Masters Degree and Diploma
Comparative Literature and Thought
For further information and an application form contact:
Professor Michael Syrotinski
Course Coordinator
MLitt in Comparative Literature and Thought
School of Language & Literature
Tel: 01224 272152
Fax: 01224 272562
email: m.syro@abdn.ac.uk
The application form is also available at:
www.abdn.ac.uk/sras/postgraduate/apply.shtml
Introduction and Aims
The broad aim of the MLitt in Comparative Literature and Thought is to study literature and culture within its intellectual, philosophical and aesthetic contexts. It is a one-year degree programme offering distinctive research training in comparative literature along the lines of the interdisciplinary model that has been prevalent in the United States, but which has yet to become firmly established in the UK and Europe.
The core teaching staff includes many well-known scholars who have been trained and have taught at some of the most prestigious universities in the world (Duke, Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Sorbonne, Stanford, for example), and who have a wealth of experience of high-level postgraduate teaching and dissertation supervision. The teaching and research of all staff members is characterised by an emphasis on cross-cultural exchange, and by a strong commitment to interdisciplinarity.
The course would thus suit students who are proficient in one of more foreign languages, but is also open to those who would like to pursue comparative study in English translation. The MLitt is designed to appeal both to students who have gained a good undergraduate degree in any field of European or non-European Language or Literature, as well as to students in other related arts or humanities disciplines, such as philosophy, cultural studies, media studies, politics and international relations, or any combination of these. We strongly encourage innovative approaches to comparative literature, emphasising intellectual and historical context, as well as a theoretically-informed engagement with contemporary literature.
The MLitt is closely linked to, and complements the work of, the University of Aberdeen's Centre for Modern Thought, which hosts lectures, colloquia and seminar series featuring prominent European and non-European writers and intellectuals.
The content of the courses changes from year to year to reflect the ongoing research of the teaching staff, many of whom are leading international figures in their respective disciplines. As well as being a stimulating and rewarding end in itself, the programme is an ideal preparation for doctoral research, and out students have had notable success in securing competitive AHRC funding both for the MLitt programme itself, as well as for PhD study following on from their MLitt studies.
Entrance Requirements
Normally an upper second class Honours degree or its equivalent. Foreign-language students need to have a minimum of IELTS at 6.5, or TOEFL at 580. The Head of School will also consider applicants with non-standard qualifications.
Syllabus
The syllabus draws on research of top international quality conducted principally by staff in French, German, Hispanic Studies and English. Staff involved in teaching and supervision include Christopher Fynsk, Nikolaj Lubecker, Alberto Moreiras, Kriss Ravetto, Michael Syrotinski, Janet Stewart, Teresa Vilaros and Simon Ward.
Areas of research which are reflected in the syllabus include: literary and cultural theory; postcolonial literature and theory; modern European philosophy; psychoanalysis; theory and practice of autobiography; intertextuality.
Course Structure
The first half-session course FR5009, 'Encounters: Literature and Thought' explores several test cases that will allow students to explore in depth a number of the major concepts and most resonant questions of contemporary literature and intellectual history, across a range of European and non-European texts and contexts.
Students also take two training courses on Research Methodology and Preparation and Presenatation of Scholarly Writing.
In addition to the core course, there are further recommended optional courses. These include:
GM5505 'Art Matters'. Looks at how a number of leading modern theorists set out to think through the power of the aesthetic, via a range of case studies (works of art, including fine art, music, poetry and architecture).
FR5514 'Comparative Imperialisms'. Explores in depth a number of the major concepts and most resonant questions of contemporary postcolonial literature, theory, and intellectual history, across a range of European and non-European texts and contexts.
Students may also choose from taught postgraduate courses offered elsewhere in the College of Arts and Social Sciences. These would include, for example:
- Visual Technologies and Technical Embodiments
- Scottish Literature: The Twentieth Century and Beyond
- W.B. Yeats and James Joyce
- Realism in Film: Documentary and the Docudrama
- Postmodernism in Irish and Scottish Writing
- Jane Austen and the Development of the Novel
- Creative Writing 1: Poetry
- Creative Writing 2: Prose
Masters Stage (Summer):
Dissertation
An individually tailored course on 'Issues in Comparative Literature and Thought' then allows each student to develop a more specific research project, and offers a preparation for the dissertation that is either comparative in nature, or with a particular emphasis on a particular cultural tradition (for example, French, German, Hispanic, African, Asian, American, etc).
Student who satisfactorily complete the coursework, but do no progress to the dissertation, will be awarded a 'Diploma in Comparative Literature and Thought'. Students who satisfactorily complete the coursework and dissertation will be awarded the degree of 'MLitt in Comparative Literature and Thought.'
Examples of some recent essay and dissertation topics:
- "A Psychological Analysis of the Tlatelolco Massacre"
- "Appartenances: Culture, Family and Gender in the novels of Marie Ndiaye"
- "Adorno, Benjamin and Valéry Proust Museum"
- "The pseudonymous Voice in Kierkegaard, Blanchot and Derrida"
- "Literature as Necropolis in Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald"
- "Truth and Responsibility in Monénembo's The Oldest Orphan"
- "Narrative Structure and Subjectivity in Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children"
- "The Concept of Recognition in Sartre and Hegel"
Assessment
The means of assessment vary by course, but include essays, reports, presentations, written exercises and examinations. The MLitt also requires a 12,000-15,000 word dissertation, either in English or in one of the languages in which the student chooses to specialize, while the diploma consists of coursework alone.
Cost
Full-time British nationals and students from European Union countries pay £3,240 per annum in postgraduate fees and part-time £1,620. Students from non-EU countries pay £8,750 per annum. Accommodation and food would be expected to cost between £5K and £8K per year. Books and excursions will also cost extra.
For international students, all postgraduate taught programmes, beginning in September 2008, have a deadline of the 1 st of July 2008. Any application received after this date, will not be considered for September 2008, but instead will be considered for the next available intake, either January 2009 or September 2009. For more information on the intakes for each programme please visit www.abdn.ac.uk/prospectus/pgrad/ Please note this deadline is to ensure students have sufficient time to complete the application process and apply for their visa, and arrive in Aberdeen in time of the start of their programme.
There is no programme deadline for those students classed as UK/EU for tuition fee purposes.