Master of Arts in Comparative Modern Literature
The programme responds to a number of cultural developments that influence the place of literature in contemporary society. In addition to focusing on these developments, the programme also explores academic research of literary texts.
What
The Master of Comparative Modern Literature is one of the four MA programmes following the Bachelor of Linguistics and Literature: two languages, but the programme is open to other graduate Bachelor’s students with an interest in modern literature as well. If you have taken a literature course unit during your BA programme, you are welcome.
The Master of Comparative Modern Literature responds to a number of cultural developments that have profoundly determined the place of literature in contemporary society. More new books appear every year. In a competitive and rapidly changing environment, publishers make an effort to keep literary heritage on the market. Newspapers, magazines and other media in varying degrees pay attention to literature. A growing number of professional organizations is engaged in the promotion of literature and is taking initiatives to bring literary texts and their creators to a wider audience. The government plays a role as well. In the Master of Comparative Modern Literature you do not only focus on these social developments, you will also explore the academic study of literary texts in more detail.
Comparative Modern Literature students are encouraged to deepen their knowledge of literature and literary studies, as well as to develop skills that will be useful in their later professional career. We set great store by our students’ adopting the right attitude: inquisitiveness, proactivity and entrepreneurship are strongly encouraged in this study programme, both in the methodological course units as well as in course units with a focus on a specific literary tradition. By the end of this programme, and partly because of the work placement incorporated into the curriculum, you will be able to take independent and creative initiatives in all areas of society in which literary studies offer added value: the literary business, the cultural sector, education, journalism and academic research. These are the domains in which most of our alumni end up.
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 information above makes it clear that the programme has two finalities: an academic and a professional one. The structure of the programme is threefold: course units (35 ECTS-credits), a work placement (10 ECTS-credits) and a Master’s dissertation (15 ECTS-credits).
You take four course units (for a total of 20 ECTS-credits) that are methodological in design and approach literary problems in general and in comparative terms. You choose three course units out of the first four, the fifth is obligatory:
1. Literature and Society examines how modern literature relates to society. What does literature teach us about society? And what are the social, economic and political factors that determine the literature?
2. Literature and Criticism teaches you to develop a writing practice that can offer you access to the world of professional literary and cultural criticism. This course unit takes the form of a ‘writing clinic’, in which students not only develop skills to improve their own texts, but also provide constructive feedback to texts by fellow students (and other authors).
3. Literature and Interdisciplinarity takes a closer look at some debates about the place and role of literature in culture/cultural history. The relationship between the human brain and literature, the relationship between film images and literary images and the fairly new research field of ‘Digital Humanities’ are the focal points.
4. World literature and globalisation looks at literature beyond the traditional western ideas. By means of studying literary texts we discuss different topics:migration, intercultural communication and conflicts en the different layers of collective and individual identity.
5. Literature in the Cultural Field (mandatory course unit) is an interactive introduction to the various actors in the (Flemish) literary landscape. Through theoretically substantiated debates with professionals from the field, you will gain insight into the functioning of the institutions where you will work during your work placement and later career.
In addition – partly on the basis of previously chosen specializations in the BA programme and in the light of the Master’s dissertation – you can choose from, among other things, a wide range of ‘literary’ course units from the MA programmes Linguistics and Literature, and Languages and Cultures (e.g. English Literature, Hispano-American Literature, Russian Literature etc.). There are also new course units you can choose from: Literature and Care, Comics and Graphic Novels and Belgian Literature.
During the study programme you have to complete a work placement and write a Master’s dissertation. The work placement and the Master’s dissertation may link up in terms of subject. If you favour a stronger academic focus in your curriculum, you can take up work placement with one of the university research groups active in the field to collaborate in one of their current academic projects (e.g. participation in academic research, organization of lectures and conferences, preparation of publications).
Those who wish to gain other professional experience can do a work placement at one of the more than 50 organizations from the literary and cultural field with which our programme collaborates. These include literature and culture houses (Vooruit), policy institutions (Flemish Literature Fund), literary organizations (Passa Porta, Behoud de Begeerte), literary heritage institutions (Letterenhuis, KANTL), theatre companies (NTGent, Campo) and publishers (De Bezige Bij, Borgerhoff & Lamberigts).
In addition to the (domain) Master’s programme described above, you can also choose a Master’s Programme in Teaching (in Dutch: Educatieve Master) (www.ugent.be/educatievemaster).
Labour Market
The Master’s programme gives access to the same opportunities on the job market as other Master’s degrees in linguistics and literature. The work placement opens new possibilities within the literary business and the wider cultural field. You can work in the cultural sector (museums, publishers, theatre companies, literary organizations, archives, press, libraries and cultural centres). For those with a special interest in literary studies, the programme offers attractive perspectives in scientific research. VDAB figures show that anyone who has a Master’s degree in Comparative Modern Literature has a good chance of getting a job within a year after graduation.
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
- Our programme at once realizes a combination of theoretical and practice-oriented deepening by means of four curricular components: theoretical baggage, literary specialization, students’ own research output, and practice orientation.
- Knowledge creation: our course units are complementary in nature, giving our students a broad theoretical outlook on literary phenomena. Cultural-historical, cultural-sociological, and cultural-philosophical approaches are as much part of the students’ toolbox as are the methodological instruments of textual criticism, the history of that methodology, and the relation between literature and other artistic disciplines. Our students learn to approach the heterogeneous collection of literary.
- Multiperspectivism is inherently present and guaranteed in our curriculum by way of the four components discussed above, as well as in our choice of offering four mandatory course units that complement each other (course units with a focus on the relation between literature on the one hand, and psychology and cognition, sociology and literature’s social relevance, or the book publishing industry and theoretical developments in humanities on the other).
- Talent development in our programme is equal to a strong focus on speaking and writing skills, research and synthesis skills, a method-oriented approach and reflective power. Feedback from alumni has taught us that they recognize and appreciate these aspects. The attitudes and skills described above are transferable skills, and as such, they are useful assets in a variety of sectors.
- The mandatory course units in combination with the Master’s dissertation ensure that our students graduate as autonomous and critical observers, researchers and problem-solvers. Our curriculum is built on research-based education. This means that lecturers translate their own (recent) research into their teaching practice, and that students are given the opportunity to becoming independent literary scholars.
Strengths
- We have close ties with the professional field, which ensures a steady flow of feedback on the programme. Through our advisory board, we work closely together with important actors in the literary field.
- Monitoring the integration component of our course units is essential. We focus on the interaction between work placement and mandatory theoretical course units on the one hand, and the mutual interaction between the mandatory course units.
- In our programme we invest heavily in special assessment methods (defense of the work placement report, team assessment, innovative report methods), and extracurricular activities (study trip and dissertation show during first term) in order to increase students’ motivation and engagement with their discipline.
- Our students appreciate the fact that they are kept well-informed about the form and contents of assessments. They have a clear picture of what to expect and how to study.
- Approachability: being a small-scale programme, we place great store by immediate and intensive personal contact between our lecturers and our students. Our alumni activities (social media, reading club) are in line with that.
Challenges
- There is room for improvement in our study programme when it comes to professional development. Continued monitoring and optimization of our relation with the professional field is necessary. Education innovation projects and an improved work placement assessment process are among the possibilities.
- Integration between the Master’s dissertation and other course units is guaranteed through elective literary course units, and through the mandatory course units. There is, however, room for more, e.g. by stimulating more research from a comparative perspective.
- Related to the challenge of increasing integration opportunities among the mandatory course units, and between the Master’s dissertation and the work placement, is managing students’ work load and the continued threat of an extension of the study duration.
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.