Master of Arts
MA Modern Languages and Cultures
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Fees and funding
Fees
For entry in the academic year beginning September 2027, the tuition fees are as follows:
-
MA (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £16,600
International, including EU, students (per annum): £31,400
The fees quoted above are fully inclusive of tuition, administration and computational costs.
Fees for entry are subject to yearly review. The University reserves the right to increase your tuition fee by up to 7% each year for courses lasting more than one year, including to reflect rising costs associated with delivering our educational and wider student experience. Postgraduate fees information .
Always contact the admissions team if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.
International student CAS deposit
Self-funded international applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2500 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. Some applicants will be required to pay a higher deposit. More information on tuition fee deposits .
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
We know that student finance can be complicated. The links below provide further information to help guide you.
- Learn more about - student finance options for UK students .
- Learn more about - fees and finance for international students .
- Graduates of The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University can receive a 10% discount on their master's degree tuition fees as part of our Manchester Alumni Loyalty Discount scheme.
Course unit details:
Research Essay II
| Unit code | LALC61032 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Unit level | FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Offered by | Modern Languages and Cultures |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
This unit will allow the student to complete a supervised research project in their chosen area of specialisation, supported by a programme of reading agreed with their supervisor. Using the research and conceptual skills developed in the taught units, students will identify a research problem in their area of specialism and then design and pursue an independent essay project in response to that problem.
Aims
The unit aims to:
• Introduce students to specialist knowledge in their chosen area of research specialisation
• Familiarise students with the state of the art in the scholarship relating to their chosen area of research specialisation
• Help students to develop a critical perspective on their chosen area of research specialisation
• Provide students with experience undertaking a pilot research project, applying skills and concepts encountered in the taught part of the programme.
Teaching and learning methods
Small-scale supervision (usually one-to-one) on a fortnightly basis, totalling six supervisory meetings. At the beginning of the unit and reviewed in advance of each supervisory meeting, students and supervisors will agree a programme of reading and of specific research tasks building towards the final research essay. Generic reading will normally be provided electronically and uploaded onto Blackboard. Where appropriate, sessions will be supported by the interactive features of the Manchester VLE.
Knowledge and understanding
be familiar with major critical and theoretical debates which inform research in their subject-area; ·
- be able to elaborate personal theoretical responses to subject-specific research questions;
- have obtained an interdisciplinary perspective on subject-specific topics;
- have developed a sophisticated critical vocabulary and a critical perspective on their own research.
- demonstrate detailed knowledge and sophisticated understanding of a specific research topic in the language-based disciplines, including the existing scholarship in that field
Intellectual skills
- build a coherent and cogent argument using relevant scholarly evidence
- be able to use theoretical concepts in empirical research
- apply relevant methodology to the analysis of the material under examination
- apply sophisticated theoretical concepts to the material which informs research in their subject-area
- undertake critical analysis using appropriate methodological tools
Practical skills
- be able to conduct independent research in a chosen field of enquiry;
- present the outcomes of that research in written form
Transferable skills and personal qualities
- be able to communicate ideas and sustain an argument, using relevant critical material, in discussion, and essays.
- demonstrate advanced analytical skills and the ability to synthesise information.
- demonstrate sophisticated oral and written communication skills.
- manage time and prioritise tasks.
- work on a number of tasks simultaneously and under time pressure.
- exercise initiative and take personal responsibility.
Assessment methods
| Method | Weight |
|---|---|
| Written assignment (inc essay) | 100% |
Feedback methods
Written feedback on essay- Summative
Written feedback on essay plan- Formative
Recommended reading
Barry, Peter, Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1995; 2nd edn 2002)
Bennett, Andrew, and Nicholas Royle, An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory: Key Critical Concepts (Hemel Hempstead: Prentice Hall/Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1995)
Burke, Lucy, Tony Crowley and Alan Girvin, The Routledge Language and Cultural Theory Reader (London: Routledge, 2000)
Eagleton, Terry, Literary Theory: An Introduction (Oxford: Blackwell, 1983; subsequent eds 1996, 2008) Selden, Raman, A Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory (Brighton: Harvester, 1985; subsequent edns 1989, 1993, 1997)
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Tutorials | 6 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 144 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Vladimir Kapor | Unit coordinator |
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