Letterkunde

The one-year, English-taught master's programme in English Literature and Culture focuses on the interaction between literature and key political and social issues such as identity, migration, memory and the metropolis, but also between literature and the literary tradition, and literature and film. Taught by Leiden University's acclaimed English literature faculty, this programme gives you access to excellent teaching and resources including Leiden University’s unique collection of manuscripts, books, periodicals and electronic media.
Focus on your area of interest
An expansive curriculum spanning the Middle Ages to the present day gives you scope to pursue your personal area of interest. Choose from ‘popular’ culture to the classics; from Beowulf to Chaucer; Milton and Shakespeare to James Joyce and Anglo-American films. Besides reading works from the traditional canons of British and American literature, you can also focus on speculative fiction, the Gothic, and Hollywood film.
Customised education
Design your own curriculum according to your career goals or interests. Concentrate on English-language literature from the 20th and 21st centuries, or on courses related to medieval or early modern literature. Hone your language skills or prepare for the Educational Master. You can also choose to combine English literature courses with Masterlanguage and English linguistics courses.

This German-language master offers an excellent qualification in German literature and culture. As all classes are taught in German, you will greatly improve your fluency in oral and written German. The programme explores topics including prose and poetry, film, politics, cultural memory and identity, gender and intertextuality, migration, religion, and the differences between East and West Germany.
Customise your curriculum
You have the opportunity to design your curriculum according to your career goals or interests. You can choose to concentrate on German literature from the 20th and 21st centuries, or on courses related to medieval and early modern studies. By combining German literature or culture courses with a Masterlanguage course or German linguistics courses, you are also able to tailor your degree to match your interests.
Study at our German partner universities
The programme has been developed in close connection with our German partner universities including the Freie Universität Berlin, the Universität Bremen, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düssseldorf, Universität Leipzig, and Westfälische Wilhelmsuniversität Münster. You may choose to study some courses at these universities.

The master in Literature in Society. Europe and Beyond offers specialised knowledge on the role and impact of literature in society. Novels, poetry, theatre and new literary media from both 'high’ and ‘popular’ culture reflect social issues but also shape them. Your studies thus take a thematic approach to the study of literature, exploring literature from the point of view of political and social issues like identity, migration, memory, and the metropolis.
A transnational perspective
Studying the impact of literature on society involves a series of questions: how does literature affect (or sometimes threaten) ways of life and moral standards? How do literary strategies such as story-telling shape the fields of politics and law? How does literature help shape individual and collective identity and memory? Conversely, society also shapes literature.
This involves questions about the embeddedness of literature in culture and society; about the cultural capital of individual texts, genres and oeuvres: why are certain works and authors classified as classics and others as popular or ‘cult’? Much modern literature in Western Europe stands at the crossroads of European and non-European cultures. A transnational perspective is thus an important part of this Master.
Leiden University is considered a leading centre of expertise in western and non-western languages and cultures.