Crime and Gothic Fictions

You’ll explore the ways crime and Gothic enrich each other, focusing on both equally during the taught element of the MA. We’ll give you the opportunity to specialise for your final dissertation, if desired.

You’ll be taught the histories of the two genres to ensure you have a good grounding, before moving on to consider contemporary and international examples from both genres.

The programme will help strengthen your skills in comparison and criticism across genres, while allowing you to specialise in the genre of your choice.

Full time

Trimester one

• Research: Methods, Resources, Dissemination (30 credits)

• Crime and the Gothic: Pasts and Presents (30 credits)

Trimester two

• International Crime and Gothic (30 credits)

• Crime Stories: From Page to Screen (30 credits)

Trimester three

• Dissertation (60 credits)

Part time

Year one

Trimester one

• Crime and the Gothic: Pasts and Presents (30 credits)

Trimester two

• Crime Stories: From Page to Screen (30 credits)

Trimester three

• Dissertation (30 credits)

Year two

Trimester one

• Research: Methods, Resources, Dissemination (30 credits)

Trimester two

• International Crime and Gothic (30 credits)

Trimester three

• Dissertation (30 credits)

This course includes or offers the following modules. Please check the programme document (below the main image on this page) for more details on which modules are core, required or optional.

• Research: Methods, Resources, Dissemination
• Crime and the Gothic: Pasts and Presents
• International Crime and Gothic
• Crime Stories: From Page to Screen
• Dissertation

Modules are formally assessed primarily by essay, with the exception of the Research Methods module, which includes a bibliographical element.

Informal assessment may take the form of diagnostic essays, presentations and other exercises designed to enhance your research and presentation skills. The Dissertation module includes an assessed research proposal. There are no examinations.

This is a deliberately integrated programme of study; you’ll often work with crime fictions and Gothic texts within the same module. This will develop cross-disciplinary and cross-generic awareness, while still allowing you to specialise in the subjects that interest you most.

Teaching will take place in relatively small seminar groups, and will involve a variety of activities, including tutor-led discussion, small-group activities, individual and group presentations, consideration of non-literary texts, documents and artefacts, and possibly optional field trips to relevant exhibitions, screenings or lectures.

Optional field trips may be organised in association with exhibitions, film screenings, and other events relevant to the programme.

The MA Crime and Gothic Fictions has close links to two central scholarly bodies, which encourage research across and between the two genres:

• Captivating Criminality Network
• International Gothic Association

Placement opportunities may be available during the annual Captivating Criminality Conference, held at Corsham Court, and at International Gothic Association symposia in the UK.

You’ll have the opportunity to join the academic networks associated with your research interests, and these may facilitate further personal development opportunities. For example, you may have the opportunity to act as a student representative, guest-blog or review.

Faculty delivering the programme will make you aware of relevant external links and networks, relating to your work.

Career opportunities for graduates with an MA in Crime and Gothic Fictions include:

• Working in cultural research and education
• Academic and fictional publishing
• Genre-related film, TV, and other media
• Literary journalism
• Dark tourism and the Gothic heritage industry.

We encourage students to present papers at graduate conferences and similar symposia, and to bid for student funding in connection with this activity from scholarly bodies such as the International Gothic Association.

As an MA Crime and Gothic Fictions student, you’ll be taught at Corsham Court campus. You’ll benefit from access to:

• Student facilities at Corsham Court campus
• Corsham Court Library
• Our Virtual Learning Environment.

Library and computing facilities are also available at Newton Park campus.

The MA is excellently supported by online resources including databases, historical documents and study aids. The region also includes many locations associated with the authors, texts and genres featured on the MA.