School of English, Film, Theatre, Media and Communication, and Art History Te Kura Tānga Kōrero Ingarihi, Kiriata, Whakaari, Pāpāho, Tāhuhu Kōrero Toi

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Master of Arts Degree in the School of English, Film, Theatre, Media and Communication, and Art History

Find out about the application process and requirements for admission for a Master of Arts in SEFTMCAH.

Thank you for your interest in postgraduate study in the School of English, Film, Theatre, Media and Communication, and Art History. At Victoria University of Wellington, the Master by thesis degree requires a thesis on an approved topic with a maximum length of 40,000 words. The Master of Arts (MA) degree is full-time for a period of 12 months and part-time for a period of 24 months. Visit the Master of Arts 120 points website for more information.

Find out if we can provide the appropriate supervision for your topic by looking through the Staff Research Interests pages, Research Focus page and current Research Students pages for an idea of our research and supervision interests.

Requirements for admission

Please familiarise yourself with all the general MA requirements and, if an international student, with the requirements of Wellington University International (or the international students’ office).

Applicants are usually expected to have a First or high Second Class Honours degree.

Application process

MA applications can be made at any time and need to be pre-approved first by the Programme and then by the School. First, contact the Postgraduate Coordinator of the relevant programme who will assist you with the pre-approval process.

School of English, Film, Theatre, Media and Communication, and Art History Postgraduate Coordinators:

Next, devise your thesis proposal, otherwise known as your ‘Expression of Interest’ (EOI). The Postgraduate Coordinator for your programme will discuss your proposed topic with you and give you feedback on the first draft of your EOI.

After you have taken into account any academic feedback you have received and/or redrafted your EOI where necessary, upload the required information and documentation into the Online Enrolment System (OES).

Expression of interest

The EOI should not exceed 2500 words in total. Your EOI will need to be split into two documents when you upload it into the OES, and it must include the following:

  • An initial thesis proposal that explains what the topic is and provides an indication of existing scholarship in your chosen field in the form of a preliminary bibliography. This should not exceed 1800 words (including your bibliography). Please note that the OES indicates that this document should be approximately 500 words, but in the School we ask for a longer proposal. You should follow our guidelines as outlined here. As part of this document, you must also include an envisaged timeline, even though this may change after you begin work.
  • An outline of proposed arrangements for research. This should indicate why you are applying to the School, and which staff members have research expertise in your chosen field and thus have the potential to be your supervisor(s). Please note that there is no guarantee that your preferred supervisor(s) will then be assigned to you. This document should also indicate if there is any ethical approval that needs to be obtained.

This initial EOI will be polished and developed after you begin your enrolment as an MA student.

If you are a Victoria University of Wellington graduate we require you to include in your EOI:

  • One short paragraph of comment from two academic staff members who have taught you. It is not necessary for both of these staff to be specialists in your field but it is useful if one is. Whilst these comments can make observations about your topic, they need to testify to your having the requisite skills, tenacity and scholarly potential for postgraduate study. These paragraphs should be incorporated into your EOI documentation.

If you are not a Victoria University of Wellington graduate we require the following documents to be uploaded to the OES as additional documentation:

  • References from two academic staff who have taught or supervised you and can comment on your proficiency in academic writing in English, your skills, ability and potential for postgraduate study.
  • A sample of your academic writing (of approximately 3000 words), which demonstrates your capacity for research and scholarship at a postgraduate level.
  • A copy of your academic record/transcript.

Assessing your application

After you have submitted your application, academics within the Faculty will review your EOI and other documents. They will contact you if they need any additional information or if anything is missing. They may require a different start date or supervisor, which they will note.

If your application is accepted you will be sent a link to your Offer of Study which you need to accept to confirm your enrollment.

When to apply

You may apply for entry to the Master's by Thesis at any time. However if you wish to apply for the Master's by Thesis Scholarship, you should apply by 1 November. You will need to make a separate scholarship application by the same date.

Wellington Master's by Thesis Scholarships

A limited number of MA thesis students may be supported by a Wellington Master’s by Thesis Scholarship.

Students seeking a scholarship need to submit a scholarship application to the Scholarships Office by 1 November. Information on this process is available on the Scholarships website. This is the only scholarship round for MA applicants each year.