The programme involves the study of literature from two or more linguistic traditions. You engage in and pursue detailed literary and cultural analysis that crosses boundaries. The MA programme explores three main areas: themes, genres, movements and major literary figures; the interactions and exchanges between literary traditions; and the theory and practice of comparative literature. These complementary strands encourage comparative analysis in a variety of contexts, ranging from the study of national literatures to the exploration of different genres, periods, media and literary theory. You begin by studying a choice of four modules across the Autumn and Spring terms, before writing a 12,000-word dissertation over the summer, supervised by an expert in the department.