bachelor thesis literary studies

Writing a Thesis

Writing thesis in literature.

“God Speed” by Edmund Leighton, 1900

Sample Titles of Recent Theses in Literature

“Bilbo comes to the Huts of the Raft-elves” by J.R.R. Tolkien, 1973

What does a thesis do for me?

Thesis writers can be assured that they have been well prepared for graduate study, and can attest to that fact in their applications and interviews. They have also gained skills that will help them in any workplace. The intensive, self-motivated focus on one topic can be (at times) frustrating, overwhelming, and deeply gratifying: the rewards are many, and most students find their love of literature strengthened through their own efforts and dedication, as well as through the opportunity to work one-on-one with faculty scholars. The time and commitment involved in the process of writing a thesis may or may not exceed the credit hours officially accorded, but the rewards are great. This is a serious undertaking and assumes that the thesis candidate is a responsible adult, able to make deadlines and keep to them without external prodding, and ready to become a literary scholar with a mind of her own.

What do I do for my thesis?

“Donna con tavolette cerate e stilo (cosiddetta “Saffo”)/Woman with wax tablets and stylus (so-called “Sappho”)” fresco ca. 50 CE

Fall Semester: Preparatory Work

If they have not done so in the the Spring of the junior year, thesis candidates should consult with faculty prior to Registration Day to determine who would be an appropriate advisor. The thesis will eventually be read and evaluated by three faculty members: the advisor my suggest second and third readers, or may leave the decision to the student. Developing an argument takes time, but candidates should begin with a clear set of interests in mind, and ideally with background reading underway. Students may choose to focus on a particular author or literary text, or to connect several authors and texts through attention to a shared thematic or formal pattern.

Regular Supervision and Deadlines

“Beloved” by Joe Morse, 2015

Spring Semester: 12-Unit Thesis

During the spring semester, the thesis candidate signs up for the 12-unit Thesis and devotes substantial energy to expanding, completing, and revising the work. The student should continue to meet on a regular basis with the advisor, and should also be sharing draft chapters with the second and third readers as soon as possible. The thesis process involves extensive revision as well as writing, and students need to anticipate that as the semester proceeds their readers will have an increasing number of competing demands on their time from other classes: chapters may not be returned with comments and recommendations for revision until some time after being submitted, and thesis writers need to plan accordingly. A complete first draft should be submitted by the end of spring break or the beginning of April, depending on the academic calendar and the advisor’s schedule. This ensures adequate time for commentary and extensive final revision before the official Institute deadline for undergraduate theses (usually at the end of the penultimate week of classes, and listed on the official Academic Calendar).

After Completion

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Mad Tea Party” by Sir John Tenniel, 1865

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Literary Studies

Bachelor's thesis.

Your Bachelor’s thesis is a “proof of competence” where you showcase your skills in your chosen area of Literary Studies. The Bachelor’s thesis allows you to share the competences and knowledge that you have acquired over the three years of your degree programme. Your thesis is linked to a level 3 course and the paper's contents are relevant to one of the Literary Studies specialisations.

BA thesis application

As you write your bachelor’s thesis, your work will be supervised by a member of the Literary Studies teaching team, who will be appointed by the programme coordinator. Please send the 'BA thesis application' in an email to dr. Müge Özoglu at least four weeks before you want to start. You will then be assigned a supervisor who you should contact promptly. Prior to this, you could of course talk to teachers about thesis supervision.

Supervision

Supervisor's expertise.

When you choose your preferred supervisor, you will naturally be guided by your experience of their teaching. However, remember that each member of staff has their own field of expertise. Below is a list of supervisors’ names and key words that describe their area of research.

• Cathelein Aaftink Research interests: Literary, philosophical and empirical Aesthetics; Phenomenology; Literature and Controversy; Short stories; close reading; critical reading and writing; Virginia Woolf.
• Lida Amiri Research interests: Diaspora and Transnational Studies, Translational Research, Twentieth Century, Twenty-first Century.
• Bas van Bommel Research interests: Greek and Roman literature, Bildung, rhetoric, Latin.
• Michela Borzaga Research interests: Critical Theory, Postcolonial Studies, Literature and Memory, Modernism, Cultural Memory, Gender and Literature.
• Frank Brandsma Research interests: Medieval literature, Arthurian literature, fantasy, emotions in literature, narratology.
• Kiene Brillenburg Wurth Research interests: Literature and (new) media, music, aesthetic theory and intermediality in the modern and post-modern age.
• Paul Bijl Research interests: Legal humanities and (human) rights, (post)colonial history, anti- and postcolonial literature, racism, cultural memory and visual culture, as well as, more recently, disability.
• Saskia Bultman Research interests: Literature, Biographies and Life Stories, History of Identities, Nineteenth and Twentieth Century, History of Science, History of Medicine, Gender and Sexuality, Women's History.
• Kári Driscoll Research interests: Animal studies,  Posthumanism, German Literature, Franz Kafka, Literary Translation, Literary Theory, Modernism, Literary (Post)Modernism,  Comparative Literature Studies, Literary Criticism, Environmental Humanities, Contemporary Literature.
• Sophie van den Elzen Research interests: Antislavery and Abolitionism, Cultural History, History of Feminism, Literature and Memory, Literary Theory, Nineteenth and Twentieth Century, Political Activism and Rhetoric, Magazine Studies, Transnationalism.
• Leila Essa Research interests: Comparative Literature Studies, Anglophone Indian Literature, German Literature and Culture, Contemporary Literature, Postcolonial Studies, Literature and Space, Literature and Memory, Literature and (New) Media, Social Justice, Postmigrant Authorship.
• Susanne Ferwerda Research interests: Comparative Literature Studies, Climate Change, Gender and Literature, Feminist Literary Criticism , New Materialism, Postcolonial Studies, Queer Theory, Literary Theory, Modern Dutch Literature, Australia, Contemporary Literature, Migration.
• Tom Hedley Research interests: Literary (Post)Modernism, Attitude towards Science and Mathematics, Literature and Space, German Literature and Culture, Irish Literature, Narratology, Austrian Literature, Mathematical Thinking, Life Writing, Literature and Memory.
• Flore Janssen Research interests: Gender Studies, Political Activism, Archives, Literature in the 19th/20th Century.
• Birgit Kaiser Research interests: Literature and affectivity; baroque aesthetics; singularity; transnational literatures; postcolonial studies; literatures of 19th and 20th century.
• Susanne Knittel Research interests: Memory and trauma; literature and architecture; cultural studies; modernism and the metropolis; disability studies; 20th and 21st century culture.
• Müge Özoglu Research interests: Literary Theory, Comparative Literature Studies, Gender and Sexuality, Queer Theory, Feminist Literary Criticism , Contemporary Literature.
• Jeroen Salman Research interests: Renaissance literature, literature and science, popular culture, children’s literature, book history, digital humanities.
• Merve Tabur Research interests: Environmental Humanities, Climate Change, Middle Eastern Studies, Speculative fiction, Critical Theory, Feminist Theories, Postcolonial Studies.

Handing in your thesis

Once you have completed your thesis, you must submit it in Osiris (and not via an email to your supervisor). Osiris also provides you with evaluation progress as well as your final grade. 

If your supervisor has indicated that your final paper is ready for assessment, proceed as follows:

• You upload your thesis in Osiris Student  > Cases > My cases > Start a new case by using the plus icon in the bottom right corner.  A new window will open. Make sure your pop-up blocker is turned off for the new window to open. Choose Thesis and graduation > HUM: Thesis evaluation
• You upload your thesis in  Blackboard  (to check for plagiarism).

Did you get a pass?

If you have received a satisfactory grade, you will need to upload the final version to Utrecht University's thesis archive. This is mandatory.

• Go to  Osiris Student  > Cases
• Choose  Archive & publish thesis - Follow-up Case
• Archive your thesis

Bachelor theses are not published by default.

Forms and procedures Bachelor's thesis

Your Bachelor's thesis will be assessed following specific evaluation procedures. You can prepare for this by reading the following documents and explanations prior to starting your thesis.

All Bachelor's theses are assessed by two lecturers. If your supervisor is one of the lecturers teaching in the Bachelor's programme, then this person will also be the first assessor (or the 'examiner'). Theses are assessed using an assessment form . If there is a large difference of opinion between the first and second assessors, a third assessor may be engaged, who will always work with a separate  assessment form .

Fraud and plagiarism

We take all forms of academic deception very seriously and expect all students to observe the ethical standards of proper academic conduct. When you start writing your thesis, you must submit the Plagiarism awareness declaration form as an acknowledgement that you have read the University's regulations regarding  fraud and plagiarism . Lecturers or supervisors will report any suspected cases of fraud or plagiarism to the Board of Examiners. 

Do you use participants for your research?

In case you are doing research that involves interviewing people, submitting questionnaires or involving people in any other way, you are probably doing human-subject related research . If so, please review the  checklist  and discuss it with your supervisor. The checklist contains information on privacy, ethics and data management.

Thesis Archive

Once your thesis has been completed and approved, you will need to upload the final version in our thesis archive via Osiris > Cases. Choose  Archive & publish thesis - Follow-up Case and Archive your thesis.

Follow Utrecht University

Department of English Language and Literature

B.A. Thesis

Bc thesis: language proficiency and cultural studies.

The thesis must be written in English and must contain a brief summary in Czech.

It must have an introduction, a theoretical part, the main body and a conclusion. The introduction must state the aims of the thesis, a basic hypothesis and expected results. The brief theoretical part should put forward relevant ideas found through study of theoretical literature published on the subject. The main body of the thesis should be a presentation, analysis and discussion of facts and opinions published in newspapers, journals, opinion polls, on the Internet, etc. In addition, it is recommended that the author should conduct a brief survey of opinions of students, learners of English, citizens in general, etc. on the basis of self-created questionnaires. The thesis must have a conclusion stating whether the hypothesis has been confirmed, and what results have been obtained and how.

The overall form should be a long academic essay that should follow the principles learned in the Academic Writing classes that are part of the department’s curriculum.

It should have a minimum of 40 standard pages (72 000 symbols) and a list of cited sources (using the MLA citation rules) and excluding appendices.

Any attempt at plagiarizing will disqualify the thesis and will lead to its non-acceptance.

The thesis is submitted only electronically unless the supervisor or the opponent request a printed copy.

Students are strongly encouraged to come up with their own ideas for the thesis’ topic. Sample topics:

• Choose an area of culture in which you think Czech and British society differs significantly, and discuss the difference.
• In what ways is the English language changing the world?
• How have newer communication technologies (the Internet, cellular phones, ICQ, etc.) influenced communication and language?
• What, and how, do people read in the 21st century?
• The impact of English on today’s Czech.

Bc Thesis: Literary Studies

The Literary Studies Bachelor’s thesis should focus on an interpretation of one, or at the most two novels or plays (if the candidate wishes to choose short fiction or poetry, the chosen work or works is/are to be discussed with the supervisor).

The thesis must be written in English and must contain a brief summary in Czech. It must have an introduction, a theoretical part, the main body and a conclusion.

The introduction must state the aims of the thesis. A brief theoretical part should put forward relevant ideas found through the study of theoretical literature published on the subject. It should also give a brief outline of the context in which the text under discussion was produced. Autobiographical data should be mentioned only where relevant for the interpretation. The main body of the thesis should be a critical analysis and therefore, a retelling of the plot of the novel or play should be given only if relevant to the interpretation under question.

The overall form should be a long academic essay that should follow the principles learned in the Academic Writing classes and British and American Literature classes that are part of the department’s curriculum.

• Using two novels by two different writers (Orwell, Burgess, McEwan, Martin Amis and others) analyze and discuss the development of dystopia as a theme in post-WWII British literature.
• Analyze and discuss the narrative techniques and strategies in one or two novels by a contemporary British author (Rushdie, Ishiguro, McEwan, Martin Amis, Barnes, Byatt, Swift, Winterson, Smith)
• Discuss the quest for identity in one or two novels by a contemporary British hyphenated writer (Naipaul, Kureishi, Smith, Ali, Caryl Phillips, Syal, Howard Jacobson, Alderman and others.)
• Taboo topics in Kate Chopin’s short stories.
• Crime and punishment in Native Son by Richard Wright.

Bc Thesis: Translation

Translation and stylistic analysis  Part 1: The student translates 15 – 30 standard pages of short fiction, poetry, drama or philosophy written by one author. The text should not span more than one genre and must be written in complex and idiomatic English, ideally with direct speech and dialect. The output format is a side-by-side English-Czech translation. The source text must be an original English piece of writing which has not been officially translated into Czech by the time the topic is assigned (according to generally available information), or which has been translated by the author of the prospective BA thesis himself/herself.

Part 2: Approx. 10 – 25 standard pages will be devoted to a stylistic analysis of the text and/or authorial comment which rests primarily on the theoretical framework (see Theory) and which clarifies or justifies e.g. the choice of language register (possibly colloquial), the Czech idiom used in the target translation, etc.

A juxtaposition of two or more Czech translations Alternatively, students might also choose to write a thesis which seeks to compare and contrast two or more Czech translations of a book written in English. The juxtaposed translations should have been published at least 15 years apart (see the last sample topic) so that the thesis might also explore the shift in Czech vernacular and other cultural considerations. The thesis must not exceed 35 standard pages, excluding bibliography. Direct quotes from the English original and Czech translations should constitute less than 20 per cent of the text.

Students are strongly encouraged to come up with their own ideas for the thesis’ topic.

The thesis needs a brief theoretical framework. This will draw primarily (though not exclusively) on the following publications: Levý, J. (1958): Úvod do teorie překladu, Praha, Panorama. Mounin, G. (1992): Teoretické problémy překladu, Praha, Karolinum – nakladatelství UK Sample topics:

• The translation and stylistic analysis of Nicola Keegan’s Swimming (one chapter).
• Exploring the contrast between the highly intellectualised inner monologue and raw vernacular found in Oxherding Tale by Charles Johnson – a translation and stylistic analysis of one chapter.
• Nuances and ambiguities in Alasdair Gray’s short stories – a translation and stylistic analysis.
• Two Czech translations of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando – a juxtaposition.

Bc. Thesis: English Linguistics

This thesis should have a minimum of 40 standard pages (72 000 symbols), including the title page, table of contents, key words, abstract, introduction, conclusion, footnotes/endnotes, reference to primary and secondary sources, a Czech summary, etc. It should embody original research carried out by the author (with reasonable guidance provided by the supervisor) and should be based on careful scrutiny of authentic data. It must be stressed that compilations of various secondary sources alone do not constitute the thesis and will not be accepted. The results of the original research should be adequately presented and thoroughly interpreted, and, most importantly, convincing conclusions should be drawn from the research.

The thesis will be written in English. Its formulation should be clear, succinct and coherent, adhering to all conventions common in academic writing (for this thesis – the MLA citation style will be used).

• Nuances of Implicational Fall-Rise
• The Role of Phonetico-Morphological Patterns of Selected Acronyms
• Qualifying genitive in contemporary English
• Indefinite Specific Subjects in English Texts

Note: Second-year students are encouraged to come up with their own proposals for their Bc. theses in all the disciplines taught at the Department (Modern English, Cultural Studies, Linguistic disciplines, British and American literature and Translation). Individual students can contact the teachers of the subjects of their proposed theses in order to consult the feasibility of their topics.

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Bachelor of Arts in Literature

Students who complete the major in Literature receive a thorough grounding in literary ideas and methods, competence in particular national literatures, as well as the ability to work across literatures and languages. By engaging literary texts appropriate to one of the country’s most diverse campuses, this major teaches both specialized knowledge and the skills to deepen and broaden knowledge of literature that is new or unfamiliar.

Careers in Literature

Graduates with a degree in literature enjoy careers in journalism, advertising or public relations, publishing, editing, grant writing, translating, teaching or working for a nonprofit business organization. Others continue to graduate school or law school. Students may also be certified to teach high school or middle school through the UT Dallas Teacher Development Center.

The University’s Career Center is an important resource for students pursuing postgraduate employment. Licensed counselors are available to provide strategies for mastering job interviews, writing professional cover letters and resumes and connecting with campus recruiters, among other services.

Literature at UT Dallas

The ideal graduate of the UT Dallas Literature program will be able to approach an English-language text from anywhere in the world with a set of intelligent questions and the capacity to produce equally intelligent answers to interpretative problems. By selecting a variety of courses from a variety of headings, students are able to combine courses in criticism and interpretation, in writing and translation, and in English and foreign languages. Students must successfully complete 120 hours to graduate, with 42 hours from the University’s core curriculum and 45 in the major.

To major in literature, it may be helpful to complete four units of language arts, including at least one unit of writing skills and three units of a single foreign language. Students may also want to take one or more Advanced Placement (AP) English courses in high school. Classes in creative writing may offer further preparation for a successful academic career in literary studies.

Marketable Skills

Review the marketable skills for this academic program.

About the Bass School

The  Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology is a community of scholars, artists, and creative practitioners defined by their creativity, critical thinking, communication, and cross-cultural understanding. The Bass School cultivates skills in critical study and creative practice and fosters an incubative environment for the generation of new knowledge and new technological experiences.

Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Arts:   History *,  Latin American studies *,  literature *,  philosophy ,  visual and performing arts *

Master of Arts:   Art history ,  history ,  history of ideas ,  humanities ,  Latin American studies ,  literature ,  visual and performing arts

Doctor of Philosophy   History of ideas ,  humanities ,  literature ,  visual and performing arts

Minors Offered

If your academic focus leads you elsewhere at UT Dallas, but you would still like to pursue studies in the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology, the following minors are available:

• Art history
• Asian studies
• Communication
• Creative writing
• Film Studies
• Latin American studies
• Medical and scientific humanities
• Performing arts
• Visual arts

Honors Thesis and Fast Track

The Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology honors thesis offers the opportunity for advanced creative and scholarly work and recognition. To earn Bass School honors, students must graduate with:

• A minimum of 30 graded, upper-division semester credit hours at UT Dallas.
• A GPA of 3.67 in a student’s major.
• The completion of an honors thesis or project evaluated by two faculty members with a grade of at least B+.

* Exceptionally well-qualified undergraduates who meet the requirements for admission to graduate school should consider the Fast Track program, which allows them to begin work on a master’s degree before graduation. Qualified seniors may take up to 12 credit hours of approved graduate courses during their senior year, which will apply to their undergraduate degree plans. For more information regarding Fast Track, contact an undergraduate academic advisor .

Additional Facts

Several faculty members have been awarded prestigious fellowships, including those from the Guggenheim, Fulbright, Alexander S. Onassis and Woodrow Wilson foundations. Others are recipients of the Füst Literary Award, as well as awards from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The school’s centers further enhance students’ educational experience by bringing the concept of globalism to campus, by bringing world events into focus through research and by encouraging innovation and creativity.

The National Science Foundation recently awarded a major grant to the school’s Center for Values in Medicine, Science and Technology to study the mentoring and education that occurs in science laboratories.

Contact Information

Office of Admission and Enrollment 800 West Campbell Road, JO31 Richardson, TX 75080-3021 Phone: 972-883-2270 or 1-800-889-2443 E-mail:  [email protected] Website:  utdallas.edu/enroll

Advising Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology 800 West Campbell Road, ATC 10 Richardson, TX 75080-3021 Phone: 972-883-4376 Contact an advisor Website:  aht.utdallas.edu

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Sample Topics

Literature and Culture: Great Britain (Prof. Feldmann)

Topics for Bachelor and Master theses

1. the following is a list of titles chosen for bachelor or master theses. it is meant as a guideline for finding a suitable topic of your own:.

Beeton’s Book of Household Management as Self-Help Manual for the Victorian Housewife

Blurring Identity Boundaries: The Liminality of Gender and Race in Jackie Kay’s Trumpet and Why Don’t You Stop Talking

Lost in Austen as a Post-Modern Re-Creation of Pride and Prejudice

Commercial Aesthetics: Representations the Female Body in Victorian Advertisements

Domestic Spaces in Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) and Stoker’s Dracula (1897)

Transcending the Eyes: Marginalised Discourses of Perception in Mayhew’s London Labour and the London Poor

The Representation and Function of the Female Body and Motherhood in Richard III

Negotiating ‘Irishness’ in Transnational Spaces between an (Imagined) Homeland and the Diaspora

Negotiating Identity in Brontë’s Wuthering Heights and its 1992 Film Adaptation

Travelling the Slum: Voyeurism and the Sensational in Mayhew’s London Labour and the London Poor

Gothic Fiction and Representations of Science: Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde  and H.G. Wells’  The Time Machine

‘A brave man’s blood is the best thing on this earth when a woman is in trouble’: Types of Masculinity in Bram Stoker’s Dracula

‘Uneasy Lies the Head that Wears a Crown’: Zur Darstellung englischer Königinnen in zeitgenössischen Spielfilmen

Chick Lit zwischen Tradition und Innovation – ein Vergleich von Erzählerinnen, Protagonistinnen und Milieus am Beispiel von Helen Fielding und Janet Evanovich

‘Tedious virtue, fascinating evil’? Forms and Functions of the Villain in Gothic Melodrama

Detecting the Neo-Victorian: The Detective as an Element in the Intertextuality in Victorian and Neo-Victorian Crime Writing

Kulturelle Differenzen und Identitäten in zeitgenössischer britischer Literatur und Film

Konstruktionen städtischer Armut in der 2. Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts

Neue Helden braucht das Land? Zur Darstellung von Arbeiterklasse und Männlichkeit im Kontext der Neuformulierung eines Mythos im Britischen Film der 1990er Jahre

Konzepte der Liebe in William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew und in filmischen Adaptionen

2. Here are some additional fields you might want to consider when choosing a topic:

Popular culture and popular myths

Popular cultural practices, such as tourism

Forms of canonization and popularization

The ‘cultural work’ of texts and their ideological functions

The intersections of categories of difference (e.g. gender, class, ethnicity, religion, age…)

The interplay of discourses in texts (e.g. scientific, economic, political…)

Discourses of gender and sexuality

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The Library may have different opening hours on 18, 19 and 20 May. See uva.nl/studyspace External link for up-to-date information.

Thesis and graduation project

• Key competences of academic writing As a student you often have to write texts. Academic writing is a skill you will develop during the course of your studies.
• Help to find academic literature and research data To do research and write texts, you will need academic literature and/or research data. Where and how will you find good and relevant sources?
• Help with academic writing If you want help or advice to improve your academic writing skills, the UvA offers free options to do so in both English and Dutch.
• Help with methods and statistics Here we explain where you can find help when you have questions about methodology and statistics. We also list sources where you can find answers to frequently asked questions.
• Guided study sessions
• Creating a study plan
• Reading effectively
• Plagiarism and fraud

How do I make a simple literature analysis in a bachelor's or master's thesis?

A literature analysis for the bachelor’s or master’s thesis is the systematic research, acquisition and examination of scientific texts and reliable publications including papers in regard to the specific questions of the topic.

A literature analysis is the systematic research, procurement and analysis of scientific literature including papers and their contents with regard to specific issues.

The result is a well-structured and detailed collection and overview of answers to the leading question of the thesis in the form of relevant data, arguments and descriptions of the topic.

What is the purpose of a literature analysis or review?

The purpose is to understand and describe the current state of research as precisely as possible in order to discover the research gap, the research question and the detailed questions. Therefore, both the procedure and the results must be documented accurately. This is the only way the discovery of the gap and questions  can be understood.

What are the advantages of a literature analysis compared to other methods?

This question is irrelevant because you have to complete this evaluation for your thesis in any case. There's no way around it. Without the evaluation of sources, the building material (base) for the text is ultimately missing... But let's look at what would happen if this was the only method used and no further empirical analysis was done. These are the advantages:

• No dependence on others
• Plenty of sources
• Close orientation to literature
• Easy to plan if the sources are available
• Ability to write quickly
• Less effort
• No wasted time waiting for data
• Fewer risks and therefore fewer surprises.

What are the disadvantages of a simple literature analysis?

The disadvantages are:

• You can spend forever searching and reading
• Danger of getting lost in literature
• Methodology is difficult to grasp because it is mainly mental operations that often have strange names.
• Without adequate preparation (leading question, detailed questions, formulation of objectives in the proposal and then in the introduction) you don't know exactly when you will be finished. This puts the whole project in danger.

Under what conditions can I do a simple literature analysis?

• You need a clear guiding question.
• You must find many good and abundant sources.
• The sources must contain the information and arguments for the answers.

BUT: sometimes you must do a simple literature evaluation because you cannot or may not do empiricism.

Which mistakes must I avoid and how?

• Under no circumstances should you read for weeks. Reading without aim only confuses you.
• You must always take notes, otherwise you will not find anything.
• You should not start without a framework of questions with guiding questions and detailed questions.
• It is essential that you first define the terms related to the topic to make your way to the work’s goal.
• Only reputable and productive sources are suitable.
• Avoid plagiarism otherwise it was all for nothing. To do this, follow these simple rules.

Which tools can I use?

• Questions are your most important tools.
• A guide to evaluating sources is very important.
• You need a procedure for researching sources.

Examples will help you find answers to your questions with the help of literature. You can find all the tools in the Aristolo Thesis Guide.

What's the best place to start?

Start with the research question, the goal and the detailed questions. Then deal with the terms. Proceed as follows:

• Clarify your terms with the help of sources. Write out the definitions with references to the source.
• Search for models in scientific sources such as reference books and studies.
• Find other good sources with relevant content.
• Look for the answers to your detailed questions in the literature. If you find some, the question is acceptable, if not, then revise it.
• Work through your entire question list.

How does the Aristolo Thesis Guide help you with a literature analysis for the Bachelor’s or Master’s Thesis?

The Thesis Guide provides approaches to simple literature evaluations so you can learn how to formulate questions, find the appropriate sources and analyze them to create your own thesis.

Good luck writing your text! Silvio and the Aristolo Team

PS: Check out the Thesis-ABC and the Thesis Guide for writing a bachelor or master thesis in 31 days.

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Master’s degree in literary studies

Our MA programme in literary studies enables interdisciplinary engagement with literature in the context of other semiotic practices and media. It is aimed at graduates of BA programmes in literary studies as well as BA programmes in media studies and cultural studies with a focus on literary studies who are interested in the processes that produce, change, or disrupt meaning, in the forms that become manifest or take place in literature and other forms and media of representation. Students are also welcome to apply to this degree programme in literary studies if they have completed a degree in media studies, cultural studies, or other disciplines in the humanities (without a focus on literature) (Admission requirements). 

further information on the programme

Get more information here News for Early Stage Researchers

The master’s degree programme

The master’s degree programme in literary studies at the University of Erfurt

• approaches European and American literature and cultures from perspectives of literary theory, comparative literature, poetology, cultural studies, and media studies
• has a transphilological orientation and supports interdisciplinary exchange with other fields of study, such as media studies, religious studies, cultural anthropology, history, philosophy, and linguistics
• offers intensive and personal mentoring and promotes the development of individual research interests in colloquia, workshops, and supervised self-study units
• is oriented toward research and theory
• offers the opportunity to prepare for a subsequent doctoral programme

Module examinations and self-study units

Information on the module commissioners, certificates for module examinations, and self-study units

Application for recognition of credits for a module

Supplementary application for self-study unit

Application

Application for the summer semester from 1 October to 15 January and for the winter semester from 1 April to 15 July.

Additional information

Areas of focus

The areas of focus include 

• foundations of literary studies and literary theory
• theories of text and genre
• theories of language and semiotics
• poetics and rhetoric
• aesthetics 
• motif research
• translation theories
• deconstruction and poststructuralism
• feminist literary studies and gender studies 
• media theories and cultural techniques 
• postcolonialism and alterity studies

Professional fields

• research and activities at universities and other research institutions
• cultural work and activities
• public relations

Study regulations

Study regulations for the master’s degree in literary studies PO2011

Study regulations for the master’s degree in literary studies PO2020

Introductory guide to the MA degree programme

Flyer for the MA degree programme

Module Catalogue_PO2011

Module Catalogue PO2020

Registering an MA thesis

Instructions for registering an MA thesis

Program coordinator

Student advisor.

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Department of English and American Studies

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Suggested topic areas for Diploma theses

(These are areas offered by the individual teachers. You can also approach most teachers with your own suggestions.)

Nikola Fořtová, B.A., M.A.

• E-learning, m-learning: application of new technologies in teaching

prof. Milada Franková, CSc., M.A.

• Medieval English Literature
• Contemporary British Literature
• British cultural studies

Stephen Paul Hardy, B.A., P.G.C.E, M.A., Ph.D.

• British & Irish 17th, 19th, & 20th Century Literature (all genres)
• British Poetry (1558–2012) and North American 20th Century Poetry
• British Cultural History (20,000 B.C.–2012)
• British Film/TV/Media or any aspect of 20th C British Cultural Studies and North American Film and Popular Music

Mgr. Martina Horáková, Ph.D.

• Australian literature and cultural studies
• Contemporary American literature
• Ethnic minority literatures in North America and Australia
• Indigenous literatures

doc. PhDr. Jana Chamonikolasová, Ph.D.

Prof. Jan Chovanec, Ph.D.

• Methodology: Discourse analysis, pragmatics, critical discourse analysis, stylistics, sociolinguistics
• Areas: Language in the media, language and law, language and society
• Topics: Representation of social groups, interaction and interactivity,discourse coherence in spoken and written language, discourse patterns in media communication, modern genres of English, diachronic genre analysis (historical pragmatics)

doc. Mgr. Tomáš Kačer, Ph.D.

• Modern and contemporary British drama and theatre (plays, playwrights, performance analyses; history/theory)
• American drama and theatre (plays, playwrights, performance analyses; history/theory)
• British theatres and theatre festivals
• Other forms of performance and culture

PhDr. Simona Kalová, Ph.D.

• Practical aspects of teaching and learning
• Educational assessment and evaluation

Mgr. Renata Kamenická, Ph.D.

• Empirical translation studies of contemporary translation practices
• Translator’s style; style in/of translation
• Psycho-cognitive aspects of/in translation
• Individual vs. shared discursive strategies in translation
• Translations vs. non-translations; translation-specific tendencies
• Translation practice/theory interface (in both directions)
• Intralingual translation

doc. Michael Kaylor, M.A., PhD

• Romantic and Victorian poetry
• The Modernist novel in Britain and Ireland
• English Decadence
• The Bloomsbury Group
• Walt Whitman
• Theory of Biography
• Gay Studies, homoeroticism in the Arts
• Literary canonicity

Mgr. Filip Krajník, Ph.D.

• William Shakespeare/Early-Modern English Drama (BA/MA)
• Late Mediaeval English Literature (BA only)
• Literary Representations of Sleeping and Dreaming (BA/MA)
• Philip K. Dick (BA/MA)
• Literary Translation (BA/MA)

doc. PhDr. Naděžda Kudrnáčová, CSc.

• Syntax-semantics interface

James Little, Ph.D.

• Irish studies
• Theatre studies
• Samuel Beckett studies
• The literature of coercive confinement

Mgr. Linda Nepivodová, Ph.D.

• Language Testing
• Error Correction
• Second Language Acquisition

Mgr. Jana Pelclová, Ph.D.

• Stylistic analysis - analysis or comparison of the register of advertising, e_communication, F2F conversation, narrative stylistics (BA)
• Discourse of advertising - linguistic analysis of selected topics (e.g. figures of speech, spokenness vs. writtenness, pragmatic principles, humour, word-picture contextualisation, etc.) (MA)
• Topics in Pragmatics - analysis of authentic conversation, fictional conversation, pragmatic aspects in the discourse of advertising, etc. (MA)
• Discourse analysis - selected topics in the discourse of children's literature, advertising, CMC, politics, etc. (MA)

doc. Tomáš Pospíšil, Ph.D.

• Canadian film and TV
• American film and TV
• Cinematic representation of American minorities; films by minority filmmakers
• American literature
• American history and/or culture
• American cultural studies

Ing. et Mgr. Jiří Rambousek, Ph.D.

• History and bibliography of Czech translations from English
• Reflection of older translations in contemporary Czech periodicals
• Selected contrastive aspects of English and Czech as reflected in translation
• Cognitive views of translation and the translator
• Personalities of the early history of the Department of English and American Studies

Mgr. Jitka Sedláčková, Ph.D.

• Second Lanuage Acquisition
• Individual Learning Differences in Second Language Learning
• Students with Specific Needs and EFL
• Reading Skills and Reading Strategies in EFL

Jeff Smith, M.F.A, Ph.D.

• Literatures and cultures of the United States
• Popular arts, culture and media
• Relationship of politics to literature and the arts
• Historical development of US cultures and politics

PhDr. Don Sparling, B.A.

• Canadian literature (all genres, with a special interest in historical fiction and drama)
• Multiculturalism in Canada, interculturalism in Quebec
• The French-English relationship in Canada (all aspects - historical, social, cultural, educational [e.g. immersion schooling], etc.)
• Canadian culture (all aspects except film, where doc. Pospíšil is your man)
• Contemporary issues relating to the indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit, Métis)
• Depending on the topic, other areas that you might have a particular interest in

PhDr. Kateřina Tomková, Ph.D.

• Accents of English and their perceptions
• Oral presentation, rhetorics and elocution
• Common pronunciation mistakes and theire radication
• Statistical procession of most common pronunciation errors
• Articulatory settings in E and CZ
• The use of authentic material such as sitcoms and films in teaching oneself better speaking skills
• Musical aptitude correlating with FL acquisition

Jeffrey A. Vanderziel, B.A.

• History, culture, representation and/or literature of indigenous peoples in North America
• History and/or culture of minorities in North America
• LGBTQ history, culture, literature

PhDr. Jitka Vlčková, Dr.

• Australians in different historical periods (BA)
• Indigenous and other minorities in Australia - history and/or cutlture (BA)
• Australian cultural studies (BA/MA)
• Registers in English. Australian English. Aboriginal English. Intercultural communication (MA)
• Gender roles, language, media, communication, legislation, minorities, mainstream cultures; issues of discrimination and/or racism (MA)

Mgr. Olga Zörnerová

• marketing transcreation
• localisation and related topics (MT, MTPE, style guides, terminology, working with agencies and LSPs)
• video game localisation

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