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Overview
Victorian society and culture was a contradiction – an era of bold vision and technological wonders entwined with deep social fears and cultural anxieties.
Why do we associate the Victorians with darkness, sin, hypocrisy and monstrosity? Why does the Gothic seem to best encapsulate how we think about and remember the Victorians? These are some of the questions you'll explore on this course.
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This MA explores not just 19th-century Gothic cultures but, more generally, the fears, wonders, and dark imagination of the Victorian era. Through a rich and fascinating range of historical, literary and folkloric texts, themes and approaches, you'll probe the darker side of the Victorian age.
The course gives you access to a wealth of online resources and digitised archival material relating to Victorian culture and draws on local literary and cultural resources, such as the Conan Doyle Collection (Lancelyn Green Bequest) in Portsmouth’s Central Library. You'll have the freedom and scope to pursue your own areas of interest and research via an individual research project and 15,000-word dissertation.Contact information
Contact AdmissionsEntry requirements
MA Victorian Gothic: History, Literature and Culture (Distance Learning) Master's degree entry requirements
Qualifications or experience
- A minimum of a second-class honours degree or equivalent, in History, English, or a relevant subject, or a master's degree in an appropriate subject. Equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will be considered.
English language requirements
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.
If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Qualifications or experience
- A minimum of a second-class honours degree or equivalent, in History, English, or a relevant subject, or a master's degree in an appropriate subject. Equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will be considered.
English language requirements
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.
If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Course costs and funding
Tuition fees
- Distance learning full-time (180 credits): £8,900
- Distance learning part-time (90 credits): £4,450 a year
All fees subject to annual increase.
- Distance learning full-time (180 credits): £9,400
- Distance learning part-time (90 credits): £4,700 a year
All fees subject to annual increase.
Tuition fees terms and conditions
Funding your studies
Find out more how to fund your studies, including the scholarships and bursaries you could get. You can also find more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.
If you're a UK student, you may be eligible for a Government postgraduate loan, which you can use to help with course fees and living costs.
Applying from outside the UK? Find out about funding options for international students and our international student scholarships.
Additional course costs
You’ll study up to 6 units a year. You may have to read several recommended books or textbooks for each unit.
You can borrow most of these from the Library. If you buy these, they may cost up to £60 each.
We recommend that you budget £75 a year for photocopying, memory sticks, DVDs and CDs, printing charges, binding and specialist printing.
If your final year includes a major project, there could be cost for transport or accommodation related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose.
Modules
Full-time
Core modules
Through readings, activities and discussions, you'll cultivate practical skills, from using archives to managing projects effectively.
By evaluating research philosophies and methodological approaches, you'll formulate coherent strategies for investigating topics robustly.
You'll also critique theoretical frameworks enabling the scholarly analysis of texts and historical trends, and use feedback to strengthen the academic skills you need to refine.
You'll submit a convincing research proposal aligned with your interests - demonstrating advanced conceptual grasp and self-criticality ahead of your independent project.
By scrutinising scholarly debates and primary texts through an interdisciplinary lens (historical and literary studies), you'll analyse these social and cultural tensions and examine the role of Gothic literary tropes in communicating anxieties.
Wide-ranging case studies will enable you to evaluate anxiety's origins and impacts from multiple angles.
You'll attend informative introductory lectures, use generous online materials, and have the opportunity for high-level seminar discussions. Essays will let you build your scholarly independence and pursue studies that really inspire you.
Alongside your supervisor, you’ll select a topic that aligns with staff expertise and which may fall outside the curriculum.
By devising a project plan, engaging deeply with sources and integrating feedback, you’ll assume primary responsibility for driving the research process.
By the end of the module, you’ll have produced a research-based essay or artefact reflecting your enhanced capabilities in areas such as formulating research questions, using appropriate methods and resources, and communicating your findings effectively.
Ranging from folk rituals to popular entertainment, you'll explore four interwoven modes of cultural enchantment - magical practices and folklore, secular stage magic and illusion, ghost narratives and spiritualism, and the captivating public obsession with sensationalism and celebrity.
Through close readings of a range of historical and literary texts, you'll evaluate how these phenomena persisted in, were fostered by, and became an intrinsic part of modernity.
In the process, you'll critically reflect on wider issues of historical analysis, literary study, belief systems, and what cultural enchantment reveals about Victorian times.
With academic guidance, you'll choose your own topic at the forefront of Gothic studies, relevant aspects of nineteenth-century historiography, or Victorian literature.
You'll bring together everything you've learned to design and conduct systematic research, and communicate your ideas professionally in your dissertation or report.
Part-time
Core modules
Through readings, activities and discussions, you'll cultivate practical skills, from using archives to managing projects effectively.
By evaluating research philosophies and methodological approaches, you'll formulate coherent strategies for investigating topics robustly.
You'll also critique theoretical frameworks enabling the scholarly analysis of texts and historical trends, and use feedback to strengthen the academic skills you need to refine.
You'll submit a convincing research proposal aligned with your interests - demonstrating advanced conceptual grasp and self-criticality ahead of your independent project.
By scrutinising scholarly debates and primary texts through an interdisciplinary lens (historical and literary studies), you'll analyse these social and cultural tensions and examine the role of Gothic literary tropes in communicating anxieties.
Wide-ranging case studies will enable you to evaluate anxiety's origins and impacts from multiple angles.
You'll attend informative introductory lectures, use generous online materials, and have the opportunity for high-level seminar discussions. Essays will let you build your scholarly independence and pursue studies that really inspire you.
Alongside your supervisor, you’ll select a topic that aligns with staff expertise and which may fall outside the curriculum.
By devising a project plan, engaging deeply with sources and integrating feedback, you’ll assume primary responsibility for driving the research process.
By the end of the module, you’ll have produced a research-based essay or artefact reflecting your enhanced capabilities in areas such as formulating research questions, using appropriate methods and resources, and communicating your findings effectively.
Core modules
Ranging from folk rituals to popular entertainment, you'll explore four interwoven modes of cultural enchantment - magical practices and folklore, secular stage magic and illusion, ghost narratives and spiritualism, and the captivating public obsession with sensationalism and celebrity.
Through close readings of a range of historical and literary texts, you'll evaluate how these phenomena persisted in, were fostered by, and became an intrinsic part of modernity.
In the process, you'll critically reflect on wider issues of historical analysis, literary study, belief systems, and what cultural enchantment reveals about Victorian times.
With academic guidance, you'll choose your own topic at the forefront of Gothic studies, relevant aspects of nineteenth-century historiography, or Victorian literature.
You'll bring together everything you've learned to design and conduct systematic research, and communicate your ideas professionally in your dissertation or report.
Changes to course content
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry. If a module doesn't run, we'll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
How history comes alive in Portsmouth
Portsmouth is a time traveller’s paradise, with historic tales of royalty, naval exploration, and even the odd ghost… join two of our students for a tour around our historic island city.
Archie and Kimberley
Welcome to Portsmouth!
Kimberley
Our city is a time traveller's paradise with historical tales of royalty, naval exploration and even the odd ghost.
Archie
Let us show you around.
Archie
Portsmouth is best known for our naval history, and here at the historic dockyard, you'll find the Mary Rose, HMS Warrior and HMS Victory. People arriving and leaving via ships has helped to shape the city, and the city has helped to shape their ideas and actions.
Kimberley
In 1662, Catherine Duchess of Braganza alighted here from Portugal to marry King Charles II. Their wedding took place here in Portsmouth and you can see their marriage certificate in Portsmouth Cathedral.
Archie
In the cathedral you'll also find a statue of the Duke of Buckingham, who was assassinated not far away in the Greyhound Inn. The Cathedral is also linked to multiple ghost stories and urban legends, including a sighting of Spring-heeled Jack, a fire-breathing demon.
Kimberley
The city wasn't built to keep out demons, but Portsmouth was vitally important in the defence of the Channel Coast. So a protective circuit was built around the city, including Southsea Castle.
Archie
Moving forward in the timeline of the city's defence, the site of popular shopping centre Gunwharf Quays was once home to the ‘stone frigate’ HMS Vernon. This two-tonne monument commemorates its mine warfare and diving heritage.
Kimberley
Like many port cities, Portsmouth welcomes a variety of different cultures and backgrounds, but their histories are not always visible. Historians at the University are working with community activists, curators, archivists and teachers to raise the visibility of black history and to engage locals in the co-production of this knowledge.
Archie
As well as visitors, Portsmouth has many famous faces who were born right here, including novelist Charles Dickens, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the engineer.
From engineers to writers, royalty to slaves, Portsmouth has had a number of people come and go over the years.
Kimberley
Their impact lives on. Our historians are discovering new stories from the past that helped shape our future.
Archie
Visit us and our historic city. You never know, you might just change its future.
How you'll spend your time
We recognise that you'll probably be juggling more demands when you do your Master's degree, as you may be working or you may have family responsibilities.
We'll give you as much indication here as we can of how much time you'll need to spend in online lectures and seminars and how many hours you can expect to spend in self-directed study, but please note that these indications are always subject to change.
Teaching
Teaching on this course is delivered entirely through distance learning, and includes:
- interactive online resources
- digitised primary sources
- links to reading lists and ebooks
- online training seminars
- video clips from renowned experts
Seminars typically run for 90 minutes and take place in the early evening (UK time). There will usually be a pre-recorded introductory video or narrated Powerpoint presentation to watch before the seminar. We'll repeat some online seminars so you can choose the best time to attend.
You'll be expected to read a range of texts from the recommended reading list for the week, and to review any source material that will be discussed in the seminar. You should also jot down some initial responses to the thematic questions ahead of group discussion. You'll be expected to spend at least three hours preparing for a 90-minute seminar.
The focus of the seminars in the content modules (Victorian Anxieties and Victorian Enchantments) will vary from week to week. One week the emphasis will be on historical sources and interpretations, the next it will be on literary sources and analysis. Seminars are led by historians or literary scholars, as appropriate.
You'll get to chat with fellow students, discuss and present your work and keep in touch with tutors. You'll get plenty of support throughout your studies, including help on writing and structuring essays, and how to undertake research.
You'll receive all course materials via Moodle, our online learning environment. You'll need access to a computer and a Web connection. You may be able to access some of the resources through a tablet or smartphone, with limited functionality. You don't need to be especially computer literate, although typing skills are useful.
Teaching staff
These are some of the expert staff who'll teach you on this course:
Dr Karl Bell
How you're assessed
You'll be assessed through:
- Historiographical and documentary essays. A reflective response to a question, drawing upon different sources to analyse and evaluate a specific question, with the aim of presenting a clear and well-argued viewpoint.
- Source review/documentary commentary. A detailed analysis and assessment of a particular piece of historical evidence or a literary source.
- Presentation or vlog. A chance to demonstrate and enhance your presentation skills, and the ability to convey ideas, reflections and arguments through oral and visual form, rather than written form.
- Extended individual research project and dissertation. A sustained piece of individual research into a Victorian topic of your own choosing. Working under the guidance of a supervisor, and combining analysis of both primary source evidence and secondary literature, the emphasis is on producing an original piece of research that attempts to advance a fresh interpretation or perspective. This also includes a project plan or proposal, submitted early in the modules to enable you to gain formative feedback on your proposed projects.
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
Term dates
September start
The Master's academic year runs from September to the following September. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter. Over the summer you'll be writing your project / dissertation.
January start
Courses that start in January have the same amount of teaching as September-start courses, but they normally run over a longer time period.
January-start courses normally run between 14–18 months, beginning in January and ending in the spring / summer of the following year. There are breaks at Christmas, Easter and in the summer. In the last few months you’ll be writing your project / dissertation.
What you'll experience
On this course you'll:
- Be taught by experts from both the History and English departments at the University of Portsmouth
- Develop your research skills, critical thinking and literary analysis
- Work through two core content modules, focused on the cultural tensions between Victorian anxieties (crime, poverty, slums, and degeneration) and Victorian enchantment (supernatural folklore and magic, ghosts, spiritualism and the occult, and the development of Victorian celebrity culture)
- Use our Library’s wealth of online archival material including London Low Life, Victorian Popular Culture, The Old Bailey Online, The Charles Booth Archive, and the British Library Newspaper Archive
- Have opportunities to undertake research in the Charles Dickens Collection and Arthur Conan Doyle Collection (Lancelyn Green Bequest), both housed in the Portsmouth Central Library
- Get to study any topic of interest within the broad scope of the Victorian Gothic and the history of Victorian culture
- Be able to base your studies around more recent Neo-Victorian re-imaginings of the nineteenth century in their research projects, exploring areas such as crime or supernatural fictions, or steampunk culture
- Have the chance to listen to extracurricular talks by guest scholars and writers
- Be fully supported by a personal tutor (one of the teaching team) throughout your course
It was a really incredible experience, the lecturers are awesome. I focused a lot of my research on appetite and food in
literature.This has enhanced my teaching as an A-Level teacher, and I’m hoping to carry on with some independent research.
Career development
As well as giving you greater expertise in the fields of nineteenth-century history and Victorian Gothic literature, this course also enhances your knowledge and skills in other areas. During this course, you'll:
- develop the skillset required to work in the heritage industry, the arts and media
- develop a strong grounding for pursuing more advanced levels of academic study, including PhDs and careers in academia
- improve your broader academic skills, such as the ability to analyse, assess, synthesise and evaluate
- develop your archival and research skills, as well as data analysis and interpretation abilities
- improve your oral and written communication, time and workload management, and other transferable skills
Work experience and career planning
To give you the best chance of securing a great job when you graduate, our Careers and Employability service can help you find relevant work experience during your course.
We can help you identify placements, internships, voluntary roles and freelancing opportunities that will complement your studies and build your CV.
We'll also be available to help, advise and support you for up to 5 years as you advance in your career.
Supporting you
Master's study is more focused on independent learning than undergraduate study, but you'll get lots of support via video and phone from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed. You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:
Types of support
Your personal tutor helps you make the transition to postgraduate study and gives you academic and personal support throughout your course.
As well as regular scheduled meetings with your personal tutor, they're also available at set times during the week if you want to chat with them about anything that can't wait until your next meeting.
You'll have help from a team of faculty learning development tutors. They can help you improve and develop your academic skills and support you in any area of your study.
They can help with:
- Improving your academic writing (for example, essays, reports, dissertations)
- Delivering presentations (including observing and filming presentations)
- Understanding and using assignment feedback
- Managing your time and workload
- Revision and exam techniques
During term time, Faculty Academic Skills Tutors (AST) are available for bookable 1-to-1 sessions, small group sessions and online sessions. These sessions are tailored to your needs.
Support is available for skills including:
- University study
- Getting into the right study mindset
- Note-taking and note-making skills
- Referencing
- Presentation skills
- Time management, planning, and goal setting
- Critical thinking
- Avoiding plagiarism
If you have a disability or need extra support, the Additional Support and Disability Centre (ASDAC) will give you help, support and advice.
Our online Learning Well mini-course will help you plan for managing the challenges of learning and student life, so you can fulfil your potential and have a great student experience.
You can get personal, emotional and mental health support from our Student Wellbeing Service, in person and online. This includes 1–2–1 support as well as courses and workshops that help you better manage stress, anxiety or depression.
If you require extra support because of a disability or additional learning need our specialist team can help you.
They'll help you to
- discuss and agree on reasonable adjustments
- liaise with other University services and facilities, such as the library
- access specialist study skills and strategies tutors, and assistive technology tutors, on a 1-to-1 basis or in groups
- liaise with external services
Library staff are available in person or by email, phone, or online chat to help you make the most of the University’s library resources. You can also request one-to-one appointments and get support from a librarian who specialises in your subject area.
The library is open 24 hours a day, every day, in term time.
The Maths Café offers advice and assistance with mathematical skills in a friendly, informal environment. You can come to our daily drop-in sessions, develop your maths skills at a workshop or use our online resources.
If English isn't your first language, you can do one of our English language courses to improve your written and spoken English language skills before starting your degree. Once you're here, you can take part in our free In-Sessional English (ISE) programme to improve your English further.
How to apply
Unlike undergraduate applications, which go through UCAS, applications for this Master's course are made directly to us.
There's no deadline for applications to this course. We accept applications right up until the start dates in September and January, as long as there are places available. If you wait until your start month to apply, you may find that the course is full.
You can find more advice about applying in our Master's application checklist. International students and current students and recent graduates of the University of Portsmouth also have some different application options, which are detailed below.
Extra information for international students
If you're an international student, you can apply directly to us using the same application form as UK students.
You could also get an agent to help with your application. Check your country page for details of agents in your region. To find out what to include in your application, head to the how to apply page of our international students section.
If you don’t meet the English language requirements for this course yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Ready to apply?
Starting in September 2025
Starting in January 2026
I'm a current Portsmouth student, or a recent Portsmouth graduate
If you're currently in your final year of study at Portsmouth, or you graduated since July 2024, you're eligible to make a fast track application. You'll have:
- a shorter application form to complete
- access to the 20% Alumni fee discount
- a guaranteed conditional offer, for most Master's courses
After you apply
Once we receive your application, we may ask you for further information. We will then either make you an offer or suggest alternatives if your application is unsuccessful.
You'll usually get a decision within 10 working days, so you shouldn't have to wait too long. Some courses have an interview stage – we'll let you know if you need to prepare for one.
Learn more about how we assess your application.
Admissions terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.