Master’s Programme in Literature, 120 credits
The Master’s Programme in Literature is offered in collaboration between several departments at Stockholm University.
About the programme
Are you aiming for a career in literature and culture? Do you want to broaden your insights into the academic study of literature? The two-year Master’s Programme in Literature gives you in-depth theoretical and historical knowledge, as well as the possibility of gaining practical experience in professions where knowledge of literature is important.
Stories, poems and plays have had a central role in human culture for thousands of years. Yet the traditional conditions of literature have been subjected to radical change in an increasingly globalized and digitalized world. The explosive progress of new media is the most recent step in a long historical development, where literature has migrated between oral and written circulation. As a student at the Master’s Programme in Literature, you will spend two years of full-time study delving into literary texts of various genres, the historical and social contexts of their production, as well as the new ways in which they function today. Regardless of which language you specialize in, you will learn to master the theoretical approaches that define the current study of literature, from humanist essentials like hermeneutic and historiographical perspectives to intermediality, gender theory and ecocriticism. You will develop a firm command of scholarly thought and method, and practice the use of English as your academic working language. The programme consists of obligatory as well as optional courses, allowing it to be tailored to fit the profile that is most interesting to you. It also offers the possibility of gaining work experience – for instance, in the world of publishing or at other cultural institutions, media or festivals – or studying abroad. Finally, you will make your own contribution to the academic knowledge of literature in the form of a degree project – your master’s thesis.
A presentation of the International Master’s Programme in Literature at Stockholm University, by Professor Axel Englund, coordinator for the Programme.
Specializations within the programme
The programme is a collaboration between four different departments, comprising thirteen different specializations, depending both on which language you want to focus on and what you have studied before. Some courses are taken by all students in the programme, others are specific to one specialization. The links below lead to their websites, where you will find information about the specialization that interests you, such as what courses it contains, what the entry requirements are, and who to contact with further questions. The Education plan Master's Programme in Literature contains detailed information about its design and content.
Where might the programme lead?
Completing the programme awards you the Degree of Master, 120 credits, and the skills needed for a literature-oriented career, such as criticism, publishing or cultural communication in various media, or other professions in the public sphere of literature and culture. The possibility of gaining work experience within the programme allows many students to graduate with a strong network in the cultural world of Stockholm. If you are interested in pursuing a research career, the programme gives you the eligibility to apply for a doctoral programme.
Contact
Questions about the application process are answered on the site How to apply – a step-by-step guide, where you will also find contact details for the admissions office at Stockholm University.
Questions concerning the specializations (such as their entry requirements) are best answered by the contacts listed on the webpage of each specialization (follow the links above).
The coordinator for the Master’s Programme in Literature is Axel Englund, axel.englund@littvet.su.se.
Last updated: August 11, 2022
Source: Department of Culture and Aesthetics