The MA by Research is designed for those who have a specific research interest which they wish to pursue under the supervision and guidance of an expert in the field, whether for reasons of professional development, career enhancement, or with a view to upgrading to an MPhil or PhD. It can be taken full-time over a twelve-month period or part-time over a twenty-four-month period.

The MA by Research is a research degree, not a taught course. Students who take this degree course write a thesis (max. 40,000 words), rather than taking taught modules and writing a shorter dissertation as for the taught MAs.

As with all our research degrees, acceptance onto the course is dependent on our being able to provide specialist supervision in your chosen field of research interest. You can check your research interests against our areas of expertise by clicking on the links to People.

Students studying for the MA by Research have the same access to research skills training as other postgraduate students in the department. The German subject-librarian offers guidance in the use of bibliographic or filmographic resources, including online search engines. Your supervisor or the Director of Graduate Studies may suggest attendance (audit only) at taught modules within the Arts Faculty where this is appropriate to your research needs. All students have access to the programme of seminars and workshops offered under the Faculty’s Postgraduate Research and Professional Training Programme, as well as to the department’s research seminars: the Warwick Interdisciplinary German Studies Workshop and the writer-in-residence programme.

We advise discussing your research needs and your ideas for a thesis project with the School Director of Graduate Studies, Professor Oliver Davis, at O dot Davis at warwick dot ac dot uk, prior to making an application.