Graduate profiles
Our masters graduates are equipped to enter a varied range of careers, including:
- English language teaching
- working in higher education
- marketing/PR/journalism
- business and finance
- the charity sector
- local and national government
- PhD study
Applied Linguistics graduates
Lefan Wang
Completed a PhD in 2022
I ultimately chose to study at Nottingham, because I found the modules provided fit very well my interests - focusing on second language acquisition and specialising in language learning motivation research.
I will soon be back to China and start my career as a university lecturer. I hope I will keep engaging with teaching and research actively and do my best to contribute to my academic discipline.
Read more from Lefan
Suhad Sonbul
Assistant Professor, English Language Centre, Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia
The MA course was really interesting and opened many doors for me. The courses on theories of language acquisition and their application to the language teaching context were particularly useful. They helped to prepare me not only for the PhD programme I pursued, but more importantly for the role I am performing now as an assistant professor in an English Language Centre.
The MA year was also an opportunity to meet people from all over the world with similar interests and to make new friends. It was an enjoyable and valuable experience which I will never ever forget.
Gulmira Ilyassova
English teacher, Kazakhstan
In my MA course I had a unique chance to discover research methods in applied linguistics, to learn the importance of vocabulary knowledge and to research vocabulary demands of TV programmes. Thanks to Ana Pellicer-Sánchez I revealed the significance of intercultural communication competence as a component of language knowledge.
I am currently applying the skills acquired during my masters course. Students research corpus data to find out word collocations and negotiate word meaning to develop speaking skills. I am about to apply the findings of my dissertation research and use television programmes in the classroom.
Viola Wiegand
PhD student and Research Assistant
After finishing the MA in Applied Linguistics, I stayed at Nottingham to start my PhD course. I am also a Research Assistant at the Centre for Research in Applied Linguistics, where I help with some work on current research projects.
During the MA year I was able to consolidate my knowledge of the field and understand viewpoints that differed from those of my undergraduate institution. The MA further allowed me to plan my PhD proposal and carry out small trial studies for the PhD in my MA projects. I was lucky to gather some experience as a member of the organizing team for an international conference hosted by the Centre for Research in Applied Linguistics during the MA and thus meet many important people from my research field.
Creative Writing graduates
Clare Harvey
Professional author
I loved my time at Nottingham, and the high quality tuition I received definitely lifted my writing to a level that got it noticed by agents and editors, and was the stepping off point for my career as a published author.
The MA really did what it said on the tin: it made me understand the internal workings of fiction and, without doubt, made me a better writer.
Georgina Stokes
Project Manager for an e-learning company
One of the things I have enjoyed the most about studying a Masters is the independence it bestows on you. Also, each week in the writing workshops we would take it in turns to write a creative piece and then read and review each other's work. Although daunting at first, the atmosphere was very supportive and it encouraged you to view things from a different perspective and to gain confidence in your work.
Having an English Masters provides lots of transferable skills and demonstrates that you are hardworking and keen to learn more.
English Literature graduates
Bianca Leggett
Researcher & Visiting Lecturer, English & Humanities, Birkbeck, University of London
My MA at Nottingham was my first step into an academic career! I am still in touch with some of the staff whose inspiring teaching and support encouraged me to take the next step. I have now completed my doctorate and am enjoying teaching a new generation of university students.
Literary Linguistics graduates
Jessica Heather
Head of KS3 English, Balcarras School
I absolutely loved my MA course - I enjoyed how it gave me the opportunity to investigate the ways in which Literature made me feel. To be able to analyse and then explain my reaction to a text was fascinating, especially within the environment established by the leaders of the course.
The MA has been hugely helpful with regards to my career, as it deepened my knowledge of my subject. It also showed to my current employers, and the interviewers for my PGCE, how committed I am to my subject and learning. It was a superb year and I am extremely pleased that I took the Literary Linguistics course. I'm confident I wouldn't be where I am now without it.
Dr Sara Whiteley
Lecturer in Language and Literature, University of Sheffield
I studied for an MA in Literary Linguistics in Nottingham in 2005-6 and I treasure my memories of that year. The classes were engaging and truly mind-expanding, and I was taught by hugely inspirational academics who were leaders in their respective fields. I got the space to find out more about my own skills, aptitudes and interests, and pursue them in a supportive and well-resourced environment. I also got to meet a group of similarly passionate students.
My MA gave me the rich academic knowledge I needed to go on to study for a PhD and enter academia myself. I learned how to think and analyse deeply and how to develop my own thoughts through interaction with others. My MA also gave me inspiration and the confidence to pursue my ambitions.
Viking and Early Medieval English Studies graduates
Lily Stancliffe
Works for the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge
I studied for the MA in 2018-19 and now work for the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge. The thing I love about studying the past is having the opportunity to learn from the collective experiences of people living in times and places I'll never get to see for myself. It's also just great fun! The Vikings had an absolutely wicked sense of humour (and fashion). The department in Nottingham was a really supportive environment and helped me to explore new approaches to topics I thought I was already familiar with. The course definitely helped me develop my academic skills as well as opening my eyes to a world outside of academia; I'm really glad I decided to give it a go!
John Gallagher
Iceland Government Scholarship holder, University of Iceland
In addition to rigorous academic training, Nottingham provided many opportunities to develop myself as a researcher: I worked as a Research Assistant at the Institute for Name-Studies, received funding to attend a graduate training course and academic conference, and presented my work at the Institute for Medieval Research's Postgraduate Conference.
MA students are very much integrated into the medieval research culture of the school and the training and experience provided by this programme is, I believe, unrivalled in the British Isles.
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