Comparative Literature/Theatre Studies MA
ABB – BBB at A level, A-level English or another Humanities subject; graduates earn a median £23,500 three years on.
Typical A level offer
ABB – BBB
A-level English or another Humanities subject · 65% of entrants came with A levels · 90% stay on after year 1 · Glasgow course page, Discover Uni
Year 13 · applying
What do you need to get in?
ABB – BBBtypical A level offer
Typical offer — the grades most applicants are asked for. A contextual offer can be lower for applicants from under-represented backgrounds; none is published for this course.
Glasgow course page, read 19 September 2026 · Discover Uni entry profile
- 1A-level English or another Humanities subject
Who actually got in: 65% with A levels, 5% with the IB, 5% via Access courses, 10% with other higher education. 40% arrived with 208 or more UCAS tariff points — roughly A*A*A or better. Based on 20 entrants.
UCAS tariff points — a points scale for grades: A* = 56, A = 48, so A*A*A = 160. Entrants’ totals include extra subjects.
Other qualifications1
| Qualification | Typical offer | Required subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Scottish Highers | AAAABminimum from S5: BBBB | Higher English and a Higher Humanities subject at AA. (AB or BA may be considered). |
Years 1–4
What do you study?
7compulsory modules in year 1
Compulsory modules this year: arts & humanities 66% · language & communication 25% · social & cultural skills 5% · transversal skills 5%.
Module — one course unit, usually a term or a year long; “core” means everyone takes it. One UK credit is about ten hours of study; a full year is 120 credits.
Glasgow course page · optional modules vary by year
Year 1 · 7 core · 60 credits ≈ 600 hours
- Comparative Literature 1A - Heroes (Heroic Men)
What you learn (8)
- discuss culturally diverse texts within their historical setting
- explain the intellectual background informing selected texts
- compare and contrast texts around a shared theme
- analyse texts using a consistent interpretive framework
- construct a persuasive argument supported by textual evidence
- present a written argument in a clear and coherent structure
- identify defining features of literary genres studied
- relate genre features to comparative analysis of course texts
- Comparative Literature 1B - Heroes (Heroic Women)
What you learn (5)
- discuss culturally diverse texts within their historical and intellectual settings
- compare and contrast texts around a shared theme using a consistent framework
- construct a coherent written argument supported by relevant evidence
- identify key generic features of the studied literary forms
- relate generic features to comparative analysis of course texts
- Comparative Literature 1C: Heroism across Time and Cultures
What you learn (7)
- identify key aspects of heroism across European and non-European cultures
- discuss selected literary texts within their original cultural context
- analyse male and female representations of heroism in different cultures
- write a critical discussion of heroism in diverse literary traditions
- identify features of the societies that produced the set texts
- research primary texts to support an essay argument
- compose a structured essay linking texts to a shared thematic focus
Year 2 · 7 core · 40 credits ≈ 400 hours
- Comparative Literature 2A - Frontiers (Crossing Borders)
What you learn (4)
- analyse culturally unfamiliar literary texts
- discuss texts in relation to their historical and cultural context
- identify similarities and differences between comparative texts
- construct a coherent written argument on a chosen literary theme
- Comparative Literature 2C - Frontiers (Exploring Identity)
What you learn (5)
- analyse unfamiliar texts from diverse cultural backgrounds
- discuss texts in relation to their historical and cultural contexts
- identify similarities and differences between different texts
- construct a coherent written argument on a chosen literary theme
- relate specific issues to a broader conceptual framework in writing
Year 3 · 27 core · 340 credits ≈ 3,400 hours
- Comparative Literature 2C - Frontiers (Exploring Identity)
What you learn (5)
- analyse unfamiliar texts from diverse cultural backgrounds
- discuss texts in relation to their historical and cultural contexts
- identify similarities and differences between different texts
- construct a coherent written argument on a chosen literary theme
- relate specific issues to a broader conceptual framework in writing
- Comparative Literature Dissertation
What you learn (8)
- formulate a clear research question for investigation
- apply the chosen methodology within a comparative literary framework
- synthesise scholarly literature relevant to a research topic
- evaluate the quality and relevance of existing scholarship
- relate a chosen topic to existing research in the same field
- structure written material in a clear and logical format
- apply recognised academic conventions to bibliographies, footnotes and appendices
- articulate personal skills gained in relation to future employment
- Intercultural Readings
What you learn (7)
- articulate one's own cultural position in relation to studied texts
- describe the role of language and translation in textual study
- evaluate the significance of translation choices for interpreting a text
- identify recurring motifs of otherness such as the stranger or traveller in texts
- explain the complex relationships between one's own culture and other cultures
- analyse problems arising from intercultural reading practices
- construct concise critical arguments under time constraints
- Theories Of Reading
What you learn (7)
- explain the importance of material culture in studying reading practices
- combine multiple approaches to reading and text transmission into a coherent view
- integrate theoretical approaches into one's own comparative literature practice
- apply theoretical approaches to case studies on reading and text circulation
- construct sustained written arguments on literary topics
- analyse cultural products critically
- evaluate the diverse nature of different media
- The Brothers Grimm and the European Fairy Tale
What you learn (3)
- describe the defining features of the folktale genre
- construct plausible interpretations of selected tales with supporting reasoning
- explain the origins of the literary written tradition of fairy tales
- Postcolonial Literature, Thought and Visual Culture
What you learn (4)
- critically assess the underlying themes of a prescribed text or film
- describe the historical development of postcolonial literature, thought and film
- construct sustained written arguments on postcolonial textual sources
- present sustained oral arguments on postcolonial textual sources
- Narrating the City: Representation of Urban Space in Literature and Film
What you learn (6)
- evaluate spatial concepts such as centrality, periphery and exile
- apply spatial concepts to analyse urban representations
- analyse spatial practices across genre, gender, culture and period
- apply theoretical frameworks to interpret urban space in texts and films
- critique differing theoretical approaches to spatial representation
- construct a coherent argument supported by varied sources
- Classic European Cinema East and West
What you learn (6)
- identify key developments in classic European cinema themes and styles
- describe cinema's role as a tool for social self-examination
- discuss European cinema developments within their socio-historical context
- relate European cinema trends to broader world cinema developments
- analyse cinematic developments using relevant theoretical frameworks
- evaluate cinematic developments through critical discussion
- The Everyday in Film, Photography and Literature
What you learn (5)
- explain key terms and concepts used in theories of everyday life
- compare representations of the everyday across different cultural contexts
- conduct independent research into theoretical or representational issues of the module
- present analytical ideas clearly in spoken and written form
- apply correct citation and referencing conventions when using sources
- Global Novels: how translated fiction becomes World Literature
What you learn (7)
- identify key points of scholarly debate on a given topic
- analyse primary sources with reference to critical debates
- apply critical reading techniques to cultural texts
- use comparative analysis methods across cultural products
- formulate a critical response to translation and reception issues
- analyse translation and reception issues in selected case studies
- construct well-referenced written arguments on literary topics
- Myths and Modern Imagination
What you learn (6)
- compare original texts with their adaptations
- explain cultural context specific to an adapted version
- compare adaptations of a single text set in different places and periods
- analyse narratives using literary and film theories such as structuralism or narratology
- describe how meaning shifts across rewritings and translations
- analyse how socio-historical context shapes interpretation of a text
- Transcultural Connections: 'Classic' Texts and their Adaptations across Cultures
What you learn (8)
- compare set texts and films by different authors and contexts
- evaluate how texts and films relate to their social and historical context
- identify key issues and features in prescribed texts and adaptations
- discuss how representations of a text develop across versions
- contribute to seminar discussions on themes and context of set material
- analyse texts with regard to ideological and socio-cultural context
- produce structured written analysis of set texts
- integrate secondary sources into an original argument
- Cervantes in Hollywood
What you learn (3)
- develop broader international perspective on cultural issues
- formulate personal analytical criteria for comparative metafiction
- present analytical arguments in essays and class discussions
- Subsidiary French Language (Beginners)
What you learn (9)
- read and comprehend beginner-level texts in the target language
- analyse the structure and meaning of simple foreign-language texts
- translate short texts from french into english
- speak confidently in french on familiar course-related topics
- apply basic french grammar, idiom and vocabulary correctly in speech
- respond accurately to spoken questions in french
- respond accurately to written questions in french
- produce written texts in french demonstrating accurate vocabulary and grammar
- use idiomatic expressions appropriately in written french
- Subsidiary German Language (Beginners)
What you learn (8)
- read and comprehend beginner-level texts in German
- analyse the structure and style of beginner-level German texts
- translate beginner-level German texts into English
- speak confidently in German on familiar course topics
- apply basic grammar, idiom and vocabulary correctly in speech
- answer oral questions in German using accurate grammar
- answer written questions in German using accurate grammar
- produce written German texts demonstrating command of vocabulary and grammar
- Subsidiary Spanish Language (Beginners)
What you learn (8)
- read and comprehend beginner-level texts in the target language
- analyse the structure and meaning of short foreign-language texts
- translate short beginner-level texts into another language
- speak confidently in spanish on familiar topics covered in the course
- apply basic spanish grammatical structures and idioms correctly in speech
- respond accurately to spoken questions using basic spanish grammar
- respond accurately to written questions using basic spanish grammar
- produce written texts in spanish demonstrating beginner-level vocabulary and grammar
- Subsidiary Italian Language (Beginners)
What you learn (7)
- read and comprehend beginner-level texts in the target language
- analyse the structure and meaning of simple foreign-language texts
- translate beginner-level texts into the target language
- speak confidently on familiar topics using basic grammar and vocabulary
- respond accurately to oral questions using basic grammatical structures
- respond accurately to written questions using basic grammatical structures
- produce written texts demonstrating command of beginner vocabulary and grammar
Year 4 · 1 core
“What you learn” restates each module’s published learning outcomes in our own words, as short skill statements in the same form as the GCSE and A level curriculum, with the help of an AI model; fields of knowledge follow the twelve fields of the knowledge sphere. The university’s module page, linked from each title, is the authoritative description.
After graduating
Where does it lead?
£23,500median pay three years after graduating
Lower quarter£17k
Median£24k
Upper quarter£30k
Median — the middle earner: half earned more, half less. Pay is for graduates of this subject at this university who finished in 2016-18, not adjusted for inflation; based on 105 graduates.
Discover Uni dataset (HESA and Office for Students, CC BY 4.0, contains HESA data); earnings from the Longitudinal Education Outcomes data (Department for Education) · aggregation level 12, 13, 23, 22
Half of graduates earned between £17,000 and £29,500. Five years on, the median is £29,000. 85% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing; 60% of those in work were in professional or managerial jobs.
All outcome figures7
| Measure | Value | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Continue after year 110% left | 90% | 10 |
| In work or study, 15 months on20% studying | 85% | 15 |
| Professional or managerial job | 60% | 30 |
| Pay 15 months on, median | £28,000 | 20 |
| Pay 3 years on, median | £23,500 | 105 |
| Pay 5 years on, median | £29,000 | 115 |
National Student Survey 2025-26
What do students say?
52%agreed the course was good overall (question 26)
NSS — a yearly survey of final-year students at every UK university; 65% of this course’s final year answered. Small groups can swing a lot year to year.
National Student Survey, via Discover Uni · 25 students answered
Highest: 100% agreed on question 5; lowest: 52% on question 26.
All questions26
| Question | Agree |
|---|---|
| Question 1 | 88% |
| Question 2 | 91% |
| Question 3 | 91% |
| Question 4 | 83% |
| Question 5 | 100% |
| Question 6 | 80% |
| Question 7 | 97% |
| Question 8 | 74% |
| Question 9 | 71% |
| Question 10 | 66% |
| Question 11 | 80% |
| Question 12 | 79% |
| Question 13 | 86% |
| Question 14 | 77% |
| Question 15 | 88% |
| Question 16 | 77% |
| Question 17 | 74% |
| Question 18 | 75% |
| Question 19 | 71% |
| Question 20 | 88% |
| Question 21 | 67% |
| Question 22 | 86% |
| Question 23 | 80% |
| Question 24 | 61% |
| Question 25 | 79% |
| Question 26 | 52% |
Question texts are published by the Office for Students; the dataset carries only the question numbers.
Modules, entry requirements and fees are facts read from University of Glasgow’s course page on 2026-09-19 and may change; the university’s page is authoritative. Descriptions are not reproduced. Outcome figures are from the Discover Uni dataset. University of Glasgow is a trade mark of the university; sch.today is independent of it.