University College Cork: University College Cork (UCC) is a prestigious public research university located in Cork, Ireland. Established in 1845, UCC is known for its academic excellence, innovative research, and vibrant campus life. It offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs across various fields, including arts, sciences, business, engineering, medicine, and law. UCC is committed to providing a supportive learning environment, fostering critical thinking, and preparing students for successful careers and global citizenship.

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Our MA English – Texts & Contexts: Medieval to Renaissance offers students the opportunity to explore Old English, Middle English, and early modern literature in all its rich variety and contexts. The MA examines canonical and lesser-known texts, forms, and authors from the islands of Britain and Ireland, ranging from the earliest works in English, such as riddles, elegies, and wisdom poetry, to the proliferation of texts and genres in Middle English writing of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, including Chaucer, to the cheap print of the sixteenth century and the popular plays of Shakespeare. We take a particular interest in interrogating conventional boundaries between periods (including between Old and Middle English, and between medieval and Renaissance texts), between genres, and between media (from oral to written traditions, from page to stage, and from text to screen). Under the guidance of the MA’s expert scholars, who have published widely on many of the topics covered on the course, you will explore key conceptual and critical issues in Old, Middle, and Renaissance English literature; the historical, cultural, and material contexts of this literature; and the afterlives and legacies of this literature across time and media (transmission, reception, adaptation, appropriation). On this MA programme we will introduce you to the discipline-specific skills that are required for postgraduate study of earlier English (palaeography, codicology, linguistic analysis, use of databases and bibliographies) and foster transferable skills that are invaluable in a range of careers. The MA programme is stimulated by exceptional medieval and early modern contexts and resources in the local area, such as the nearby Elizabeth Fort, Edmund Spenser’s Kilcolman Castle in north Cork, and the early printed book collections of the Boole Library’s Special Collections. Show less

The MA English – Texts & Contexts: Medieval to Renaissance consists of two parts, a taught course and a dissertation, totalling 90 credits.

Part I (50 credits)

Mandatory Modules

EN6052 New Histories of the Book: Theories and Practices of Earlier Writing (10 credits)
EN6009 Contemporary Research: Skills, Methods, and Strategies (10 credits)
Elective Modules

EN6051 Middle English Literature 1200-1550 (10 credits)
EN6053 Old English Literature to c.1200 (10 credits)
EN6054 Renaissance Literature c.1500-1700 (10 credits)
EN6063 Earlier Literature and its Modern Reception (10 credits)
Note: Subject to the approval of the MA Programme Directors, students may substitute one of these modules with a 10-credit module from the MA Modernities: Literature, Theory & Culture from the Romantics to the Present.

Part II

EN6017 Dissertation in English (40 credits)
See the Postgraduate College Calendar (MA English) for further course details.

Modules
Further details on modules can be found in our Book of Modules. Any modules listed are indicative of the current set of modules for this course but are subject to change from year to year.

University Calendar
You can find the full academic content for the current year of any given course in our University Calendar.

Course Practicalities
The MA English – Texts & Contexts: Medieval to Renaissance is taught through a combination of seminars (two 2-hour sessions per week), consultation, presentations, and self-directed study as well as associated reading. Students carry out independent research for their dissertation in close consultation with their supervisor.

The MA is assessed by a combination of continuous assessments (which may include essays, seminar participation, an e-Portfolio, research presentations, or other exercises) and concludes with the submission of a dissertation of 15-17,000-words.

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You will need to book the accommodation after you have been accepted.

You can choose to live on campus or off campus in private accommodation.

How to book:

• Make a booking online after you have been accepted (in this case please let us know your choice when you apply).
• Register when you arrive - its not possible to reserve a room before arriving. You can arrive a few days before and book it

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