Is the book an endangered species? Are text messages destroying the English language? What were medieval books like? How do children learn to read and write? Who was Shakespeare and does it matter? What does reading do to our minds?
2 years (4 semesters)
English
120
August every year
Literacy Studies is defined as the study of reading, writing and the written text in a social and cultural context. This master’s programme focuses on literacy studies in an English-speaking context, and includes literary, linguistic and educational approaches.
The programme provides high-quality instruction in an intimate but dynamic research environment with many international links.
The Master of English and Literacy Studies is a full-time study over two years. Students from EU/EEA can after admission to the program apply for a transition to a part-time study over four years. The part-time study is identical to the full-time study. Teaching will go simultaneously for full-time and part-time students.
Career prospects
The Master in English and Literacy Studies can lead you to a wide variety of careers within areas such as education, media, publishing and culture.
The programme also qualifies students for further study at PhD level.
Learning outcomes
All study programmes at the UiS have a set of defined learning targets. Read more about the learning outcome for this study programme.
Knowledge
The student will gain
- an overview of the main approaches and research areas within the field of English and Literacy Studies
- a good understanding of the major theories and issues within a range of research areas within English and Literacy Studies, with focus on the English-speaking world and in historical and contemporary contexts
- a sound theoretical and methodological basis for academic research within English and Literacy Studies, focussing on a selected direction of study (Literature, linguistic, historical or didactic)
- detailed knowledge of the particular field of research within which the student chooses to write her/his thesis
- an understanding of basic research ethics and issues of copyright
- an understanding of the critical use of sources and of the conventions of writing an academic thesis
- a good knowledge of the conventions of academic English
Skills
By the end of the programme, the student will be able to
- apply their knowledge to independent research work
- place their work within a broader research context within English and Literacy Studies
- account for the theories and methods current within their field of research and explain their own choice of theoretical framework and methodology
- find relevant sources and organize information and data in appropriate ways
- use sources critically and present a sound line of argument
General competence
By the end of the programme, the student will be able to
- discuss sensibly any aspect of English and Literacy Studies and apply their knowledge to current debates and social/educational issues as well as to school teaching
- use spoken and written academic English fluently and correctly
- communicate clearly and efficiently both in writing and through oral presentations
- work on texts constructively through the giving and receiving of critical feedback
Academic requirements
- A bachelor´s degree, which includes at least 80 ECTS credits in English language and literature. Courses within translation, interpretation and English language teaching cannot be considered for admission to this programme.
- Norwegian "grunnskolelærer" education (4 years), which includes at least 60 ECTS credits in English and minimum 2 years relevant work experiences within this subject area in the Norwegian school system.
Admission to this master's programme requires a minimum grade C in the courses in English language and literature. Applicants with an education where it is not possible to calculate grade points from parts of the degree, must have a grade of C in the entire degree in order to be qualified for admission. If you have an education using a different grade scale than ECTS grades (A-F), the grade point average must be comparable to a Norwegian C.
Application and admission
Contact
For inquiries regarding admission to international Master's programmes, send an email to: admissions@uis.no
Find more information here: When to apply?
Study plan and courses
Enrolment year: 2024
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1st semester - choose 2 out of 3 courses
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Authors, Readers, and Texts
Year 1, semester 1
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First and Second Language Literacy Development
Year 1, semester 1
First and Second Language Literacy Development (MLI335)
Study points: 15
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Reading Verbal and Visual Signs
Year 1, semester 1
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Choose between exchange abroad or courses at UiS
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Exchange abroad
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Courses at UiS
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Reading the Past: the History of Written English
Year 1, semester 2
Reading the Past: the History of Written English (MLI325)
Study points: 15
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Literature in Context
Year 1, semester 2
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Master in Literacy Studies - Compulsory courses
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Dissertation and oral exam
Year 2, semester 3
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Student exchange
By going on exchange to one of our partner institutions abroad as part of your studies, you will have an opportunity to get a unique education. In addition to improving your career opportunities, you grow as a person and gain the ability to greater reflect on the topics you study as part of your degree. All about exchange
Exchange semester
2nd semester of the 1st year.
Academic requirements
Students must start preparing for the exchange at the start of their studies to be able to apply within the deadline. The 2nd semester has two compulsory courses, each of them can be exchanged for courses found at partner institutions abroad. The courses taken at the partner institution should include minimum one course in the History of English/Old English/Middle English. The institutions listed below offer relevant courses for the 2nd semester (course offerings may be subject to change).
Contact person
Student advisor Signe Ekenberg, Hulda Garborg building
General information about exchange: Exchange guide in Digital student service desk
See where you can travel
The University of Western Australia
Australia
An-Najah National University
Palestina
The Norwegian Study Centre
Storbritannia og Nord-Irland
University of Bonn
Tyskland
State University of New York College at Brockport
USA
University of Mississippi
USA
University of North Dakota
USA
University of Innsbruck
Østerrike
Department of Cultural Studies and Languages
The English section within the department is one of the most varied and dynamic teaching and research communities at the University of Stavanger.
The teaching in the department is driven by the research interests of academics who publish at an international level in a wide range individual - but interconnected - branches of literature, language, and didactics.
Expertise in the field of literature includes the Renaissance, Modernism and Postmodernism in British and American Literature, Literary Ecologies and Gender Studies. Research in literature is led by Professor Janne Stigen Drangsholt’s published work on Ted Hughes, Myth Studies, and English poetry, and Professor Peter Paul Ferry’s research on beards and masculinity in American Literature and culture.
Within the field of languages, research is particularly concentrated on Old English and Middle English, especially through the work of Professor Merja Riitta Stenroos who publishes on systems of writing and ways of spelling. Within this discipline we also find Professor Oliver Traxel, whose research concentrates on modern and partly interdisciplinary fields including the works of author JRR Tolkien.
Other focus areas include sociolinguistics and didactics, the latter giving special attention to the various issues that form the basis for language teaching in the classroom. The section also boasts a hub for academics, led by Professor Janne Stigen Drangsholt, who in addition to performing research also publish works of fiction.
The researchers and teachers in the department place great emphasis on participating in national and international research networks and continue to be at the forefront of current research in the Humanities.
The Department of Cultural Studies and Languages is located in the Hulda Garborg Building at the Ullandhaug campus.
