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 course 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.
What you will study: The programme consists of taught modules (including two compulsory modules) and a research dissertation. Assessment is through coursework, primarily in essay format. Full-time students normally attend two intensive classes each week, backed up by time for wider reading, seminar preparation and assignment completion. 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.
Key information
Mode of study: Full and Part Time
Study pattern: September or January entry. The programme includes some evening study.
Core modules:
• Theories of Culture and Identity (compulsory – 15 credits)
• Dissertation Preparation (compulsory – 15 credits)
• Research Dissertation (compulsory – 60 credits)
Indicative optional modules:
Please note that only a selection of modules potentially available will run in any given year within each cluster.
English
• Popular Literatures: Theories and Contexts
• The Rise of the Novel
• Science Fiction and Fantasy
• African-American Literature
History & Politics
• Ideas of Empire: Politics, Society and Culture
• Theory and Analysis of International Relations
• Britain and the World
• A Nation of Pirates
Theology & Religious Studies
• Religion and Migration
• Religion and Gender
• Islam in Britain
• Buddhism in the Contemporary World
Applicants will normally require an Honours degree (minimum 2.1) in a humanities subject. You should have a keen interest in the subjects, and a willingness to engage in wide reading around the topic areas.
The programme is taught in English. Students whose first language is not English are normally required to have an IELTS 6.5 (reading 6, writing 6), TOEFL paper based 560, TOEFL ibt 83 or other equivalent recognised English language qualification.
In an environment of lively enquiry and debate, the wide range of research interests and expertise offered by the Humanities team make for an intellectually stimulating atmosphere.
Liverpool Hope offers students the opportunity to work with staff who are working at international levels, and within a vibrant research context. You will benefit from individual attention in class and a strong base of tutorial support, and experience a range of modes of learning: lecture input, participation in seminars, seminar presentations, discussion with other students, and individual tutorials where appropriate.
As a postgraduate degree, it is of course expected that students will undertake a high level of independent research and reading of primary and secondary texts. 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.
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.
