criteria are given on the postgraduate admissions page.

All administrative enquiries should be sent to the School Manager.