Postgraduate courses

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Why study with us?

Why study with the School of Linguistics & English Language?

• All our members of staff at the School of Linguistics and English Language have wide-ranging teaching and research interest so we offer a more varied programme of modules than most universities.
• We offer a virtually unrestricted choice of options so you can concentrate on theoretical topics, practical topics or a bit of both.
• The School has its very own computer room, phonetics laboratory and linguistics lecture room.
• We have our very own student society – Bangor Linguistics Society – which organises weekly social events and one off events such as guest lectures and the Christmas party.
• Over half of the departments at Bangor assessed to date in the teaching quality assessments have received the top rating of 'excellent'.
• Our accommodation has been rated in the Top 5 in the UK at the 2017 WhatUni Student Choice Awards.
• The most recent Research Excellence Framework (2014) recognised that more than three-quarters of Bangor's research is either world-leading or internationally excellent
• We have one of the largest Peer Guiding schemes in the UK

School of Linguistics and English Language

• Linguistics and English Language students benefit from our very own computer room, phonetics laboratory and linguistics lecture room.
• Our student society – Bangor Linguistics Society – which organises weekly social events and one off events such as guest lectures and the Christmas party.
• English Literature and Creative Writing staff Students comprise a team of leading scholars which includes award-winning poets and novelists. Creative writing staff at Bangor publish in the major forms of short fiction, the novel and poetry, their research spanning criticism and practice-based contributions to these areas.
• Our English literature department boasts expertise in all periods of English Literature from medieval times to the present day and has one of the longest histories of teaching creative writing in the UK.
• Bangor University is home to some unique special collections, which include manuscripts dating from the twelfth century to the present day.
• We offer modules across all periods of English Literature, with particular focus on the editing and interpretation of medieval manuscript books and early modern manuscript and print; the relationship between art and literature; Victorian letter-writing and communication; the work of R. S. Thomas and the modern screenplay.
• At Bangor English literature and Creative Writing students can study texts from non-British national literatures; critical approaches or comparative studies which consider texts from Britain alongside those from other parts of the world; theories of international literary space.
• We offer creative and critical approaches to experimental writing; approaches to translation, adaptation and correspondence between genres and languages, with particular strengths in literature, film and the screenplay.
• Our Modern Languages courses allow student to immerse themselves not only in language learning but also provide an opportunity to learn more about cultures.
• Languages students benefit from small group tutorials and a dedicated language lab.

Postgraduate community

The Graduate School of the College of Arts and Humanities allows our students to engage not only with research interests and expertise within the School of English, but also with the research activities of other schools within the college and participate in an active postgraduate community. 

The Graduate School of the College of Arts and Humanities also provides additional support for student development and training. 

Through our videolinked networks, students have the opportunity to engage with the research of other institutions.

• The Institute for Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS) is a collaborative research institute between Bangor University and Aberystwyth University, liaising also with Cardiff University, Swansea University, and the University of Wales Trinity St David (Lampeter). The Institute focuses on research activities in the pre-1800 period, and hosts an international video-linked research seminar. 
• The Centre for Contemporary Poetry (informally known as ‘Contempo’) is a collaborative, cross-institutional research centre founded in 2006, and run by Bangor, Aberystwyth and Brighton Universities. Through regular video-linked seminars and symposia Contempo aims to develop knowledge about contemporary poetic practices, about the interface between the word and the visual, and to examine differences in practice between experimental and traditional poetic forms.  
• We are a leading centre for the study of Welsh literature and culture, the R. S. Thomas Study Centre housing the most comprehensive collection of manuscripts relating the R S Thomas in the world. 

Other areas of particular strength are Arthurian studies (drawing on library resources, as well as excellence in teaching and research over the last fifty years), Milton, rhetoric, medieval and early modern women’s writing, medieval and early modern drama, Shakespeare, Romantic and Victorian print culture and visual culture and creative writing.  Please visit the staff pages to find out more about individual areas of expertise.

Research Seminars

Within the school, we organise a fortnightly research seminar series to which distinguished scholars are invited to speak and faculty members and postgraduate students regularly organise conferences in their research area.  We also have two reading groups that meet on alternate weeks to explore either Welsh Writing in English or Four Nations British and Irish Literatures.  We encourage our graduate students, whether they are pursuing one of our taught MA programmes or undertaking postgraduate research, to attend research seminars and participate fully in the research culture at Bangor.

Why choose Bangor University?

Academic and research excellence

Established in 1884, Bangor University combines traditional academic excellence with cutting-edge research and equipment and has been named within the top 20 for Research Quality - Complete University Guide 2022

Student Satisfaction

Top 10 for Student Satisfaction - Complete University Guide 2022 and 1st in Wales for Student Satisfaction – NSS 2021

Spectacular Setting

Your work-life balance can be key to the success of your postgraduate study. Situated between the mountains, lakes and forests of the Snowdonia National Park and miles of dramatic coastline, Bangor provides one of the most attractive study locations in the UK, and is a great base for all kinds of outdoor sports and activities.

Conveniently located

Bangor is at the heart of the region’s transport network, with quick road and rail links taking you across to Liverpool and Manchester in just 90 minutes. Bangor’s location on the London to Holyhead main line means that the regular ferry service from Holyhead Port to Dublin is just 20 minutes away, while a direct train will take you to the centre of London in little over 3 hours.

*excluding specialist institutions and single-submission universities.