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Master of Western Literature (Leuven)

Master of Arts
The MA in Western Literature is an initial Master’s programme aimed at an in-depth, intercultural, and
comparative study of literature from different Western traditions and periods. Through a range of
contemporary theoretical and methodological perspectives, you will learn to understand literature as a
complex cultural phenomenon in constant interaction with society and other media.
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Master of Western Literature (60 ECTS)

Education
Key information
What is the 'Master of Western Literature' all about?
Location
The Master of Western Literature is a unique initial master's programme aimed at an in-depth, intercultural and
Leuven
comparative study of literature in different Western traditions and epochs. As one of the world's oldest universities,
located in a multi-lingual society and at the heart of Europe, KU Leuven is a unique location for a programme that focuses Ects + duration
on the dynamic interactions between various literatures, languages, and cultures, as well as on the intercultural and 60 ECTS (1 year full-time)
international contexts in which literature travels.
Educational level
This master's programme stands out both nationally and internationally for its advanced degree of specialization, its
Master’s
broad range of study trajectories and its sustained intercultural and multilingual perspective.

Specialists in literatures in different languages and in a range of theoretical and methodological perspectives collaborate to
Academic calendar
ensure the high level and quality of the courses. You can freely combine courses from almost a dozen national literatures 1st semester: end of September -> end
of January (exams in January)
with explicitly comparative courses to design a curriculum tailored to your own interests and ambitions. The programme’s
combination of an advanced level of specialization and a sustained comparative perspective provides you with a 2nd semester: half of February -> end
multifaceted understanding of the ways Western literatures interact with social, political and cultural contexts, both of June (exams in June)
historically and in the present. KU Leuven academic calendar

Spotlight Applying
Application deadline
Neither the notion of ‘The West’ nor that of ‘literature’ is self-evident. This program interrogates the histories and 1 March (for non-EEA citizens)
affordances of these terms to investigates the multiple ways in which these phenomena interact with different aspects of 1 June (for EEA citizens)
our globalized world.
How to apply
Notions like the canon, tradition, literary genre, and style are critically examined and placed within relevant historical www.kuleuven.be/application
contexts. They are studied in relation to concepts such as civilization, culture, identity, and alterity. We explore the
relations between literature, nation, language and territory and how this relation has changed in contexts of decolonization, Tuition fee 2018-2019
globalization, and shifting relations between East and West. €922.30 for EEA students
€3,500 for non-EEA students
Application deadline for 2019-2020
Most recent information on
1 March 2019 (for non-EEA citizens) www.kuleuven.be/tuitionfees

1 June 2019 (for EEA citizens) Open days

Meet us in Belgium
KU Leuven uses an online application system. You can download and submit your application form
Meet us abroad
via www.kuleuven.be/application. Students with a Flemish degree can consult www.kuleuven.be/inschrijven.
Brochure
Tuition Fee
Download the brochure
The current tuition fee is €922.30 for EEA citizens and €3,500 for non-EEA citizens. The tuition fee for the 2019-2020 Request the brochure
academic year will be determined in the spring of 2019. Please consult the website for the most recent
information: www.kuleuven.be/tuitionfees. Faculty website
Visit the faculty's website
Master mind

Excellent students who are eligible for a Master Mind Scholarship are invited to submit their application before 1
February 2019.

Profile

Is this the right programme for me?

 You have an interest in literature and literary analysis and in the larger social and cultural debates about culture and
literature.
In your undergraduate studies, you have gained a thorough understanding of at least one language, and the literature
written in that language.
You are familiar with the methods of literary study and with the theoretical background of literary analysis.
You are able to conduct preliminary research within the field of literary studies and to report on this research in a clear
and scholarly language.

Admission requirements

Admission requirements Master of Western Literature

Objectives

1. The student can make a critical analysis of a literary text and situate it in the broader cultural-historical context of
Western literature.

2. The student can develop a scholarly and critical interpretation of literary texts and other cultural phenomena and can
communicate this interpretation in both written and oral form for both a scholarly and a general audience.

3. The student has an informed understanding of the specific status of literature as a linguistic system that interacts with
broader social and cultural contexts.

4. The student is familiar with the diverse ways in which Western literature has been an object of study, both from a
historical and a contemporary perspective. The student is familiar with historical and current engagements with the
following questions: (a) what is Western literature?, (b) how has the idea of Western literature been conceptualized and
problematized, (c) how does Western literature interact with its contexts?, and (d) how do different literary traditions
interact within the larger framework of Western literature?

5. The student is familiar with new methods and approaches within literary studies, cultural studies and literary theory.
The student can critically assess these methods and approaches and apply them in a specific research context.

6. The student understands the ways in which different humanities and social science disciplines influence literary
studies. The student can employ insights from these disciplines in his or her own research.

7. The student can formulate a research question and gather the primary and secondary material necessary for the
research. The student can conceptualize, structure and compose a MA thesis.

8. The student can communicate research results in both oral and written form for an academic audience.

9. The student can communicate research results to non-specialized audiences.

10. The student follows the deontological and ethical codes of scientific research in his or her research.

11. The student has an insight in diversity and intercultural interaction and can use this insight to participate in
contemporary social and cultural debates.

12. The student develops a lasting interest in Western literature and culture.

13. The student develops a critical literacy that he or she can deploy in different professional and social contexts.

14. The student who takes language-specific modules has an advanced knowledge of the literary historical traditions in
that language and can connect these to broader developments within the Western literary tradition.

15. The student who takes language-specific modules that are taught in a foreign language has a C2 (or at the very least
a C1) proficiency level for understanding (listening and reading), speaking (production and interaction) and writing. This
holds especially for students who write their MA thesis in a foreign language.

Career perspectives

Career perspectives
As a graduate of the Master of Western Literature programme, you will have acquired a wide range of skills that you will be
able to use in a large number of professional contexts. Your strengths will mainly be your ability to reflect on complex
cultural phenomena, your insight into and facility with plurilingual and intercultural context, and your ability to
communicate these insights in an effective, elegant, and sophisticated way. The combination of analytical skills, a capacity
for abstract thought, and an appreciation of the complexity of cultural phenomena is much sought after in a range of
professions.

Through your advanced insight in intercultural relations, moreover, you will be exceptionally well placed to work in an
international context (e.g., embassies, European institutions, translating services, and international companies). Because
of their extensive knowledge of literature and the skills for reporting on it, many of our graduates take up important roles in
the publishing world, the media, and journalism. After taking a teacher training programme, you will also be able to
start teaching.

Start your career, during your studies

 During your bachelor's and master's programme you can already shape your own profile by choosing a certain
specialisation, studying abroad (Erasmus), doing a work placement, or starting your own business.

The Student Career Centre is happy to put you on the right track towards your first work experience. The centre also
coaches you in the search for an interesting job and helps you with job interviews. For students wanting to start their own
business KU Leuven also has Lcie, the KU Leuven community that encourages students with innovative and
entrepreneurial ideas.

Don’t know where to start? The Student Career Centre's databases contain offers for jobs, volunteer work, innovation
projects and student jobs. You can also visit one of the events organised by the Career Centre.

Contact

Faculty of Arts
Blijde Inkomststraat 21 box 3301
3000 LEUVEN, Belgium
tel. + 32 16 32 50 13

Student counselor: slb-tenl@kuleuven.be

Student representative: info@coraal.be

General
Study Advice Service
Naamsestraat 80 box 5415
3000 LEUVEN, Belgium
To contact us, please complete the contact form on our website.

Direct:
Specifieke lerarenopleiding talen (Leuven)

When allowed:
Master of Medieval and Renaissance Studies (Leuven)

Access after preparatory, bridging or abridged programme :

Master in de vergelijkende en internationale politiek (Leuven), after taking Voorbereidingsprogramma Master in de
vergelijkende en internationale politiek (Leuven)

Admission requirements

Master of Western Literature (Leuven)

In the context of the wellbeing law certain data must be stored for each student and they must be informed timely on the
subject of:

the risks to which the student is exposed during the study programme (practicals, traineeships, master's theses,…)
the associated preventive measures for each risk, such as medical follow-up, personal protective equipment and
instructions.
The risks and preventive measures are collected in the HSE-file for students. Through this link you can consult the HSE-
file. The HSE-file will be used for traineeships and/or master’s theses. For more information about traineeships, we refer to
the following site: traineeship.. For questions, please contact the HSE Department.

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