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Master’s Programme in Literature with a Specialization in General and Swedish Literature

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.

The specialization General and Swedish Literature gives you a broad grasp of literary studies, where Swedish and the international literature are related to each other by comparative approaches. In addition to courses on the theory of interpretation and narrative, the programme gives you a deep knowledge of important literary classics and their reception history, critical perspectives on the relationship between literature and society, as well as insights into a number of current theoretical perspectives in literary studies.

Let us tell you more

Would you like to hear from the programme coordinator? Watch the presentation of the International Master’s Programme in Literature at Stockholm University, by Professor Axel Englund.

  • Programme overview

    General and Swedish Literature is one of thirteen specializations within the Master’s Programme in Literature at the Faculty of the Humanities, and it is offered by the Department of Culture and Aesthetics.

    Master’s Programme in Literature at the Faculty of the Humanities

  • How to apply

    Prerequisites and special admittance requirements

    Degree of Bachelor or equivalent in the relevant main field of study and English proficiency equivalent to English 6 in Swedish upper secondary school.

    In addition, the following special admittance requirements apply:
    For the specialization in General and Swedish Literature, Swedish proficiency equivalent to Swedish 3 in Swedish upper secondary school is required.

  • Contact

    Questions about the structure and content of the programme can be answered by the study counsellor, whom you can contact at studievagledning.ike@su.se.

    The coordinator for the Master’s Programme in Literature is Axel Englund, axel.englund@littvet.su.se.