What's included?

Literary and cultural studies, concluding with a dissertation

During the first semester, you will primarily expand your knowledge of methods, theories and concepts in critical studies of literature, but also your knowledge of other cultural phenomena from the English-speaking world. Courses on the programme aim to strengthen your multidisciplinary understanding of culture and cultural forms, and to increase your interpretative ability. The emphasis is on the role that class, ethnicity, gender and other parameters play in the production and reception of knowledge and culture. Throughout the programme, forms of literature, culture, and society are studied, and the themes of text and crisis are explored. In addition, the study of academic English in the field of literature and cultural studies is deepened, with a focus on you writing your own texts. These studies prepare you for the Master’s dissertation that you will write in your second semester. In addition to this, the programme also includes the opportunity for thematic in-depth study with an elective course and an individualised reading course that you develop with your supervisor, focusing on literature and issues relevant to the research and writing of your dissertation.

Semester 1

English-language Literature and Culture, 30 credits

Semester 2

English-language Literature in a Socio-historical Perspective, 7.5 credits
Elective course, 7.5 credits (see point 8)
Master’s Dissertation, 15 credits

Course design

There is a great emphasis on class discussion and writing, so teaching is primarily conducted through seminars. You will write a number of academic texts, such as a research essays and conference-style papers. The seminars are compulsory and will be given twice a week on campus. Advanced, specialised questions are addressed on the programme, with a specific emphasis on historical and theoretical problems that are not studied at undergraduate level.

The programme also features guest lectures in conjunction with departmental research activities (such as higher seminars and conferences). Courses are programme-specific, apart from one 7.5-credit course that you can choose from another department at Södertörn University or another higher education institution.