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University of Cambridge

England , England ,United Kingdom

MPhil in European, Latin American and Comparative Literatures and Cultures by Advanced Study

The MPhil in European, Latin American, and Comparative  Literatures and Cultures (ELAC) provides students with the critical and theoretical tools to enable them to undertake an in-depth study of specific aspects of European literature and culture and/or Latin American and Francophone contexts. The course introduces students to a broad range of critical theory concepts, allows for in-depth study of specific cultures and contexts, and includes the writing of a dissertation based on original research.

The MPhil is offered by the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics (MMLL) as a full-time period of research and introduces students to research skills and specialist knowledge of specific cultural areas.

The course aims

to offer students with relevant experience at degree level a self-contained one-year course in which they have the opportunity for in-depth study of specific aspects of European and comparative literatures and cultures (and in some cases film, history and the visual arts) and critical theory; and
to offer a course which is also designed as the first year of research towards a PhD.
These aims are achieved by

offering an overview in central aspects of modern literary/cultural theory and critical approaches to develop a general understanding of the field;
offering an opportunity for in-depth study of two areas in critical theory and approaches and for developing skills to write on theory and to use theory or palaeographical and bibliographical techniques as a tool in the study of literary or other cultural texts;
offering an opportunity for expanding knowledge of the literature and culture of specific periods and language areas beyond undergraduate level;
offering an opportunity for in-depth and sustained work on individual essay and dissertation topics;
offering the opportunity either to specialise in one European language area or to continue work in several languages (in the latter case offering guidance in developing comparative research projects);
offering an opportunity to give seminar papers to a specialist audience in order to develop skills in presenting work and discussing the issues which arise from it with other MPhil students and senior members of the Faculty;
offering an opportunity to learn to work to tight deadlines (time management);
offering practice in writing shorter essays with a strict deadline (4,500 words);
offering training in developing a realistic research project, guidance in writing this up as a dissertation (15,000 words) within a limited period of time and experience in independent research;
offering an opportunity to develop bibliographical, editorial and other research skills;
offering an opportunity to work under the supervision of specialists in relevant areas; and
offering the opportunity to participate in the research culture of the Faculty, attending Faculty postgraduate seminars and reading groups.
In addition to these subject-specific skills, the following general transferable skills are also acquired:

The relatively intense timetable of the MPhil demands that students develop exemplary time-management skills. They work in collaboration with their supervisors to devise appropriate plans of study and have to ensure that they meet all deadlines, formal and informal.
Students are expected to make regular presentations in seminar situations. This develops their oral presentation skills.
Written work is assessed on the basis of a demonstration of scholarly research and critical analysis. That is, students are expected to present a lucid, coherent and carefully substantiated exposition of a critical viewpoint. Writing must be in clear, grammatically correct, continuous prose, and must function as a single, comprehensible, persuasive, cumulative demonstration, not as a series of disconnected insights. The organisation of the argument of the essay or dissertation and its prose style are of crucial importance.

Intakes

  • Oct

Application Processing Time in Days: 20

Minimum English Language Requirements

English Level Description IELTS (1.0 -9.0) TOEFL IBT (0-120) TOEFL CBT (0-300) PTE (10-90)
Expert 9 120 297-300 86-90
Very Good 8.5 115-119 280-293 83-86
Very Good 8 110-114 270-280 79-83
Good 7.5 102-109 253-267 73-79
Good 7 94-101 240-253 65-73
Competent 6.5 79-93 213-233 58-65
Competent 6 60-78 170-210 50-58
Modest 5.5 46-59 133-210 43-50
Modest 5 35-45 107-133 36-43
Limited 4 32-34 97-103 30-36
Extremely Limited < 4 < 31 < 93 < 30

Job Opportunity Potential

Whether you’re sure of the career you want to pursue when you graduate or you’re looking to explore your options, we’ll help you to prepare for your future.

  • 89% of our students who responded to the Graduate Outcomes Survey were in work or further study within 15 months of graduating¹
  • Top 10 in the UK for graduate prospects (Complete University Guide 2021)

Transferable skills
The majority of graduate employers recruit students with any degree discipline. It’s the flexibility of your degree, as well as the range of transferable skills that you develop, that are of interest to employers.

Cambridge students are typically ambitious, intelligent, motivated, hard-working, passionate, committed, curious, intellectually creative, independent thinkers, and able to manage their time effectively. Employers know this and look for the same attributes in potential new employees, which is why our graduates are so sought after.   

Dedicated support and guidance
Once you’re at Cambridge, you can work with our dedicated Careers Service from day one to explore your career options. The team of experienced and impartial careers advisers can help you connect with employers and navigate the complex job market, saving you time and maximising your employability prospects. The Careers Service run a range of workshops on topics including choosing a career, cover letters, applications and getting ready for interviews. They also organise more than 200 careers events and briefing and skills sessions, and typically around 15 major careers fairs each year.

Internships and work experience
Our industry connections provide a range of opportunities for you to undertake work experience, enhancing your CV ready for graduation. Thousands of opportunities are publicised across all sectors on the Careers Service’s Handshake site, with bursaries offered to support unpaid opportunities with charities.

Networking opportunities
The Careers Service’s alumni database, GradLink, will give you access to contact details for over 1,200 Cambridge alumni working in a huge range of industries who can offer first-hand advice. The Service also runs more than 50 employment-related skills training sessions and can offer information on occupations, further study courses and funding.

Graduate employment destinations
Our graduates go on to work in a wide range of industries, from social work and education, to legal activities and finance. The list below shows the top ten occupations of respondents to the Graduate Outcomes Survey (15 months after graduation).¹

Medical practitioner

  1. Programmer/software development professional
  2. Management consultants and business analysts
  3. Finance and investment analysts and advisers
  4. Marketing associate professionals
  5. Business and related associate professionals
  6. Secondary education teaching professionals
  7. Primary and nursery teaching professionals
  8. University researchers
  9. Higher education teaching professionals

PSW Opportunity

UK announces 2-year post-study work visa for international Students

Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria

Postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge is intense and very intellectually demanding, so the University has high academic entry requirements. You are normally expected to hold or to have achieved by the start of your course:

minimum of an upper second class (good 2:1) honours degree from a UK university or an equivalent standard from an overseas university; and
completion of, or release from, any current training or education course

University Minimum Requirement
Professional Bachelor's (at least 4 years) in professional subjects such as Agriculture, Architecture, Business Administration, Business Management, Business Studies, Computer Applications, Engineering, Fine Arts, Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery, Law, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy and Technology or Bachelor of Arts / Science / Commerce (3-4 years) from well ranked institutions with an overall grade of 70% or CGPA 7.3+.

If the academic requirement of the course is a first:

Professional Bachelor's (at least 4 years) in professional subjects such as Agriculture, Architecture, Business Administration, Business Management, Business Studies, Computer Applications, Engineering, Fine Arts, Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery, Law, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy and Technology or Bachelor of Arts / Science / Commerce (3-4 years) from well ranked institutions with an overall grade of 75% or CGPA 8.0+.

IELTS Academic1 – normally a minimum overall grade of 7.5, usually with 7.0 or above in each element
TOEFL Internet Based Test (IBT) – normally a minimum overall score of 110, with 25 or above in each element
EU students – a high grade in English taken as part of a leaving exam (eg the European/French Baccalaureate, Abitur etc) may be acceptable
Cambridge English: C2 Proficiency – accepted with a minimum overall score of 200, with no element lower than 185.
Cambridge English: C1 Advanced – accepted with a minimum overall score of 193, with no element lower than 185, plus an assessment by the Language Centre. Following assessment the University Language Centre may advise further action from the applicant (eg enrolment at one of the Language Centre courses, or completion of an IELTS test).
Singapore Integrated Programme (SIP) – may be considered an acceptable English language qualification