MA Literary and Cultural Studies at Carnegie Mellon University

The MA in Literary and Cultural Studies is a master's programme in Carnegie Mellon's Department of English, taught in small seminars with close faculty mentoring. It prepares students for PhD study and builds analytical and organizational skills for non-academic careers. Full-time students receive partial tuition remission and can hold paid faculty research assistantships.

Faculty: Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences  |  Department: Department of English  |  Duration: 32 credit hours (96 units)  |  Intake: Fall 2027 (deadlines January 6, 2027; second deadline April 7, 2027 if space is available)  |  Study mode: full-time  |  Location: Pittsburgh, PA, United States

What you will study

Students take eight 12-unit courses, including the required Introduction to Literary and Cultural Studies, within concentrations in Early Modern British Studies (1500-1850), Twentieth and Twenty-First Century American Studies, or Global and Transnational Studies. Sample seminars include Race and Media, The Sociology of Culture, Data Stories, 18th Century Media: Print and Theater, and Transnational Feminisms.

Career pathways

Graduates teach at secondary schools and colleges or work in marketing, business, nonprofits and publishing, with placements such as the Utah Symphony and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. PhD placements include UC Irvine, UT Austin, Northwestern, Brown and Johns Hopkins.

Official programme page