Humanities (MA)

This distinctive MA will appeal to students who are interested in a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of humanities, and whose intellectual curiosity goes beyond traditional subject boundaries. Students choose modules from three clusters: English, History and Politics, and Theology & Religious Studies. The programme aims to provide an enriched scholarly experience. It is intellectually stimulating, with a focus on disciplines concerned with the critical elucidation and development of human culture and thought.

All students take:

Core taught modules: Culture and Identity (15 credits); Dissertation Preparation (15 credits)

Optional taught modules: to the value of 90 credits in 15 or 30 credit modules

Dissertation: 60 credits.

Examples of optional modules available are as below. Please note that only     a selection of modules potentially available will run in any given year within each cluster.

English
Popular Literatures: Theories and Context
The Rise of the Novel
Science Fiction and Fantasy
African-American Literature

History & Politics
Ideas of Empire: Politics, Society and Culture
Liverpool, a Global Port City
Religion and Politics
Transatlantic Perspectives on Nation, Race and Identity

Theology & Religious Studies
Religion and Migration
Religion and Gender
Islam in Britain
Buddhism in the Contemporary World

Assessment is through coursework, primarily in essay format. After completing the taught components, students progress to the dissertation phase. This provides the opportunity to explore in depth an issue or question relevant to the programme, under the supervision of one of the Humanities team.

The MA in Humanities is underpinned by a rich and thriving research environment. There are ample opportunities to attend research seminars given by eminent scholars; this includes distinguished visiting speakers as well as Liverpool Hope’s own academics and research students. Staff lead and participate in a wide range of research centres and groups. A sample includes:

·    Centre for Transcultural & Global Studies
·    Andrew. F. Walls Centre for African & Asian Christianity
·    Desmond Tutu Centre for War & Peace Studies
·    Centre for Millennialism Studies
·    Narrated Spaces
·    Centre for the Study of Muslims and Islam in Britain

Recent publications by contributing staff are numerous, and include:

·    Cynthia Hamilton. The Social Eye: Sara Paretsky’s V.I. Warshawski and the Hard-boiled Detective Formula (forthcoming).
·    Michael Holmes. The Development of the Irish Labour Party’s European Policy: from opposition to support. Edwin Mellen Press, 2006.
·    Lucy Kay, Zoë Kinsley, Terry Phillips & Alan Roughley (eds). Mapping Liminalities: Thresholds in Cultural and Literary Texts. Peter Lang, 2007.
·    Ron Geaves & George Chryssides. The Study of Religion. London: Continuum, 2007.
·    John Walliss. Apocalyptic Trajectories: Millenarianism and Violence in the Contemporary World. Peter Lang, 2004.

The MA in Humanities can act as a foundation for further postgraduate work such as doctoral research. It also fosters a range of transferable skills valued in professional contexts, such as critical and lateral thinking, the ability to formulate arguments, the capacity to work independently, the presentation of research findings and information management. Teachers may follow this course in order to enhance their subject knowledge.