The programme examines the diversity and variety of the subject and is designed to equip students with the high-level skills necessary for further research or career progression. Optional modules include period coverage from the Medieval period to the Renaissance to the contemporary moment. Current research in the Lincoln School of Humanities and Heritage has particular strengths in 21st Century literature, 19th Century literature, women's writing, politics, Gothic literature, utopianism, American fiction, eco-criticism, and drama. Students may benefit from the experience of a range of writers, editors, dramaturges, producers, and directors who visit the University of Lincoln to deliver inspirational talks or masterclasses. Previous speakers include Patience Agbabi, Ann Cleeves, Andrew Graham-Dixon, Chris Packham CBE, Robert Shearman, and the former Poet Laureate Dame Carol Ann Duffy, who became a Visiting Artist at the University in 2015 and regularly visits Lincoln to engage with students and read a selection of her works. Students can develop their own areas of interest in a particular period, genre, or theme, and are able to gain experience of public speaking by presenting their own research at a symposium at the Wren library in Lincoln Cathedral - a unique opportunity available only to students on the MA English Literature programme.