MPhil in European, Latin American and Comparative Literatures and Cultures by Advanced Study Program By University of Cambridge |Top Universities

Program overview

Main Subject

Modern Languages

Degree

MPhil

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

The MPhil in European, Latin American, and Comparative  Literatures and Cultures (ELAC) provides students with the critical and theoretical tools to enable them to undertake an in-depth study of specific aspects of European literatures and cultures and/or Latin American and Francophone contexts. The course introduces students to a broad range of critical theory concepts, allows for in-depth study of specific cultures and contexts, and includes the writing of a dissertation based on original research.
The MPhil is offered by the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics (MMLL) as a full-time programme and introduces students to research skills and specialist knowledge of specific cultural areas.
The course aims:
to offer students with relevant experience at degree level a self-contained 9-month course in which they have the opportunity for in-depth study of specific aspects of European and comparative literatures and cultures (and in some cases film, history and the visual arts) and critical theory; and to provide foundations for continuation to PhD research. These aims are achieved by:
  • offering an overview of central aspects of modern literary/cultural theory and critical approaches to develop a general understanding of the field;
  • offering an opportunity for in-depth study of two areas in critical theory and approaches and for developing skills to write on theory and to use theory or palaeographical and bibliographical techniques as a tool in the study of literary or other cultural texts;
  • offering an opportunity for expanding knowledge of the literature and culture of specific periods and language areas beyond the undergraduate level;
  • offering an opportunity for in-depth and sustained work on the individual essay and dissertation topics;
  • offering the opportunity either to specialise in one European language area or to continue work in several languages (in the latter case offering guidance in developing comparative research projects);
  • offering an opportunity to give seminar papers to a specialist audience in order to develop skills in presenting work and discussing the issues which arise from it with other MPhil students and senior members of the Faculty;
  • offering an opportunity to learn to work to tight deadlines (time management);
  • offering practice in writing shorter essays with a strict deadline (4,500 words);
  • offering experience in independent research and training in developing a realistic research project and writing it up as a dissertation (15,000 words) within a limited period of time;
  • offering an opportunity to develop bibliographical, editorial and other research skills;
  • offering an opportunity to work under the supervision of specialists in relevant areas; and
  • offering the opportunity to participate in the research culture of the Faculty and to attend postgraduate seminars and reading groups.
In addition to these subject-specific skills, the following general transferable skills are also acquired:
  • The relatively intense timetable of the MPhil demands that students develop exemplary time-management skills. They work in collaboration with their supervisors to devise appropriate plans of study and have to ensure that they meet all deadlines, both formal and informal.
  • Students are expected to make regular presentations in seminar settings to develop their oral presentation skills.
  • Written work is assessed on the basis of a demonstration of scholarly research and critical analysis. That is, students are expected to present a lucid, coherent and carefully substantiated exposition of a critical viewpoint. Writing must be in clear, grammatically correct, continuous prose, and must function as a single, comprehensible, persuasive, cumulative demonstration, not as a series of disconnected insights. The organisation of the argument of the essay or dissertation and its prose style are of crucial importance.

Program overview

Main Subject

Modern Languages

Degree

MPhil

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

The MPhil in European, Latin American, and Comparative  Literatures and Cultures (ELAC) provides students with the critical and theoretical tools to enable them to undertake an in-depth study of specific aspects of European literatures and cultures and/or Latin American and Francophone contexts. The course introduces students to a broad range of critical theory concepts, allows for in-depth study of specific cultures and contexts, and includes the writing of a dissertation based on original research.
The MPhil is offered by the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics (MMLL) as a full-time programme and introduces students to research skills and specialist knowledge of specific cultural areas.
The course aims:
to offer students with relevant experience at degree level a self-contained 9-month course in which they have the opportunity for in-depth study of specific aspects of European and comparative literatures and cultures (and in some cases film, history and the visual arts) and critical theory; and to provide foundations for continuation to PhD research. These aims are achieved by:
  • offering an overview of central aspects of modern literary/cultural theory and critical approaches to develop a general understanding of the field;
  • offering an opportunity for in-depth study of two areas in critical theory and approaches and for developing skills to write on theory and to use theory or palaeographical and bibliographical techniques as a tool in the study of literary or other cultural texts;
  • offering an opportunity for expanding knowledge of the literature and culture of specific periods and language areas beyond the undergraduate level;
  • offering an opportunity for in-depth and sustained work on the individual essay and dissertation topics;
  • offering the opportunity either to specialise in one European language area or to continue work in several languages (in the latter case offering guidance in developing comparative research projects);
  • offering an opportunity to give seminar papers to a specialist audience in order to develop skills in presenting work and discussing the issues which arise from it with other MPhil students and senior members of the Faculty;
  • offering an opportunity to learn to work to tight deadlines (time management);
  • offering practice in writing shorter essays with a strict deadline (4,500 words);
  • offering experience in independent research and training in developing a realistic research project and writing it up as a dissertation (15,000 words) within a limited period of time;
  • offering an opportunity to develop bibliographical, editorial and other research skills;
  • offering an opportunity to work under the supervision of specialists in relevant areas; and
  • offering the opportunity to participate in the research culture of the Faculty and to attend postgraduate seminars and reading groups.
In addition to these subject-specific skills, the following general transferable skills are also acquired:
  • The relatively intense timetable of the MPhil demands that students develop exemplary time-management skills. They work in collaboration with their supervisors to devise appropriate plans of study and have to ensure that they meet all deadlines, both formal and informal.
  • Students are expected to make regular presentations in seminar settings to develop their oral presentation skills.
  • Written work is assessed on the basis of a demonstration of scholarly research and critical analysis. That is, students are expected to present a lucid, coherent and carefully substantiated exposition of a critical viewpoint. Writing must be in clear, grammatically correct, continuous prose, and must function as a single, comprehensible, persuasive, cumulative demonstration, not as a series of disconnected insights. The organisation of the argument of the essay or dissertation and its prose style are of crucial importance.

Admission requirements

Undergraduate

7.5+
110+
193+
Applicants for this course should have achieved a UK High II.i Honours Degree.
If your degree is not from the UK, please check International Qualifications to find the equivalent in your country.
Although admissions interviews are generally not held, an interview may be held prior to recommending an offer of admission in some cases.
By "comparative literatures and cultures", we do not mean the study of any or all literatures in English translation. Applicants must show evidence of advanced reading competency in the language of the material proposed for the student’s dissertation research, which must fall within the purview of one of the language sections of MMLL. (Prospective students are encouraged to look at the profiles of the Faculty members in the different language sections who might supervise their work.) In cases where one is not a native speaker of the target language, competency ordinarily must be demonstrated by a degree in a field related to ELAC from a university where instruction was conducted in the language in question, or by an undergraduate degree from another university where the student has taken advanced (i.e., final-year) coursework in a relevant field using the material in the target language. If such coursework is not indicated on the student’s academic record, the student should submit the results of a formal language assessment of reading proficiency at the time of application (Common European Framework, C1 or higher, or American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Advanced High or higher).  
Students sometimes have this competency in more than one MMLL language, but many students use the MPhil to work solely on primary material from one particular language (e.g. working on Russian primary material alone for all of their written work here).  It is sometimes possible to develop your knowledge of one of the dissertation MMLL languages whilst you’re here (e.g. via the University Language Centre), though it is not plausible to do so from scratch, as you will be busy with the core work of the MPhil.  
In addition to writing on the ELAC MPhil about the material in the languages covered by MMLL, you can also write about English language material (e.g. someone working on 19th-century literature in the second term might write an essay comparing Madame Bovary and Jane Eyre).  But students who wish to focus on texts written in English or translated into English will find relevant MPhils in the English Faculty.  It is possible on the ELAC programme to use conceptual and theoretical material in English translation.
16 May 2024
9 Months
Oct
  • Candidates are required to submit references or letter(s) of recommendation for acceptance

Tuition fee and scholarships

Domestic Students

27,523 GBP
-

International Students

45,829 GBP
-

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