English by Research
MA by Research
Key facts
Start dates
September 2022 / January 2023 / June 2023
Application deadline
It typically takes up to four months (five months for International and EU applicants) from application to enrollment on your programme. This is subject to all the necessary documentation being in place.
Location
Course length
Full time: 1 year
Part time: 2 years
Department
Overview
This MA by Research in English provides an excellent opportunity for you to obtain a Master’s qualification focused on a research project of particular interest to you. You'll benefit from all of the facilities, training, research seminars and support at Oxford Brookes University.
The School of English and Modern Languages at Oxford Brookes offers research expertise from the early modern period up to the present day. Our work encompasses a wide range of interests, from literature (including Drama and American Literature), through visual culture, to critical theory and politics. The Oxford Brookes Poetry Centre hosted by the School of English and Modern Languages is also a source of academic expertise and research.
Additional details
The main research areas relevant to this degree are:
- Poetry and Poetics
- Ecology and Ecocriticism
- Medicine, Science, Technology and Literature
- Comparative Literature
- Communities
- Postcolonialism
- Modernism
- Early Modern Drama
- The Contemporary Novel
- Textual Scholarship and Editorial Practice
- Theatre practice and Performance-as-Research
- Creative Writing
- Cognitive Poetics
- Witchcraft and the Supernatural
- Life Writing
- Utopia and Utopianism
Why Oxford Brookes University?
- Each research student in the Faculty will be allocated £630 towards the costs associated with specific research activities during the research programme.
- Close supervision from experts in your chosen research area, including joint supervision across departments for interdisciplinary projects.
- Plentiful opportunities to present your work. Depending on your chosen subject you may have the opportunity to attend:
- research seminars with presentations from high profile external guest speakers
- specialist seminars organised by individual research groups and clusters
- methodology workshops.
- You will also be encouraged to submit publications to leading research journals.
- You may have the opportunity to develop your teaching, mentoring and demonstrating skills by undertaking paid teaching activities for up to six hours a week. You may also be required to attend the Associate Teachers course which is run by the University’s Oxford Centre for Academic Enhancement and Development.
Learning and assessment
The MA by Research in English builds on the School’s expertise to give you a unique and clearly focused programme of study. You will have the opportunity to develop a high level of subject knowledge, together with the ability to develop and undertake independent research in your own particular area of interest.
The programme will be attractive to applicants seeking to pursue intellectual interests beyond first degree level for further personal or professional development. The MA route is also designed to prepare you to undertake further research at MPhil or PhD level.
At the heart of the MA by Research is the close working relationship between candidate and supervisor. While the final thesis must be the candidate’s independent work, it is the supervisor who offers advice on refining the topic (if necessary), on primary sources, on secondary reading, on research techniques and on writing the final thesis. Supervisors and candidates meet frequently throughout the year, and not less than twice a term.
Learning and teaching
You will also receive training in research methods and skills appropriate to the stage they have reached and the nature of their work. This includes:
- guidance on planning and writing your thesis
- using bibliographic and archival resources (both electronic and printed)
- handling research data
- making conference presentations
- preparing and submitting material for publication.
Assessment
Assessment methods used on this course
You will embark on a substantial piece of independent research (an MA thesis of up to 30,000 words) guided by your supervisor in regular meetings. A shorter assessment of 5,000 words, conceived as a formative essay precedes the dissertation in the programme. A viva voce examination is held at the end.
After you graduate
Career prospects
We are passionate about fostering the careers of our researchers and ensure that they gain research skills training, leadership experience and teaching practice as part of the doctoral programmes we offer.
Bespoke careers advice is also embedded into our programme as we think this is a key element of your personal and professional development during your time with us.
How to apply
Entry requirements
A first-class or upper second class honours degree or equivalent qualification.
If you choose to study full-time you must be able to devote a minimum of 35 hours per week over a 44-week year to your research. You should not undertake more than 20 hours per week paid employment or other commitments (including a maximum of six hours per week teaching, demonstrating, or other paid work directly related to your research training).
If you choose to study part-time you must be able to devote a minimum of 15 hours per week over a 44-week year to the programme of research.
You must also meet our residence requirements.
English language requirements
Applicants whose main language is not English must meet the Faculty’s English language requirements. The minimum IELTS score required for entry to the research degree programme is 6.5–7 overall.
In addition, we require a minimum of 6.5 in each component of the test. We do not accept IELTS certificates that are over two years old.
Application process
It is essential that you first check whether your specific research interests can be adequately supervised before submitting a full application. To do this please email the Research Administrator (hss-researchdegrees@brookes.ac.uk) your provisional research proposal. This should be 1500–2000 words in length and should include a title and a summary of the proposed subject area.
There is no specific format for research proposals but the following areas are usually covered:
- introduction
- evidence of background reading and knowledge/previous experience of research area
- details of research methods proposed to carry out the project
- the aims of the research project and any proposed hypotheses/outcomes
- literature review
- how your research project will make an original and independent contribution to knowledge.
If your area of research can potentially be supervised you will be encouraged to submit a full application via our online application system.
The Research Administrator will acknowledge receipt of your application by email. We strive to make a decision within one month of receiving your application. Please note, however, decisions may take longer during busier periods of the academic year.
Supporting documents
Please read through the list of supporting documentation that must be uploaded along with your application or emailed separately.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees
Find out more about fees and funding opportunities by visiting our finance web pages:
- Postgraduate finance for UK students »
- Postgraduate finance for EU students »
- Postgraduate finance for students outside the EU »
Fees increase by approximately 4% each year and apply to all MPhil, MPhil/PhD, PhD, MA by Research, MSc by Research and LLM by Research programmes.
If you have any questions about fees get in touch with the Research Degrees Team at rd-enquiries@brookes.ac.uk
Funding
Find out about funding options for UK students, EU students and international students.
Please also see the UK Government information about funding Postgraduate study.