Rennes 2 University

Humanities Master’s Degree

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The majority of our courses are taught in French. We invite you to also have a look at the list of courses offered in English at Rennes 2.

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Objectives

This is a research degree in Humanities with four possible pathways:

  1. Literature and Critical Practices,
  2. Literature and Culture: Sharing Discourses,
  3. Italian Literature and Culture, and 
  4. The International pathway (a double-degree program in conjunction with the University of Salerno)

The field of study encompasses French, Italian, Latin and Ancient Greek literature. This field is neither temporally (it examines literature from antiquity to the contemporary period) nor spatially limited (the “nationality” of a piece of work depends on the language in which the author writes and not what is stated on their passport or given as their place of birth). Hence, the field of study of this degree can include works from other linguistic areas insofar as they relate to works written in the above-mentioned languages. All critical approaches can be considered.

The studies carried out in this degree can be extended to any culture in the linguistic areas considered as long as they are related to an advanced practice of the oral or written language. In addition to studying literature in the strict sense of the term, the course may also cover song, translation or adaptations, popular or children’s literature, the relationship between literature and the other arts, the writing of history or science, political rhetoric, and so on. This focus on the cultural contextualization of works is also reflected in the attention given to the conditions in which the works were received and published, the effects of meaning they induce and the use of the texts.

Skills

The Humanities degree aims to complete and consolidate the student’s literary knowledge acquired during their undergraduate studies, to equip them with intellectual rigour and critical methods and to acquaint them with the study and state of the art of literary research. It provides a transition from the bachelor’s degree to the doctorate. The introduction to research consists in particular of writing a 100-page dissertation over the two years of the master’s course.

Course Content

The teaching component of the degree is provided by the Humanities and Italian Departments, and the research and thesis supervision by CELLAM. The classes adopt either a general approach (core classes), addressing the major issues of literary analysis, or a focused approach (specialized classes), examining specific works, corpora or periods. Students must participate in the work of CELLAM’s research groups.

In M2, the choice is between four pathways:

  • Literature and Critical Practices examines the thinking in the field of literature and the practices that constitute it. Textual studies is connected to the critical approaches they are subject to, publishing practices, modes of circulation of the written word, conditions of reception of works and their appropriation by readers.

  • Literature and Culture: Sharing Discourses examines the relationship of literature with other intellectual disciplines.

  • The Italian Literature and Culture pathway focuses specifically on the study of Italian literature, offering students high-level training in discourse analysis in two linguistic domains, French and Italian. It therefore assumes proficiency in both languages. As such, it welcomes students from both linguistic backgrounds.
  • The International pathway, Rennes/Salerno - Much like the Italian Literature and Culture Pathway, this pathway offers high-level training in Italian literature. Rennes 2 students will spend semester 4 of the Master 2 at the University of Salerno, after which, upon successful completion of the program, they will receive a double-degree: one in French, through Rennes 2 University, and the other in Italian, through the University of Salerno.

For information on the organization of the Italian-related courses, and the Rennes/Salerno International Pathway, please contact the course coordinators:

- Claire Lesage: claire.lesage [at] univ-rennes2.fr (claire[dot]lesage[at]univ-rennes2[dot]fr) (for Italian Literature and Culture)

- Claudia Zudini: claudia.zudini [at] univ-rennes2.fr (claudia[dot]zudini[at]univ-rennes2[dot]fr) (for the International Pathway)

There is a specific preparation module on language study for students planning to take the Agrégation competitive examination after the M2.

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