Have you ever thought about getting your MA by studying literature? Allow our ambassador from Brazil, Jade Caminha Carvalho Cestari who is a student of International Contemporary Literature and Media at NUI Galway to help you make that decision.
Business, Marketing, Arts, Finance, Medicine… Ireland sure is famous for its top tier education. And out of all the options, you will find that very few people look into what this remarkable country is famous for — its literature. After all this is the land of James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Brian Friel, William Butler Yeats, Paula Meehan, Samuel Beckett, Seamus Heaney, John Hume, Sean MacBride and so many other great writers whose work has impacted not only literature but our society as a whole.
You would be wrong in thinking that I only chose NUI Galway to do my Master’s because I was inspired by the great names mentioned above. NUIG is well known as a world class educational institute, featuring in the top 1 per cent of universities at the QS World University rankings, and the perfect location in a city with everything you might need. The lecturers here are amazing and they are always encouraging of their students — they want you to grow and learn and be the best that you can be. The campus is beautiful with an amazing library (my favourite place!). There are so many reasons that made Galway the ideal choice for me. And I promise that you will fall in love with this city just like I did.
NUI Galway
The Master’s I’m studying is called International Contemporary Literature and Media — taught at the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, this programme has a multidisciplinary structure. Its outline includes four key modules that are: The Art of Reading, Worlds of Fantasy, Contemporary Literary Genres and Literature and Conflict.
These amazing courses have exposed me to different realities, materials and theories that I had never encountered before and while there is quite a lot of content, I never felt like I was overwhelmed.
Boredom was not even an option. One day you could be looking at gender in literature, and another you could be examining video games or analysing the fantasy elements in a film. Every single week something new was shown, read, taught and analysed. There are a number of optional modules that you can choose in addition to the core studies. This allows for exploration of the areas that truly interest us as well as broadening our horizons. In semester one I took Film History — a great choice for me as I have always loved film and cinema and really wanted the opportunity to study and learn more about it.
While in semester two I am currently taking a class called “The Politics of Modernity: Writing in English, 1922 to the present”, which means that I get to learn about Irish writers in the renowned Centre for Irish Studies.
But what about readings? You might ask. I can assure you there is a lot to be read. And while, honestly, they are not always the easiest, they are certainly worth it and it is a lot of fun discussing them in class with your peers and lecturers.
I really hope that I have managed to convince you that this course is the perfect option for anyone considering an MA in Literature. What helped you to choose your field of study? Leave me a comment below and share your story.