Master of English Linguistics and Literature

The Master of English Linguistics and Literature will expand your knowledge of the English language, its structure and history, its literature and its cultural embedding. Research-based teaching will allow you to benefit from the expertise of KU Leuven’s internationally renowned scholars in English linguistics and literature. You will be encouraged to develop your communication and research skills through seminars and your personal master’s thesis. The optional component of the programme allows you to additionally study linguistics and literature from a broader European perspective.

About the programme

In the Master of English Linguistics and Literature you explore the English language in its full richness and complexity, studying its linguistics and literature, and deepening your understanding of its history and of the cultural diversity of the English-speaking world. Through the optional component of the programme you can additionally study linguistics and literature from a broader European perspective. You will develop a sound theoretical and methodological background while researching linguistic and literary topics leading to a master’s thesis.

The programme emphasizes the academic study of English in all its aspects, including the theoretical and historical study of the English language and literature. The curriculum combines theoretical courses with seminars and is designed to develop your methodological, critical-theoretical, and heuristic skills, as well as your communicative ability, as you benefit from the research and expertise of the English scholars at the Faculty of Arts.

Career perspectives

Graduates are perfectly equipped for research at a higher level (PhD programmes, research projects, etc.). They can work as language professionals, with deep insight into how language (and English in particular) works and functions within its cultural context. They have also rich communication skills. Those skills can be used in a broad range of professional contexts where the ability to process, summarise, and present complex information is essential.