Skip navigation
Dickens Studies at University of Buckingham - UCAS

Course options

There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

The University of Buckingham is:

  • Home of the two-year degree, the University of Buckingham, based in the South East of England, is ranked 6th for Student Satisfaction in the UK (National Student Survey, 2020).
  • We are proudly independent and not-for-profit, and offer courses in Allied Health, Business, Computing, Education, Humanities, Law, Medicine, Psychology and Security and Intelligence. We are one of the few universities in the UK that offer September and January start dates for almost all of our courses.
  • Based in Buckingham on a riverside campus, we are only 20 minutes’ from Milton Keynes central station and a short drive from Bicester, Aylesbury, Banbury and Northampton. There is free parking on-site and we are within easy reach of London and Oxford.
  • Our award-winning small class tutorials ensure every student is known by name and supported throughout their studies, including by dedicated personal tutors.
  • As pioneers of the two-year degree, we offer a condensed version of the traditional three-year degree, meaning you can gain a full honours degree and complete your studies a whole year earlier. Alternatively, you can complete both your undergraduate and master’s degree with us in just three years: saving you time and money.
  • Based in the city that gave Charles Dickens inspiration throughout his writing life, this groundbreaking London research programme offers students unique access not only to world-class scholars and practitioners drawn from the field of Dickens Studies and the media but furthermore to the unique collections of the Charles Dickens Museum
Charles Dickens Museum - interior and exterior photographyIt is directed by Professor John Drew and Dr Pete Orford, Dickens experts of international reputation, who are also full-time members of the University’s highly regarded Department of English. The course enables the student to undertake research on a specific topic, agreed with the supervisor, in any area of Dickens Studies: his novels, short fiction, journalism, plays, the public readings, adaptations of his work (cinematic, theatrical) as well as comparative work on translations, writing by precursors, contemporaries, rivals, imitators and inheritors. The research is presented in the form of three ‘Project Preliminaries’: an extended research proposal, an annotated bibliography, and a short research-based case study for which students will be invited to investigate either the archive holdings of the Charles Dickens Museum or the network of Dickens’s collaborators for his journals, as made available by the University’s celebrated project Dickens Journals Online. On successful completion of these three preliminary projects, students will then progress to their dissertation, written under the guidance of the supervisor, of not less than 20,000 words. A central feature of the course will be its series of ten evening seminars with distinguished speakers, held both at the University’s Gower Street premises and in the Board Room of the Charles Dickens Museum, each followed by a dinner and discussion, in private rooms at a nearby restaurant in Bloomsbury.

Modules

Themes addressed by the seminars will include: The lights and shadows of Dickensian biography, Dickens as a short-story writer, Dickens’s reception in the twentieth-century, Dickens and the development of detective and thriller fiction, Dickens’s influence as an editor and social reformer, The cultural importance of adaptations of Dickens’s work, The power of Dickens’s language, The performative nature of Dickensian characters, Dickens in the digital age.

Assessment method

At the heart of the Buckingham MA is the close working relationship between student and supervisor. While the final thesis must be an independent work, it is the supervisor who offers advice on refining the topic (if necessary), on primary sources, on secondary reading, on research techniques and on writing the final text (which should be not less than 20,000 words). Supervisors and students will meet frequently throughout the year, and not less than twice a term; and the supervisor shall always be the student’s primary contact for academic advice and support.


How to apply

International applicants

With staff and students from over 90 countries around the world, the University enjoys a wonderful and culturally diverse atmosphere. Voted top for student satisfaction in the National Student Survey since 2006, we provide support for students from outside the UK including: assistance with visa application and renewal; guaranteed accommodation in halls of residence; and a personal tutor to support your academic studies. Academic staff are available to help and advise, and operate an open-door policy. We have the best staff to student ratio of any university in the UK. Our students have formed a number of overseas clubs, and there is a sports and social programme each term to ensure you enjoy your time with us. Our idyllic setting between Oxford and Milton Keynes offers access to a range of cultural and social activities and Bicester Village, the renowned shopping outlet is a short bus ride away. English Language requirements: it is very important that your English level is of a good standard for you to be successful in your studies. All applicants must achieve specific requirements in all four components (listening, reading, speaking and writing). Please check our website for more details of the undergraduate or postgraduate language requirements for your course. https://www.buckingham.ac.uk/international/english-language-requirements/

Entry requirements

The minimum entry level required for this course is as follows: a first or second-class honours degree from a recognised university or, a recognised professional qualification with relevant work experience. Mature students: Age is no barrier to learning and we welcome all applications from suitably qualified students. International students. We are happy to consider all international applications and if you are an international student.


Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Fees to be confirmed

Sponsorship information

The University would like to encourage students – both undergraduates and postgraduates – to come to Buckingham regardless of their financial circumstances. The bursaries and scholarships we offer are awarded on merit and/or on financial need. You may only accept one University award. All awards are subject to your meeting the University’s academic entry requirements and abiding by the University’s rules and regulations. To be eligible to apply for a scholarship you will need to have been offered a place to study at Buckingham. For details of our current range of scholarships and bursaries please see our website: https://www.buckingham.ac.uk/admissions/scholarships

Dickens Studies at University of Buckingham - UCAS