MA in English - (Medieval and Renaissance Literature) in Cork Ireland | University College Cork

Our Master of Arts program in English (Medieval and Renaissance Literature) enables students to delve into the diverse world of Old English, Middle English, and early modern literary works within their historical contexts.

This graduate program investigates both well-known and obscure texts, literary forms, and authors from Britain and Ireland, spanning from ancient English compositions like riddles, elegies, and wisdom poetry, through the flourishing of Middle English literature in the 14th and 15th centuries (including Chaucer's works), to the mass-produced publications of the 1500s and Shakespeare's popular dramas. We particularly focus on challenging traditional divisions between historical periods (such as between Old and Middle English eras, and between medieval and Renaissance works), between literary genres, and between different forms of media (from oral storytelling to written works, from printed pages to theatrical performances, and from original texts to screen adaptations).

With instruction from our faculty of published experts specializing in these fields, you'll examine crucial theoretical and analytical concepts in early English literature, study the historical, cultural, and material backgrounds of these works, and investigate their enduring influence through time and across various media (including transmission, reception, adaptation, and reinterpretation).