Independent study resulting in dissertation of between 12,000 and 15,000 words in length, on a Modern American Literature research topic of the student's own devising, in consultation with a supervisor.

3-4 supervisorial meetings of 30 minutes to an hour each as arranged between student and supervisor, plus reading and marking of drafted material as it is handed in.

Modernities Dissertation

Romantic Worlds Dissertation

Fantasy Dissertation

Victorian Literature Dissertation

Medieval and Early Modern Dissertation

English Literature Dissertation

 The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ 1 dissertation of 12,000 to 15,000 words 

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ There is no alternative to the dissertation, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

This course aims to:

■ Enable students to develop and sustain at a high level an argument in an area of personal research interest in the field of Modern American literature.

■ Promote an engagement with other scholarly, critical, or theoretical arguments relevant to that area.

■ Encourage the application of acquired advanced research skills to a supervised project.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Identify an appropriate research topic, in consultation with their supervisor

■ Formulate an appropriate research question for their topic

■ Evaluate primary and secondary material for inclusion in an extended piece of writing at this level

■ Show their ability to summarise, comment on and analyse this material appropriately

■ Organise their work into a coherent, sustained argument of between 12,000 and 15,000 words, with the potential for further development to MPhil or PhD standard.

■ Apply the research methods and skills learnt during the rest of the taught course to a programme of supervised independent study students will be able to: