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Literary Studies: Literatures in English – (M.A.)
VU University Amsterdam
Faculty of Arts
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| Application Deadline: | Start in 1 September: April (non-EEA: April). | ||
| Annual Tuition Fee: | ≈ € 1,713 - ≈ € 10,500 (non-EEA) | ||
| Location: | Amsterdam / Netherlands / View location on map ▾ Hide location on map ▴ | ||
| Duration: | 12 months | Start Date: | September |
| Educational Form: |
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| Education Variants: |
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| Credits (ECTS): | 60 | ||
| Languages: | English | ||
Location of VU University Amsterdam
The Master’s programme Literary Studies, specialization Literatures in English at VU University Amsterdam focuses on the relation between literature and visual culture. Rooted in the VU tradition of studying the relations between word and image, this specialized interdisciplinary programme will teach you to analyze the various ways in which textual and visual culture interact.
The topics studied from this perspective range from the Renaissance stage to screenwriting, from the relation between poetry and photography to film adaptations of gothic novels. The courses in this programme are closely linked to the current research of staff members, so that students are involved in cutting-edge developments. You are encouraged to explore your own interests in depth using the tools and theories we provide you with, culminating in your own research project when you write your MA-thesis in the second semester.
The Literatures in English programme attracts a large number of students from abroad each year. About half the students in our courses are Dutch, but in the last two years, we have also had attracted students from Egypt, Germany, India, the Netherlands, Romania, Russia, South Africa, and the United States. All courses in this MA programme are taught in English. Except for Literature & Society which is a lecture series, all courses are seminars. This means that nearly all your classes take place in vibrant groups of up to twenty students with lots of opportunities for interaction, discussion, but also independent research. The VU is an internationally-oriented university in Amsterdam, the capital of The Netherlands.
Career Prospects
Your Master’s degree makes you a specialist in Literary Studies. In particular you will have developed excellent oral and written communication skills, which allow you to provide clear and detailed answers to complicated questions. This specific training, together with your international orientation, will give you excellent opportunities in the growing market of international companies in the Netherlands and abroad. In recent years, many of our graduates have found employment in the commercial sector.
Alternatively, you can choose to continue your studies by pursuing a research degree or an educational Master’s degree that enables you to teach senior secondary school classes. There are also many opportunities available in journalism and translation. Specializing in Literatures in English makes you especially equipped for jobs in the publishing industry and the media.
Contents
The programme in a nutshell
Semester 1 (September-January)
Literature Visualized (6 ECTS)
Literature Visualized is the core course and will give students a thorough theoretical background to the intricate relations between literature and visual media. Pictures are supposed to tell a thousand words, but where does this cliché come from and how truthful is it? This course investigates the different ways in which literature and visual media convey meaning.
Visual Art and the American Poet (6 ECTS)
Why are American poets increasingly fascinated by visual art? Ekphrastic poetry – poetry inspired by visual art – has become a significant subgenre in which poets may reveal the essence of their poetics as well as the limitations of their chosen art form. Special attention will be paid to the relationship between such poetry and gender. Do men write with a “male gaze”? Do women write a different kind of ekphrastic poem from men?
Fiction and Film (6 ECTS)
What are the key similarities and differences between fiction and film? By comparing and contrasting three types of fiction, for instance classic novel, autobiography, and science fiction with each other and with films that were based on them, we will try to determine the distinguishing characteristics of these two media.
Renaissance literature and visual culture
This course looks at Renaissance literature from the perspective of visual studies and the history of the senses. Several developments in the period challenged ideas about the workings of sight and the effects of visual images, such as the Reformation and advances in science and philosophy. In this course, you will analyse Renaissance literature from the perspective of these changing ideas about images, vision, and sight, focusing on the relations and exchanges between literature and visual culture in genres such as poetry and drama, and the material culture of the printed book.
Literature and Society (6 ECTS)
This course is an obligatory lecture course for all MA-literature students at the VU University Amsterdam. From different vantage points, it analyzes how literature is both a part of society intersects with all aspects of daily life and impacts society at large.
Semester 2 (February-June)
The Gothic Gaze
Zooming in on the relations between Gothic literature and other media, such as film and music, this course offers students an opportunity to develop their understanding of what Gothic is. The literature studied ranges from the early gothic play The Monk by Matthew Lewis, via Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey to Angela Carter’s Bloody Chamber and George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead.
Screenwriting (6 ECTS)
How do you write film scripts and what makes this genre different from plays or novels? In this course you do not only study classic and off-the-wall film scripts, but will also sample what it is to write one yourself.
MA-Thesis (18 ECTS)
Closely supervised by one of our staff members, students write their own large independent scientific thesis (roughly 20,000 words). The topics are decided by the students themselves, but in consultation with their supervisors.
*students are allowed to swap this course for another course in the faculty’s course offerings.
You are normally required to take an English Proficiency Test if you come from a non-English speaking country.
Most European Universities recognise the IELTS test.
More informationRequirements
The Master’s programme is intended for students with an academic Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Culture. It is also suitable for students with other Bachelor’s degrees in the Humanities (history, comparative literature, Cultural Studies, American Studies etc.) with a solid background (at least 30 ECTS-credits) in English and American literature and culture. Dutch students who do not meet the admission requirements and still want to apply, please write to the Humanities Examination Committee. The deadline for applications is 1 June for Dutch students.
Contact for Dutch students: engels@let.vu.nl
International students and students with a foreign Bachelor/Master degree
If you would like to start a Master’s programme at the Faculty of Arts, you can apply using our online application system. The departmental Examination Board will decide upon your admission after having officially reviewed and evaluated your diplomas/degrees. Diplomas unknown by the board will be assessed by the master coordinator in cooperation with the NUFFIC.
Admission
On the corporate VU website you can read more about general admission requirements. . The Master’s specialization Literatures in English is intended for students with an academic Bachelor in English Language and Culture. You may also be accepted if you have an academic Bachelor in other disciplines of the Humanities (History, Cultural Studies, Comparative Literature, American Studies etc.), with a major or specialization in English literature (equal to a minimum of 30 ECTS).
You must always present official test results proving your proficiency in English. Only students who have completed a full high school or bachelor’s degree in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia may be exempted. We require a TOEFL score (score 600 paper based, score 250 computer based or score 100 internet based) or an IELTS score (score 7.0).
Deadline for international students
The deadline for international students differs from Dutch students. You need to have applied and provided all documents before April 1st.
Additional Requirements
| Minimal degree required: | Bachelor's degree |
| Minimal amount of work experience | Not specified |
Language Proficiency
| IELTS Band: | 7.0 |
| Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE): | Grade C (Score: 60) |
| TOEFL Paper-based: | 600 |
| TOEFL Computer-based: | 250 |
| TOEFL Internet-based: | 100 |
Accreditation
Accredited by: NVAO in: Netherlands
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