Master's in Comparative Literature (Literary Studies)

The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, Dutch: Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Established in 1632 by municipal authorities and later renamed for the city of Amsterdam, the University of Amsterdam is the third-oldest university in the Netherlands, and one of the most prestigious academic institutions of the country, and in the world. The UvA is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU). It is also part of the largest research universities in Europe with 31,186 students, 4,794 staff, 1,340 PhD students and an annual budget of €600 million. It is the largest university in the Netherlands by enrollment. The main campus is located in central Amsterdam, with a few faculties located in adjacent boroughs. The university is organised into seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Science, Law, Medicine, Dentistry.

The Master's in Comparative Literature is a one-year programme in which you analyse and critically reflect on literature, texts, films, visual art and music. The first semester comprises three core courses and electives . The second semester contains more elective space and your Master's Thesis. Programme overview The programme courses engage with topics such as gender, the posthuman, environmental humanities, cultural memory, global literacy and the state of the Humanities in the 21st century. Although students follow three compulsory core courses, and are required to choose 12 ECTS from the core elective list, it is also possible to combine courses from other specialisations (e.g. English Literature and Culture; Literature and Education; Literature, Culture and Society; other MA courses in and outside the humanities; and even from other Dutch universities) and thereby carry out comparative research projects. Core courses You will first enroll in three core courses: Politics of the Contemporary 1 and 2, and the thesis seminar. The former courses are dedicated to literature, the arts, and theory in relation to a specific issue that enjoys a particular political relevance, urgency, or actuality for the present. The latter prepares you for your MA thesis in the second semester. Electives You can then choose one elective from the core elective list. This list is updated each year, so please consult the course catalogue for the current offering. The following courses have been part of the list for several years: Bodies and the Posthuman, Il/Literacy Matters, Narrative and Globalization, Cultural Memory and Trauma. Other electives may be chosen from a wide array of options offered by the Faculty of Humanities. Internships Internships are not obligatory, but MA students may conduct an internship (maximum 6 ECTS) in either semester. An internship provides work experience, puts classroom theory into practice, and can assist you to get your ‘foot in the door’. Thesis In the first semester you take the Thesis Seminar that prepares you for your Master's Thesis. This independent project reports on research carried out by the student under the supervision of an academic staff member involved with our programme. The Master's programme Comparative Literature comprises 60 ECTS credits: 12 ECTS Comparative Literature core courses: Politics of the Contemporary 1 and 2; 24 ECTS electives, 12 ECTS of which are chosen from the core elective list; 6 ECTS Thesis Seminar; 18 ECTS Master’s thesis.