Master of Arts in Historical Linguistics and Literature
This MA programme combines the expertise in the field of historical linguistics and literature for about ten languages or groups of languages. Linguistics and literature are not considered as isolated fields of study: texts are always situated within the culture-historical context of their origins and use. The programme responds to the needs of the cultural sector, where there is an increasing interest in national and international heritage, in libraries and archives, in the history of the book and the effects of the past.
What
This MA programme is one of four MA programmes that build further on the Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Literature: two languages. The programme combines the expertise in the field of historical linguistics and literature for about ten languages or groups of languages. The programme is also suited for undergraduates who hold a different degree in humanities and have a special interest in historical texts of all kinds, whether these are handwritten or printed documents. In this programme, linguistics and literature are not considered as isolated fields of study: texts are always situated within the culture-historical context of their origins and use.
The Master of Arts in Historical Linguistics and Literature aims to familiarize students with analytical methods that demonstrate the determinacy of texts and provide insights into other linguistic expressions. By doing so, the programme responds to the needs of the cultural sector, where there is an increasing interest in national and international heritage, in libraries and archives, in the history of the book and the effects of the past.
Remarks
Only Ghent University offers this Master of Arts in Historical Linguistics and Literature.
For whom
The admission requirements vary. Depending on your prior education, you are either able to enrol directly, or there are additional requirements.
Structure
The Master in Historical Linguistics and Literature consists of three components: two mandatory course units and five electives (mostly literature or linguistics, 35 credits), a research work placement (10 credits) and a dissertation (15 credits). The programme structure allows students to tailor the curriculum according to their own study interests and prepares them thoroughly for the career path they choose.
The list of electives offers many course units in which the study of texts and linguistic expressions from about ten languages are the central focus. These electives can be combined at will, provided that the student possesses the necessary background knowledge to start each particular course unit. One can also enroll for more historically oriented course units, or choose a course unit taught at another Flemish university.
During the research work placement the student will conduct a small research project in a cultural heritage institution in Belgium or abroad, or in a research group. Students opting for a work placement in a cultural heritage institution will also familiarize themselves with the daily routine within these institutions, whereas a work placement in a research group will provide students with a unique opportunity to explore their study area thoroughly and to prepare for a career as researcher.
The Master’s dissertation is a requirement for every candidate in order to obtain a Master‘s degree.
Labour Market
A Master in Historical Linguistics and Literature offers training in the same general skills as a Master in Linguistics and Literature. The work placement provides students with an additional benefit to experience their first contact with the labour market.
Alumni of the Master in Historical Linguistics and Literature are well prepared to find employment in one of the traditional career opportunities of the Master in Linguistics and Literature, such as research, the cultural sector, business, and education. For employment in the education sector, you can obtain a Master's Degree in Teaching of 60 ECTS (in Dutch: Educatieve Master). The ‘Educatieve Master’ however is a Dutch-taught programme. More information can be found on www.ugent.be/educatievemaster.
However, the added value that the Master in Historical Linguistics and Literature offers its students is the broad historical perspective on language and its cultural components, and the unique combination of skills that can be acquired due to the flexible programme structure. Considering that the historical components of language, literature and the cultural past are thoroughly scrutinized, students can respond to the cultural sector's increased demand for research and management of the written past. The Master in Historical Linguistics and Literature provides an excellent preparation for the advanced masters, such as the Master of Arts in Archival Science: Cultural Heritage Management and Records Management or the Master of Advanced Studies in Linguistics.
Quality Assurance
At Ghent University, we strive to educate people who dare to think about the challenges of tomorrow. For that purpose, we provide education that is embedded in six strategic objectives: Think Broadly, Keep Researching, Cultivate Talent, Contribute, Extend Horizons, Opt for Quality.
Ghent University continuously focuses on quality assurance and quality culture. The Ghent University's quality assurance system offers information on each study programme’s unique selling points, and on its strengths and weaknesses with regard to quality assurance.
More information:
Unique Selling Points
- The programme is unique in the Dutch-speaking area (Flanders + the Netherlands).
- Talent Development: We give students much freedom of choice to tailor the curriculum according to their own strengths and interests.
- Multidisciplinarity and Multiperspectivism:is inherent to our programme’s curriculum: students not only choose language and literature course units, but also course units from other disciplines such as history, philosophy or another discipline that strengthens their personal learning curriculum. The free-choice elective allows for taking up an additional language, and/or to take up course units at another faculty or university.
- Analytical and critical thinking skills: Upon graduation our students are able to analyse connections between material facts and linguistic constructs, and between history, memory, and heritage.
- Looking ahead: We stimulate our students to work, under supervision, autonomously and systematically throughout the programme, among other things, in the Work Placement course unit. In so doing, we prepare our students for the challenges of the modern labour market.
Strengths
- Our programme’s flexible rules for taking up electives allow for either an in-depth or broadening approach. Students either choose to specialize in one specific theme by means of various related course units, or to broaden their knowledge by choosing course units from different disciplines.
- In the “Work Placement”, “Master’s Dissertation" and (optional) “Research Project” course units, our lecturers offer their students solid personal coaching in drawing up their objectives. We monitor that these objectives are in alignment with the Historical Linguistics and Literature Programme’s competencies.
- Towards autonomy: Our students’ personal research interests are at the heart of our programme. Students select their own research topics and conduct their research under the expert supervision of in-house or outside specialists.
- Our programme encourages international experiences: The curriculum leaves room for such initiatives as an Erasmus term, a work placement abroad, international study trips, guest lectures by international experts.
- Integration with the professional field: Our programme prepares students for a career path in which theoretical reflection, analytical and communicative skills are combined.
Challenges
- Cross-language and cross-disciplinary coherence and communication needs monitoring. Continued consultation with the study programmes that service our Historical Linguistics and Literature Programme is necessary to maintain a balanced offer of languages and disciplines.
- Group feeling: The education committee develops or supports initiatives that strengthen the group feeling among HTL students, even when each student compiles his/her own personal and unique learning curriculum.
- The identity of the two elective tracks within the program (preparation for a career as a researcher versus a career outside the university) needs to be more carefully developed and promoted.
This study programme is accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (Dutch: NVAO). Accreditation was extended following the positive outcome of the institutional review in 2022. Programme quality was validated by a quality review, i.e. a screening of the Education Monitor by the Education Quality Board. The Quality Assurance Resolution (in Dutch) can be found here.
This information was last updated on 01/02/2023.
In case of questions or suggestions with regard to the publicly available information, please contact the study programme.