English – Texts & Contexts: Medieval to Renaissance (MA)
12 monthsProgramme duration
16,700 EURTuition Fee/year
1Scholarships
SepStarting Month
Programme overview
Main Subject
English Language and Literature
Degree
MA
Study Level
Masters
Study Mode
On Campus
Our MA Texts and Contexts: Medieval to Renaissance programme offers students the opportunity to explore the full variety and contexts of Old English, Middle English, and Renaissance literature from the islands of Britain and Ireland, as well the afterlives and legacies of these literary traditions in the modern era.
The MA examines interactions between texts in English from these islands, tracing the beginnings of Anglo-Irish writing, as well as the cultural transmissions and transformations between classical, European, and insular intellectual and literary traditions circa 700 to circa 1700. The programme takes a particular interest in interrogating conventional boundaries between periods (such as medieval and Renaissance), genres, and media (drama, prose, poetry, oral traditions, film, etc.). Modern writers and filmmakers have a fascination with the Medieval and Early Modern that goes far beyond rewritings of ancient myths, or star-studded movie versions of Shakespeare’s plays, and this programme aims to alert students to some of these recent cultural approaches. The MA programme is also stimulated by exceptional contexts and resources from medieval and early modern sites, such as Spenser’s Kilcolman Castle in north Cork, to the early printed book collections of the Boole Library’s Special Collections.
Programme overview
Main Subject
English Language and Literature
Degree
MA
Study Level
Masters
Study Mode
On Campus
Our MA Texts and Contexts: Medieval to Renaissance programme offers students the opportunity to explore the full variety and contexts of Old English, Middle English, and Renaissance literature from the islands of Britain and Ireland, as well the afterlives and legacies of these literary traditions in the modern era.
The MA examines interactions between texts in English from these islands, tracing the beginnings of Anglo-Irish writing, as well as the cultural transmissions and transformations between classical, European, and insular intellectual and literary traditions circa 700 to circa 1700. The programme takes a particular interest in interrogating conventional boundaries between periods (such as medieval and Renaissance), genres, and media (drama, prose, poetry, oral traditions, film, etc.). Modern writers and filmmakers have a fascination with the Medieval and Early Modern that goes far beyond rewritings of ancient myths, or star-studded movie versions of Shakespeare’s plays, and this programme aims to alert students to some of these recent cultural approaches. The MA programme is also stimulated by exceptional contexts and resources from medieval and early modern sites, such as Spenser’s Kilcolman Castle in north Cork, to the early printed book collections of the Boole Library’s Special Collections.
Admission Requirements
To be considered for admission to an MA programme within the School of English, an applicant will normally possess a honours primary degree result of Second Class Honours Grade 1 (2H1) level or higher or equivalent qualification in English or a cognate subject. All candidates must satisfy a Selection Committee who may request applicants to provide letters of reference.
For North American students a cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 is expected.
The selection committee for the MA in the Department of English, University College Cork also attaches strong importance to the additional special supplementary online questions and the online 500-word personal statement for the MA in English (Medieval and Renaissance: Texts and Contexts): CKE31 Additional Questions.
Tuition fees
Domestic
International
Scholarships
The FDC Group Scholarships MSc Sustainable Dev., Agri-Food and Co-operatives
Value
100% tuition fee waiver
Deadline
20 Aug 2026
Application requirements
QS Event Attendance is NOT required
Entry requirements
University College Cork
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