Bachelor of Arts in Music and German

at University of Bristol - Clifton Campus United Kingdom

The MA in Comparative Literatures and Cultures gives you the opportunity to study the encounters and exchanges between literatures and cultures across Europe and beyond. We welcome graduates of all arts and humanities disciplines.

You will become acquainted with the theory and practice of comparative cultural study, and consider how concepts of national cultures cross borders and interact with ideas of the global and transnational. You will gain a thorough grounding in cultural theory, critical reading and research skills, and put this theoretical knowledge into practice by studying topics and themes that span the disciplines, national contexts and time periods taught by experts in the School of Modern Languages.

While knowledge of a foreign language is not a requirement for this program, you will have the opportunity to learn a language at a variety of levels, from beginner to advanced, and to engage with material in foreign languages throughout the MA. The program culminates in a dissertation - an extended piece of original academic research.

As a postgraduate, you will be considered a full member of the academic community, with the opportunity to participate in the many research seminars and conferences taking place within the Faculty of Arts.

This course is ideal for students interested in learning more about how to use numbers and data within social policy. It provides training in practical and analytical skills, which will enhance your career prospects and provide you with a strong platform for postgraduate study. No prior knowledge of statistical techniques is required.

About two thirds of your studies will follow the single honours BSc Social Policy course, where you will acquire core knowledge in your subject. You will focus on key issues such as inequality, risk, need, and the social processes and institutions that enhance or impair wellbeing. You will draw on social, political and economic theory to analyse and explore these in a global context.

The remaining third of your course will provide interdisciplinary training in quantitative methods. In year one of the quantitative pathway we discuss how numbers and data are used to tell convincing stories in the media and social research. We consider what is meant by segregation and how it can be mapped and measured. Year two offers practical classes in social statistics and applied data analysis, which will develop your skills in numeracy and analysis and enable you to undertake your own individual research project in an area of quantitative social science in year three.

BA Comparative Literatures and Cultures offers an exciting opportunity to study a wealth of international cultural production in depth and breadth.

You will study the literatures and cultures of the world in comparative frameworks that draw on methodologies from textual, cultural and visual studies, as well as from translation, philosophy, history, social science and critical theory. Texts will be read in English translation.

In the first two years you will study core units such as: What is Comparative Literature and How Do We Practise It?; Introduction to Visual Cultures; Popular Representation and Institutions of Culture; and Migrations of Culture.

In year three you will complete an innovative, supervised, independent project consisting of an extended essay on a topic of your choice and a public-facing element presented to the entire cohort e.g. prospectus, interview, catalogue, teaching materials.

Additionally, you will have a wide choice of optional units based in either the culture of a single language or a combination of cultures. Units are informed by staff research interests and you will be taught by experts in their fields.

Teaching is delivered through lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops and one-to-one project supervision. Assessments may include presentations, essays, commentaries, exams, collaborative projects, debates, case study explorations, reports and dissertations. 

This programme encourages a range of attributes that are highly valued by employers, such as intercultural understanding, analytical and critical thinking, clarity and self confidence in communication, an aptitude for collaborative work, and creativity.

The course will instil habits of curiosity, openness, rigour, self reflection and evidence-based thinking, which will prepare you for a flexible career across a wide variety of sectors.

Our rich and challenging MLibArts Liberal Arts allows you to explore the arts and humanities while building crucial skills in analysis and communication, which will be valuable to you throughout your degree and beyond.

Like our BA Liberal Arts, this course encourages you to explore a wide range of subjects and issues across the arts and humanities. The first two years of the MLibArts course are identical to the BA, with core interdisciplinary units, a language unit, a unit in which you learn to work with data, and optional units, which you can take from the disciplines offered by the Faculty of Arts. You will also begin to develop expertise in your specialist subject pathway, which you can choose from one of the disciplines in the faculty.

A special feature of the MLibArts is the opportunity to spend your third year studying abroad at one of our prestigious partner universities. Visit Global Opportunities to find out more.

This genuinely interdisciplinary program offers an innovative way of studying medieval culture and society. As a student, you will benefit from research-led teaching and skills-based training across a wide variety of disciplines, including history, literature, languages, manuscript studies, music, religion and classics.

At Bristol, you have access to one of the most active centres for medieval studies in the UK, comprising more than 30 staff members and approximately 20 postgraduate research students (MPhil/PhD) each year, who together form a lively and dynamic interdisciplinary community.

Every year, the Centre for Medieval Studies hosts a large number of research seminars, lectures and public talks. Staff who teach on the program are members of the Centre, and many have an international reputation in their respective fields.

Beyond the University, you can draw on the important archival, architectural and heritage resources of the city of Bristol – the medieval gateway to Europe – and the south-west region more widely. Through our placement and practice-led project options you have the unique opportunity to gain practical work experience with one of the University's partners in the cultural and heritage industries, training you as a professional medievalist with transferable skills for careers within and beyond academia.