About the degree programme

As the first UNESCO World City of Literature, and a major cultural hub, Edinburgh is the ideal place for the comparative study of literature and the relationship of literature to other art forms.

Our one-year taught masters programme draws on world-class teaching and research expertise across literatures, languages and cultures, from Scotland to Asia, Scandinavia to the Middle East. It can also be completed part-time over two years.

Bringing together an international community of learners, we live comparative literature in the classroom, where you’ll sharpen your critical, analytical and methodological skills, and explore a range of literary works from different linguistic and cultural systems.

You’ll also be encouraged to develop your own area of interest and expertise, with specially-designed option courses offering a detailed focus on:

  • literary themes and genres
  • historical periods
  • critical theory and translation
  • the relationship of the written word to other arts, such as photography, painting, film and digital media

This leads to a final dissertation, pursuing your research interests further and developing your research skills.

Why Edinburgh

Based in a world-leading festival city, our MSc draws on the expertise of research-active teaching staff from across the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC). Literature has been taught here for over 250 years, and we offer one of the widest variety of languages of any UK university.

You’ll be part of a friendly, international community of staff and students from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, each with their own perspective on literature and the arts, with lots of opportunities to discuss and present your work. LLC has excellent links with other Schools in the University of Edinburgh, as well as cultural partners in the city.

Through a blend of core and optional courses, training in research skills, methods and problems, and a dissertation, you will gain an understanding of the practice and context of Comparative Literature, and develop your independent research skills to publication standard. Many of our graduates have gone on to complete PhDs.

You’ll have access to a wide range of outstanding resources, including our University Library, the National Library of Scotland, Scottish Poetry Library, and numerous theatres and cinemas, such as the Traverse Theatre, National Galleries of Scotland, and Cameo Picturehouse.

Study options

There are two study options for this programme, both starting in September of the academic year.

Full time

If you take the full-time study option, you will complete the programme in one academic year. 

You will take two core courses in Semester 1 (September to December), and two core courses in Semester 2 (January to April). Each semester, you will also choose an optional course from a range. 

You will submit your dissertation (15,000 words) around 12 weeks after Semester 2 ends. 

Part time

If you take the part-time study option, you will complete the programme in two academic years. 

In your first year, you will take two core courses in Semester 1 and two core courses in Semester 2. 

In your second year, you will choose two optional courses (one in Semester 1 and one in Semester 2) and submit your dissertation (15,000 words).

What's the best type of masters programme for you?

Programme rankings

  • 3rd in the UK for English Language and Literature
  • 3rd in the UK for Modern Languages
  • 3rd in the UK in the broad subject area of Arts and Humanities

Rankings from QS World Rankings by Subject 2025

Programme benefits

  • Study at the heart of the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature
  • Explore the comparative study of literature and its relationship to other art forms
  • Combine a mix of core and optional courses with a final project based on your own interests
  • Gain a thorough understanding of comparative literature as a subject and practice, as well as transferable skills such as critical thinking, analytical ability and communication
  • Delve into fantastic libraries and collections
  • Join a supportive postgraduate and research community

Learning about the interplay between various cultures and the literatures that they produce in a melting pot like Edinburgh has been one of my favourite parts of the MSc in Comparative Literature. The incredible staff and community of international students made me feel at home right from the very beginning, and I could not have made a better choice for my higher education!

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Full-time
Part-time

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Deposit

You do not have to pay a deposit to secure your place on this programme.

Costs

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that you might spend £1,167 to £2,330 per month if you are a single student.

Living costs include:

  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel, clothes, books and stationery
  • recreational costs (for example, TV subscriptions and social events)

Living costs

Accommodation costs depend on where you live while studying and the type of accommodation you choose.

University postgraduate accommodation options and costs

Funding opportunities

These entry requirements are for the 2026-27 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2027-28 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2026.

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a relevant subject.

International qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 8 with at least 7 in each component.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 155 with at least 145 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Trinity ISE
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

What you will study

You can take the MSc in Comparative Literature over one year (full-time) or two years (part-time).

Over the duration of the programme, you’ll take 4 core courses and 2 optional courses. Each course is worth 20 credits.

Dissertation

The final element of the programme is your dissertation, a piece of independent research - 15,000 words (worth 60 credits) - written with the advice and support of a designated supervisor.

Compulsory courses

The core courses introduce you to Comparative Literature as a discipline and practice, and to relevant theories and methods in literature and cultural studies. They will also help you develop your research skills, moving from general research methods to specific research problems, preparing you for your dissertation.

Our core courses typically include:

  • Research Skills and Methods
  • Research Methods and Problems in English Literature
  • Theories and Methods of Literary Study 1
  • Theories and Methods of Literary Study 2

Option courses

We make recommendations for optional courses based on their comparative element, but there are a broad range of subjects to choose from every year. Typically they include (but are not limited to):

  • Fantastic Fiction
  • World Literature
  • Literature and Photography in the 20th century
  • Global Shakespeare across Media: Performance, Cinema, Digital Cultures
  • Film, Literature, and Race
  • Writing in/as Translation
  • Postcolonial writing

Find courses for this programme

Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed.

The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme.

Full-time
Part-time

We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

For our two core courses, Theories and Methods of Literary Study I and II, teaching is delivered through a combination of weekly 1-hour lectures and 90-minute tutorials. 

Each lecture introduces a weekly topic alongside a short literary or artistic piece, and poses key questions to guide further discussion. In tutorials, you will engage with these questions in depth, exploring both the theoretical concepts and the literary/artistic material under the guidance of a tutor.

Additionally, you will be participating in small, pre-assigned group discussions - referred to as Autonomous Learning Groups (ALGs) - outside the classroom. You and your classmates will organise to meet, ideally before tutorials, to prepare for class discussions.

Assessment

For the core courses, assessment is based on a final 4,000-word essay, typically submitted two weeks after the end of semester. Essay questions are normally released earlier in the semester to give you time to prepare for your final essay.

To receive extra feedback ahead of the final submission, you will also have the chance to submit a 1,000-word essay plan around mid-term (week 6 or 7).

You will also continuously be assessed through participation in Autonomous Learning Groups (ALGs) and in-class discussions. Tutors may also incorporate additional activities such as group presentations during tutorials.

Beyond the classroom, you are encouraged to make the most of your time at Edinburgh and engage in cohort-wide events such as guest talks, symposia or conferences, and visits to libraries or museums.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the programme you will have gained:

  • a thorough understanding of comparative literature, as a subject and as a practice
  • knowledge of a number of literary theories and different approaches to literary study, and the ability to use them for literary analysis
  • the ability to focus in detail on literary themes, genres and historical periods from a comparative perspective
  • transferable skills such as critical thinking, analytical and interpretative ability, communication and writing skills

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.  

How we support you

Where you will study

Academic facilities

The Main University Library holds academic books, journals and databases.

Its Centre for Research Collections brings together:

  • more than 400,000 rare books
  • six kilometres of archives and manuscripts
  • thousands of works of art, historical musical instruments and other objects

Many of our Special Collections are digitised and available online from our excellent Resource Centre and Computing Labs in LLC.

Career opportunities

This interdisciplinary programme in Comparative Literature will give you the skills and experience to develop your independent research interests in a broad range of fields.

The discipline and confidence you’ll develop from a range of activities - from evaluating, comparing and analysing texts, to writing and speaking about your work - are invaluable in a range of professional roles.

Additionally, a postgraduate degree in the subject area of languages, countries and cultures demonstrates an advanced level of what employers call intercultural competence - an openness to ideas and perspectives other than your own, an essential attribute in many careers and a global marketplace.

You may decide to concentrate on an academic career, or apply your learning in industry. Our programme is a an excellent primer for a range of careers within the private, public, not-for-profit, and for-benefit sectors.

Previous graduates have gone on to work in:

  • communications, marketing, advertising and public relations
  • education and teaching
  • journalism, broadcasting and media
  • leisure, tourism and travel
  • publishing, culture, heritage and the arts
  • research and academia
  • translating and interpreting

At Edinburgh I learned to properly discuss literature. Before that, even during my first degree, my relationship to books was quite a solitary one, just reading alone and writing essays. Whereas in Edinburgh it was all about small group discussions. This taught me a lot about arguing but also questioning, looking critically both at fiction as well as literary theory and criticism. All this made me into a much more careful and independent reader.

Further study

After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.

Applying for research degrees

Moving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service)

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

How to apply

You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.

If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 5 applications from the same applicant.

When to apply

Programme start date Application deadline
14 September 2026 30 July 2026

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible so that we have enough time to process your application. This is particularly important if you are also applying for funding or will require a visa. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand.

For an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the application deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including your transcripts.

If you already have evidence that you meet the English language entry requirements, such as via an approved English language test, please upload this evidence at the time of your application. If you have not already met your English language requirements, we will still review your application and issue a decision providing it is otherwise complete.

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

As part of your online application, you will need to provide: 

You will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

References

You do not need to provide a reference when you submit your application for this programme.

There may be certain circumstances when a reference will be required, for example if we need to verify work experience. If that is the case, we will contact you after we have reviewed your application to request a reference.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

What our students say

Living in Edinburgh has been a truly enriching experience: not only because of the city’s historical and aesthetic importance, cultural events, and proximity to nature, but specifically due to the traces of Scotland’s great writers and literary heritage you can find around every corner in monuments, landmarks, museums, libraries, archives, bookshops, and literary festivals.

Julia, who provided us with this quote about her experience of living and studying in Edinburgh, is originally from Germany. While studying with us, she was the Postgraduate Taught School Representative for the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC). 

Together with Programme Representatives, Postgraduate Representatives are your voice in the university - sharing your feedback to continually improve the student experience for everyone. Their roles are voluntary, and supported by the Edinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA).

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:

  • apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programme
  • accept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 July
  • study at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in September

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

We also offer accommodation options for couples and families.

Accommodation for couples and families

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sport Clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Studying in Edinburgh, you will be based in a world-leading festival city with fantastic libraries, cinemas, theatres, galleries, museums, and other collections.

Many of the city’s resources are located close to the University's Central Area, making them very easy to access when you are on campus. For example, both the National Museum and National Library of Scotland are less than one kilometre from our School. The latter is particularly strong in French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish material.

We have excellent links with Edinburgh’s European institutions, including the Institut français, Istituto Italiano di Cultura Edimburgo and the Consulado General de España en Edimburgo, as well as the organisers of the International, Fringe, Book and Film Festivals.

Find out more about living and studying in Edinburgh

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include: 

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustments

Health and wellbeing support services 

Disability and Learning Support