English Literature: American Modern Literature

This programme will not be available in 2025. To stay updated, please register your interest. The anticipated start date is September 2026.

The Masters in American Modern Literature focuses on the American Literature of the late nineteenth to the twenty-first century. The required courses range across fields and genres including art history, film, ecocriticism, sociology, urban studies, travel writing, and music, as well as providing a grounding in traditional and emerging narratives of modern American literary history.

2.1 Hons (or non-UK equivalent) in a relevant subject however all backgrounds considered.

Please include a short statement of around 500 words outlining your interest in this programme.

We also require a sample of written work of around 3,000 words. This can be a previous piece of work from an undergraduate degree. The work should be written in English. It does not have to cover a topic related to this programme. However, it should show the potential to engage successfully with postgraduate-level literary studies by demonstrating an analytical ability and knowledge of appropriate scholarly methods and conventions.

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic and Academic Online (not General Training)

• 7.0 overall with no subtest less than 7.0
• IELTS One Skill Retake Accepted
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Common equivalent English language qualifications accepted for entry to this programme

TOEFL (ibt, my best or athome)

• 100 overall with Reading 24; Listening 24; Speaking 23; Writing 27
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements, this includes TOEFL mybest.

Pearsons PTE Academic

• 66 overall with no subtest less than Reading 68; Listening 66; Speaking 65; Writing 82
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) and Cambridge Advanced English (CAE)

• 185 overall, no subtest less than 185
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Oxford English Test

• 8 overall with no subtest less than 8
• ests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

LanguageCert Academic SELT

• 75 overall with no subtest less than 75
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Password Skills Plus

• 7.0 overall with no subtest less than 7.0
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Trinity College Tests

• Integrated Skills in English II & III & IV: ISEIII Pass with Pass in all sub-tests
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

University of Glasgow Pre-sessional courses

Tests are accepted for 2 years following date of successful completion.

Alternatives to English Language qualification

• Degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
  
  • students must have studied for a minimum of 2 years at Undergraduate level, or 9 months at Master's level, and must have completed their degree in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.
• Undergraduate 2+2 degrees from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
  
  • students must have completed their final two years study in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.

For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept UKVI approved Secure English Language Tests (SELT) but we do not require a specific UKVI SELT for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.

Pre-sessional courses

The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the English for Academic Study Unit Pre-sessional courses. We would strongly encourage you to consider the pre-sessional courses at the University of Glasgow's English for Academic Study (EAS) Unit. Our Pre-sessional courses are the best way to bring your English up to entry level for University study. Our courses give you:

• direct entry to your University programme for successful students (no need to take IELTS)
• essential academic skills to help you study effectively at University
• flexible entry dates so you can join the right course for your level.

For more detail on our pre-sessional courses please see:

• Pre-sessional courses

We can also consider the pre-sessional courses accredited by the below BALEAP approved institutions to meet the language requirements for admission to our postgraduate taught degrees:

• Heriot Watt
• Kingston Upon Thames
• Middlesex University
• Manchester University
• Reading University
• Edinburgh University
• ST Andrews University
• UCL
• Durham

For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office using our enquiry form

The critical and analytical skills that you will acquire include: