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English Literature and Culture (MA)

Career prospects

Where do our graduates work?

Because of the extensive curriculum and specialisations, the career opportunities after completing the Literary Studies specialisation in English Literature and Culture are broad. Our graduates have landed jobs in various sectors of the job market, such as education, communication and marketing, financial institutions, publishing and media. Examples of the diverse roles of our graduates include:

  • Photo editor at the Rathenau Instituut
  • Communications Officer
  • English teacher
  • University lecturer
  • Translator
  • Journalist
  • Senior Legal Advisor
  • Editor in a publishing firm
  • ‘tekstschrijver’ for the ‘Tweede Kamer’ of the ‘Staten-Generaal

Dieneke Boer

Graduated in English Literature and Culture (MA Literary Studies) and Journalism and New Media (MA Media Studies)

Annamika Singh

Graduated in English Literature and Culture (MA Literary Studies)

"I have now been working for a year at Amsterdam FashionWeek on the online editorial of Fashionweek.nl. I write articles, manage social media channels, produce videos and essentially combine all my knowledge from the JNM master’s into this job. In particular, the focus on New Media in this master’s perfectly fits the current demand on the journalism job market, where you are expected to be a jack-of-all-trades and be up-to-date with the latest developments. We have an English-language website as well, for which I do some translation work. I also have regular contact with fashion agencies abroad, including other FashionWeeks. So, my English Literature master’s is also coming in handy."

Going for two MA degrees

"During my BA in English Language and Culture, I also followed courses for the minor in Journalism Studies which triggered my interest in combining the two. So, after obtaining my BA, I decided to go for two MA degrees: Journalism and New Media and English Literature and Culture. Both were very different in their structure, the one focused on practice, while the other provided a more literary background. Language has always been one of my main interests and combining both studies has certainly enriched me."

The graphs below are based on alumni data from the MA English Literature and Culture 2016-2020.

In which sector do students find jobs?

  • 48 % Education
  • 13 % Communication and marketing
  • 9 % Financial institutions
  • 4 % Business service
  • 4 % IT
  • 4 % Publishing and the book industry
  • 4 % Media and journalism
  • 4 % Government and semi-government organisations
  • 4 % Wholesale and retail
  • 6 % Other

Teacher qualification

Are you interested in pursuing a career in education? Then you may apply for the Dutch-taught teacher-training MA at the ICLON Graduate School of Education after graduating from the master’s programme. To be admitted, you need to have a master’s degree in the relevant discipline. Fluency in Dutch is mandatory and additional entry requirements may apply.

Career preparation

Find out how this programme prepares you for your future career and check our career preparation activities.

Knowledge and skills Internships Literary Studies Career Colloquium
Humanities Career Service Workshops and courses LU Career Zone Ask Alumni: Leiden University Mentor Network