Interested in postgraduate studies in English?
(For information on postgraduate study with the Linguistics Programme, please visit the Linguistics postgraduate webpage.)
BA Honours and Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (400-Level)
We warmly invite students who have completed a BA degree to consider undertaking an Honours year at Otago or, if they wish to study part-time, to consider a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts over several years. Both qualifications serve as a necessary step to enter the research MA (by thesis only) and consist of two taught papers and a substantial research essay (known as a dissertation) on a topic selected by the candidate.
Download the 400-Level handbook (PDF)
Coursework MA
The Coursework Master of Arts (Coursework MA) programme is designed to provide a multidisciplinary grounding for Humanities students in a range of subjects as preparation for further study or future employment. For the Coursework MA in English, students take at least two honours-level papers in English and at least two interdisciplinary Humanities papers. The programme takes 12 months or three semesters of full-time study to complete. The programme can also be studied part-time.
Find out more about the Coursework Master of Arts programme
Master of Creative Writing
The Master of Creative Writing (MCW) is a year-long, full-time course that enables candidates to engage in a significant piece of original creative writing in the form of fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, or another agreed genre or mix of genres. Study by distance is also possible.
Find out more about the Master of Creative Writing programme
Research MA or PhD
Students who have completed a BA Honours or Postgraduate Diploma in the subject at a satisfactory level (normally A- or above) are welcome to apply for a research MA (by thesis only), and students who currently already hold a research MA are welcome to apply to undertake a PhD. Those who hold a coursework MA that involved a substantial research component, such as a dissertation, may also be eligible for admission to the PhD programme.
Please visit the MA or PhD pages for more details and the application form.
Visit our staff pages as a general guide to staff research areas along with our current postgraduate candidates' profiles and list of past theses topics.
More details about postgraduate study:
English Postgraduate Information Booklet (PDF)
Language requirements for postgraduate study
MA and PhD Scholarships
Otago offers both MA scholarships and PhD scholarships. We also offer annually the University of Otago City of Literature PhD Scholarship. Applications close each year on 31 January.