Modern Languages MRes

Pursue a research topic across two modern languages in a rich and collaborative environment.

Research overview

This course is for students who want to pursue a particular research topic across two languages and cultures, and is devised to suit both those who intend to continue with their studies at PhD level or study an MA for their own interest.

It is composed of a research dissertation of 25,000 words and a selection of taught modules that can be drawn from the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures and the Graduate School Research Training Programmes or from Level 4 specialist topic modules within the School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies.

In the initial stages, your supervisor will send you to a series of Graduate School research preparation courses. Throughout the year, he/she will help you to develop those research skills appropriate to your discipline and type of investigation.

You will be expected to attend all departmental research seminars and special lectures, to broaden your horizons. You will also be asked to contribute to the end-of-year Postgraduate Forum with a mini-presentation of your own.

You attend research training sessions and attend the weekly graduate work-in-progress seminars to which you contribute a paper in semester two, and you also work with a main supervisor and co-supervisor on a pre-agreed research topic.

Your 25,000 word dissertation is submitted at the end of the year which is marked by both an internal and an external examiner with the possibility of a viva to confirm the award.

Careers

Many of our postgraduates have chosen academic careers and are currently in full-time posts in the UK. Others have moved into the civil service, the cultural industries, the media, publishing, teaching or translation.

The research training all our postgraduates follow equips them with a range of key transferable skills, such as analytical thinking, time management, and presentation and research skills.