MALiterature of the Romantic Period, 1775-1832

Source: https://www.york.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/courses/ma-literature-romantic-period/ Parent: https://www.york.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/all?mode=taught

MA Literature of the Romantic Period, 1775-1832

Investigate the innovative and diverse literature of the Romantic period.

Year of entry: 2026 (September)

Overview
Course content
Fees and funding
Teaching and assessment
Careers
Entry requirements

Start date

September 2026\ View semester dates

Length

1 year full-time,\ 2 years part-time

School/department

Department of English and Related Literature

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Find out more

Find your own path through the literary and cultural history of the period. Develop an understanding of the engagement of Romantic writing with a range of political, social and aesthetic issues in the period.

You'll investigate the cultural meanings and associations of the variety of styles and genres in which Romantic writing was produced, and study a range of different critical perspectives on Romantic literature.

You’ll engage with the wider research culture of the Department of English and Related Literature, one of the UK's largest research centres in modern English, and the interdisciplinary Centre for Eighteenth Century Studies. There will be a diverse schedule of seminars, conferences and reading groups for you to attend.

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World-leading research

A top ten research department according to the Times Higher Education’s ranking of the latest REF results (2021).

32nd in the world

for English language and literature in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2025

Vibrant facilities

As well as your department's facilities, you'll have access to the Grade II listed Heslington Hall, a hub with space for events and collaboration.

Course content

You'll examine the selected literary and aesthetic works in the light of the historical circumstances in which they were produced, and will develop a broad view of the major changes in sensibility and ideology of the period.

You'll study modules from a range of options offered by the Department of English and Related Literature and other arts and humanities departments. You'll also hone your research skills with dedicated training, and complete a research dissertation. You'll study 180 credits in total.

Modules
Dissertation

Modules

You can investigate contemporary issues such as:

accounts of revolution
the place of women writers
the role of periodicals as a cultural medium
the importance of ideas of Empire and the Orient
the representation of landscape
Romantic aesthetic theory and poetic practice

You'll be introduced to key voices and themes from the Romantic period. Taught by scholars who specialise in the period, our seminars will explore some of the literary conversations, debates, hopes and disappointments which were produced by this age of revolution and innovation. You'll also learn valuable research, writing and presentation skills. Topics may include using library and online research resources, use of archives, academic writing and how to get work published.

Core modules

Option modules

You will also study three option modules. Examples can be found below. Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.

Dissertation

Dissertation

Your dissertation offers you the chance to examine a topic in depth and to develop your research skills.

In Summer Term and over the vacation you'll work on a 12,000-14,000-word dissertation with regular supervision from a member of staff.

You'll submit your dissertation in September. Recent dissertation topics have included:

Representations of Prostitutes in Romantic period novels
Indian mythology in Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poetry
Representations of men in Jane Austen’s novels
Perceptions of the body in French and British Revolutionary Women’s Writing
Images of Breath in the work of Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley
Romantic poetry and astronomy
Constructing the French ‘other’ in the 1790s

Learning outcomes

Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.

Learning outcomes for this course

Analyse significant literary and cultural texts from the Romantic period closely and critically, interpreting them with reference to the social, political, economic and/or aesthetic contexts in which they were produced, reproduced, and received.
Evaluate and contribute to scholarly debates around literary Romanticism, and around Romantic-era literary and cultural production and print culture.
Deploy knowledge of specialist fields within the broader remit of Romantic literature and culture – for example Romantic aesthetic theory and poetic practice, political revolutions, the place of women as writers, ideas of Empire and the Orient, the representation of landscape – in order to ask and answer innovative questions about the literary production of this period.
Initiate, conduct, and take responsibility for independent research, drawing on skills honed by graduate-level research training, research-led teaching, and the completion of a substantial dissertation project.
Communicate sophisticated written arguments in a clear, accurate and persuasive fashion, synthesising evidence from multiple sources so as to convey information creatively and convincingly.
Engage in verbal discussion of complex textual material, demonstrating versatility, rigour, and confidence in the reception, appreciation, and articulation of high-level ideas and perspectives.
Direct their own development, bringing new knowledge and skills to bear upon a range of contexts including (but not limited to) doctoral study in modern English literature and related fields.

The Department of English and Related Literature offers world-class research and a vibrant academic community. I wanted to be part of it.

Nana, English and Related Literature MA student. Watch Nana's vlog.

Field trips

Join us for regional trips – destinations have included Whitby, Castle Howard, Shandy Hall at Coxwold and Fountains Abbey.

Rich local resources

You’ll benefit from the exciting collections of Romantic period texts and images at the Minster Library and Borthwick Institute.

Research strengths

These include Romantic period radical print culture, empire and orientalism, fashion and material culture, Romantic science and medicine, and dissenting literary communities.

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees for 2026/27

Study mode	UK (home)	International and EU
Full-time (1 year)	£12,000	£26,900
Part-time (2 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation.	£6,000	£13,450

Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.

For courses which are longer than one year, the tuition fees quoted are for the first year of study.

UK (home) fees may increase in subsequent years (up to a maximum of 2%).
International fees may increase in subsequent years in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate (up to a maximum of 10%).

Fees information

UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.

Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.

Postgraduate taught fees and expenses

Additional costs

You'll need copies of the texts set for each module. Where possible, we will provide digital access. We'll let you know which texts and editions you'll need to buy (whether new or second-hand) before the start of each semester.

Funding information

Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.

We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2026/27 throughout the year.

If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.

Funding opportunities

Chevening Scholarships

We are pleased to work with Chevening Scholars to offer funding for our Masters programmes. Chevening Scholarships provide one year of fully-funded postgraduate study in the UK for international (including EU) students. The scholarships are open to early and mid-career professionals who have the potential to become future leaders.

Department scholarship information

Further information about funding for English.

Living costs

You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.

Teaching and assessment

You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.

Teaching format

Over the course of the year, you'll have the opportunity to attend research seminars and conferences hosted by the Department. You can also attend events organised through the Humanities Research Centre, a stimulating community, unique to York.

Facilities

You can make use of our dedicated study spaces, including the F.R. Leavis Room and the Writing lab, to work, collaborate and socialise in.

York's library contains a rich variety of resources available to you. This includes, but is not limited to:

Poetry Society collection
Music and audiovisual collections
Humanities Research collections

The city of York also boasts rich, scholarly resources in a student-friendly and contemporary environment. You can immerse yourself in a range of public libraries and archives around the city and region.

Explore more facilities

Teaching location

You will be based in the Department of English and Related Literature on Campus West.

About our campus

Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.

Assessment and feedback

You'll submit an essay for each module of approximately 3,5000-4,000 words. The Postgraduate Life in Practice module will be assessed on the completion of a series of tasks connected to your core work for the MA. Your final assessment is a dissertation of 12,000-14,000 words.

Careers and skills

Our postgraduates go into a wide variety of industries, from arts administration to law. Many alumni have also gone on to become successful novelists, poets and playwrights.

Career opportunities

arts administrator
civil servant
journalist
publisher
teacher
management consultant

Transferable skills

You'll develop a range of transferable skills including:

developing your creativity
improving your ability to filter and analyse complex information
intellectual independence and independent working
time management and people skills
communicating your research
methodological skills
intercultural awareness

Careers and employability

Turn ambition into achievement with our expert guidance and connections. From your first day here to life after graduation, we'll help you find your career advantage.

Entry requirements

Qualification	Typical offer
Undergraduate degree	2:2 or equivalent. We will consider applications from students with lower qualifications, particularly if you have high marks in relevant modules or appropriate professional experience.
Other international qualifications	Equivalent qualifications from your country

Additional requirements

You will need to submit examples of written work with your application. Please see our guidance on submitting written work.

English language

If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:

Qualification	Minimum requirement
IELTS (Academic and Indicator)	6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component
Cambridge CEFR	B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component
Oxford ELLT	7, minimum of 6 in each component
Oxford Test of English Advanced	136, minimum 126 in each component
Duolingo	120, minimum 105 in all other components
LanguageCert SELT	B2 with 33/50 in each component
LanguageCert Academic	70 with a minimum of 65 in each component
Kaplan Test of English Language	478-509, with 444-477 in all other components
Skills for English	B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component
PTE Academic	61, minimum 55 in each component
TOEFL	87, minimum of 21 in each component
Trinity ISE III	Merit in all requirements

For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.

If you haven't met our English language requirements

You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.

The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.

After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.

Applying

You can apply and send all your documentation online. You don’t need to complete your application all at once: you can start it, save it and finish it later.

How to apply