Crossways in Cultural Narratives (Erasmus Mundus MLitt) 2020 entry
The Erasmus Mundus MLitt in Crossways in Cultural Narratives is a two year EU-endorsed, multidisciplinary and multilingual programme delivered by a consortium of international universities. At St Andrews, this degree focuses on the areas of cultural identities and comparative literature.
Course type
Postgraduate, leading to an Erasmus Mundus Master of Letters (MLitt)
Course dates
- Start date: 7 September 2020
- End date: 30 September 2021
Information about all programmes from previous years of entry can be found in the archive.
Course duration
Two years full time
Entry requirements
- A good 2.1 Honours undergraduate degree in the field of arts, languages or social sciences.
- If you studied your first degree outside the UK, see the international entry requirements.
- You will also need proficiency in two of the following European languages together with a basic knowledge or willingness to acquire a third European language. The minimum language requirement is B2 on the European language certification standards, although a C1 equivalent is preferable.
- English
- French
- Italian
- German
- Portuguese
- Polish
- Spanish.
The qualifications listed are indicative minimum requirements for entry. Some academic Schools will ask applicants to achieve significantly higher marks than the minimum. Obtaining the listed entry requirements will not guarantee you a place, as the University considers all aspects of every application including, where applicable, the writing sample, personal statement, and supporting documents.
Tuition fees
2020 fees have not yet been set for this course. For the 2019 fees, please check the fees web page.
See which countries are programme and partner countries in the Erasmus programme guide.
Application deadline
Applicants should apply as early as possible to be eligible for certain scholarships and for international visa purposes. Application is through the Crossways website.
Application requirements
- CV
- personal statement
- sample of academic written work (2,000 words)
- two original signed academic references
- academic transcripts and degree certificates
- proof of your language proficiency in two European languages.
For more guidance, see supporting documents and references for postgraduate taught programmes.
Course information
The Erasmus Mundus MLitt in Crossways in Cultural Narratives is a two-year taught postgraduate programme open to both European and non-European students. It is run by an international consortium of the following universities:
- Bergamo, Italy
- Nova Lisboa, Portugal
- Poznan, Poland
- Perpignan, France
- Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- St Andrews, Scotland
- Sheffield, England
- Guelph, Canada
- Tres de Febrero, Argentina
- Tübingen, Germany
- Mexico City, Mexico.
The programme centres on the theme of crossways and cultural hybridisation. Its major discipline is literature with a comparative approach, but it includes modules in aesthetics, history of ideas, semiotics, linguistics and communication. Study at St Andrews focuses on the areas of cultural identities and comparative literature.
Highlights
- The major focus is on literature, with a comparative approach, but it includes modules in aesthetics, history of ideas, semiotics and communication.
- The truly international programme offers students the ability to study three languages at three different institutions.
- Students plan their own mobility track, or course of study, across two years.
Teaching format
The course is divided into four semesters. Students spend Semesters 2 and 3 at the same university, and Semesters 1 and 4 at two different universities. Please note that students may not choose a mobility track comprising both St Andrews and Sheffield, and they may not spend the same academic year in both Canada and the UK.
Students may choose their modules (subject to final approval by the Crossways Academic Council), or they may choose a preselected pathway of modules.
During the programme, students participate in courses delivered through lectures and seminars which are graded by either continuous assessment, the preparation of a researched dossier or examinations at the end of the semester. At the end of the course, students work autonomously on a final dissertation under supervision by members of the consortium's teaching staff.
Work placement
Students who study at St Andrews for Semester 2 and 3 have the option of going on a work placement during their second semester or between their second and third semesters. Those on a work placement will write a short 6,000-word dissertation report as well as a 4,000-word academic essay reflecting on their placement.
Students are encouraged to arrange their own work placements at an organisation of their choice. All work placements are conditional upon the approval of the local coordinator.
Modules
Below are the modules which are compulsory for study at the University of St Andrews.
For more details of modules offered at St Andrews, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue which is for the 2019–2020 academic year; some elements may be subject to change for 2020 entry.
Semester 1
- Literary and Cultural Theory 1: provides research training by exploring a range of literary and cultural theories through which texts may be conceptualised, criticised and analysed.
- undergraduate language module chosen from French, German Italian or Spanish.
- plus one optional module.
Semester 2
- Dissertation Report (or Short Dissertation Report plus Work-Related Project (a placement or project designed to explore the application of academic and intellectual skills in the world of employment). The Dissertation Report consists of a series of one-to-one meetings with the supervisor where the student addresses the following: (i) Research Questions; (ii) Corpus; (iii) Methodology; and (iv) Literature review of secondary sources. The module outcome is twofold: (i) a 5,000-word (or 2,500-word for the Short version) piece which is consistent with the work to be carried out in the Dissertation; and (ii) an oral presentation summarising the progress achieved.
- plus two optional modules.
Semester 3
- Dissertation Progress: a series of one-to-one meetings with the supervisor in which specific areas and issues of the topic are developed. It builds on the work of the Dissertation Report in order to produce a 10,000-word piece of writing involving a detailed plan of the final Mundus Dissertation and samples of a chapter or chapters.
- plus two optional modules.
Semester 4
- one optional module
- Mundus Dissertation: 20,000-word dissertation on an approved topic.
This is a sample of the optional modules that may be available for Crossways in Cultural Narratives.
- Apples and Oranges: Issues in Comparative Literature
- Literary and Cultural Theory 1
- Literary and Cultural Theory 2
- Problems of Culture and Identity 1
- Problems of Culture and Identity 2
- Research and Professional Skills
- Specialised Research in Middle Eastern Literatures and Cultures, French Studies, German Studies, Italian Studies, Russian Studies or Spanish and Latin American Studies
- The Contemporary Canon: Why Books Sell
Optional modules are subject to change each year, and attendance may be limited (see the University’s position on curriculum development).
You will write the dissertation in one of the principal languages of your study, but it does not necessarily need to be in the language of the country of study during Semester 4.
Dissertations are supervised by a principal and a support supervisor from two universities of the consortium. These supervisors will provide topic guidance and support throughout the research and writing process.
The modules listed here are indicative, and there is no guarantee they will run for 2020 entry. Take a look at the most up-to-date modules in the module catalogue.
Conferences and events
There is a mailing list for Crossways in Cultural Narratives which distributes calls for papers and announcements that may be relevant to the research activities of the consortium. To subscribe to the mailing list, email munduscrossways-subscribe@unibg.it.
Funding
Recent Graduate Discount
The University of St Andrews offers a 10% discount in postgraduate tuition fees to students who are eligible to graduate or who have graduated from St Andrews within the last three academic years and are starting a postgraduate programme with the University of St Andrews.
AHRC
The Arts and Humanities Research Council offers scholarships which cover fees and stipend at RCUK rates for students applying for research degrees in the Arts and Humanities in Scotland.
After the MLitt
Research degrees
Many graduates continue their education by enrolling in PhD programmes at St Andrews.
Careers
The MLitt in Crossways in Cultural Narratives develops in students capacities of conceptualisation, synthesis and analysis. They will have the opportunity to network on a European scale and will learn how to integrate knowledge management.
Students are prepared for leadership roles in a variety of international careers, including:
- cultural dimension of marketing strategies
- cultural management
- higher education
- parliamentary research
- professional criticism
- specialised journalism
- strategic planning.
The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students on a taught postgraduate course and offers a programme of events to assist students to build their employability skills.
Contact
School of Modern Languages
University of St Andrews
Buchanan Building
Union Street
St Andrews
KY16 9PH
Phone: +44 (0)1334 46 3670
Email: modlangs@st-andrews.ac.uk
Policies
Admission to the University of St Andrews is governed by our admissions policy.
Curriculum development
As a research intensive institution, the University ensures that its teaching references the research interests of its staff, which may change from time to time. As a result, programmes are regularly reviewed with the aim of enhancing students' learning experience. Our approach to course revision is described online (PDF, 72 KB).
Tuition fees
The University will clarify compulsory fees and charges it requires any student to pay at the time of offer. The offer will also clarify conditions for any variation of fees. The University’s approach to fee setting is described online (PDF, 84 KB).